Start by placing the chicken breasts in a large pot. Add the homemade chicken stock, ensuring it's enough to cover the chicken. Toss in the bay leaf, smashed garlic, onion halves, celery, carrots, thyme or parsley, and sprinkle in the sea salt and black pepper. Bring it all to a gentle boil, then reduce to a simmer. Let the flavors meld for about 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Once the chicken is cooked, carefully remove it from the pot. Allow it to cool slightly before shredding it into bite-sized pieces using two forks. Return the shredded chicken back into the pot, and let it hang out while you make the dumplings.

In a mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and sea salt. Cut in the cold butter with a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the buttermilk and heavy cream until just combined. Don't overwork the dough; it should be slightly sticky but manageable.

On a floured surface, turn out the dough. Lightly dust with more flour and roll it out to about 1/4-inch thick. Use a knife or pizza cutter to cut the dough into strips, about 1 inch wide.

Gently drop the dumpling strips into the simmering broth. Cook them for about 15 minutes, or until they have puffed up and are cooked through. Be careful not to stir too vigorously, as this might break the dumplings apart.

After the dumplings are done, taste and adjust seasoning with more salt or pepper if needed. You can serve this hot in bowls, garnished with fresh chopped thyme or parsley.