Step 1

Add chicken, broth, water, salt, pepper, garlic powder and bay leaf to a wide stock pot or dutch oven. Cover then bring to a slow simmer over medium heat. Once broth is bubbling, reduce heat to low then cook, covered, for 2-3 hours, or until legs and thighs are pulling apart from the body and the chicken is very tender. See notes.

Step 2

Remove chicken from broth; set aside. Strain broth into a large bowl or pitcher, discarding bay leaf and loose bones or skin; set broth aside.

Step 3

Melt butter in the (now empty) pot then cook celery, carrots and onion over medium heat for 10 minutes. Add flour, stir well, then continue cooking for 5 minutes.

Step 4

Slowly stir reserved broth in with vegetables. Continue stirring until completely smooth. Reduce heat to low and cover.

Step 5

Remove skin and bones from chicken then shred or cut chicken into bite-sized pieces.

Step 6

Prepare dumplings.

Step 7

Heat pot with broth over medium-high heat until it starts to boil. Add chicken. Gently drop dumplings, one at a time, into gently boiling broth. Take care to drop dumplings away from other freshly dropped dumplings as they will stick to each other before they have a chance to cook.

Step 8

Once all of the dumplings are in the pot, sprinkle with additional pepper then cover pot. Reduce heat to medium-low then allow to cook for 10 minutes or until dumplings are cooked through.

Step 9

Serve immediately.

Step 10

Place milk in a wide, shallow bowl in the freezer for about 10 minutes to chill. This will help to separate the melted butter when we pour it in so that our dumplings are very much like actual biscuits without the fuss of actually making biscuits.

Step 11

Melt the butter then set aside.

Step 12

Combine flour, baking soda, salt, pepper and thyme in a mixing bowl then whisk to combine; set aside.

Step 13

Slowly drizzle melted butter into chilled milk, stirring with a fork until combined. The mixture should look like curdled milk or cottage cheese.

Step 14

Add milk mixture to flour mixture then stir with a spoon or rubber spatula until just combined.

Step 15

If making Drop Dumplings: scoop portions of dough with two teaspoons or use a cookie scoop (I used a 1” cookie scoop in the ones pictured here) then drop into gently boiling broth.

Step 16

If making Rolled Dumplings: Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface then sprinkle with more flour. Roll into desired thickness (anticipate they will double in thickness when cooked). Cut into squares or rectangles (however your granny did it) then drop into gently boiling broth.