Little sourdough dumplings with venison

Inspired by traditional Russian pelmeni, I make these little sourdough dumplings in wintertime, when their warm, filling nature seems most needed to combat the cold. After filling the dumplings with spiced meat, I simmer them in a rich bone broth and top them with sour cream and a bit of chopped dill.

SERVES: 4 TO 6

INGREDIENTS:

Dumpling Dough:

• 1½ cups soft winter wheat flour, plus more for working the dough
• 4 egg yolks, beaten
• 1 teaspoon finely ground unrefined sea salt
• ½ cup Sourdough Starter

Filling:

• 12 ounces ground venison
• 1 shallot, minced
• ½ teaspoon finely ground unrefined salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon ground allspice

To Serve:

• 8 cups Beef Bone Broth
• Sour cream, to serve
• Chopped dill, to serve

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. To make the dumpling dough, heap the flour into the bowl of a stand mixer so it forms a little mountain, form a well at its center, and pour the egg yolks and salt into the well.
2. Pour in the sourdough starter and mix with the dough hook until a smooth dough forms, about 5 minutes.
3. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave it in a warm spot in your kitchen for 12 to 16 hours.
4. To prepare the filling, in a bowl, combine the venison, shallot, salt, pepper, and allspice.
5. Knead the mixture by hand to evenly distribute the shallot and spices.
6. Dust your work surface with flour.
7. Punch down the dough, form it into a ball, and turn it out onto the surface.
8. Using your hands, roll the dough back and forth so that it forms a long snake-like cylinder.
9. Pinch off about 2 teaspoons of dough, roll it into a ball by hand, then flatten it with a rolling pin to a circle about 1/16 inch thick.
10. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of filling onto one half of the circle, then fold the other half of the dough over the filling to form a half moon.
11. Seal by crimping the edges together and place the dumpling on a large plate dusted with flour.
12. Continue forming dumplings until the ingredients are exhausted.
13. Bring the beef broth to a boil in a stockpot over medium-high heat.
14. Working in batches of four (and no more), slip the dumplings into the bubbling broth and simmer until they rise to the surface on their own, about 4 minutes.
15. Using a slotted spoon, transfer them to a bowl.
16. Divide the dumplings among large individual serving bowls and ladle some of the broth over them.
17. Top with dollops of sour cream, sprinkle with dill, and serve