Old Country Cooking

One of the foods my fiance grew up with and still really enjoys is the traditional Czech bread dumpling. I've been experimenting with different recipes to make dumplings just like the ones he remembers because, you know, I love him and stuff. And it turns out they're not as difficult as they sound. Here's a recipe, adapted from various sources, that comes pretty darn close to the dumplings my fiance enjoyed as a kid:

Czech Bread Dumplings (Houskove Knedliky)

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup milk

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 slices French or country white bread, diced

First, a couple of notes about the ingredients. The best flour to use is Wondra, a highly refined flour made specially for sauces. It comes in a blue canister and you can find it in your grocery store's baking aisle. The bread in this recipe needs to be dry. If you live in a dry climate, you can leave it out for several days and let it go stale. If not, you can toast it, but just until dry (not browned).

-Mix the beaten eggs and milk, and set aside.

-Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

-Put the dry ingredients in a large bowl and form a well in the middle.

-Pour the egg mixture into the well and gently stir until just combined. The dough will be very sticky.

-Work the diced bread into the dough with floured hands.

-Shape the dough into two equal loaves.

-Cover the loaves with a large bowl and let them rest for 30 minutes.

-Meanwhile, set a large pot of water to boiling. The pot needs to be very wide, as the loaves must have room to boil without touching.

-After the 30 minutes have passed, gently reshape the loaves with floured hands and drop them in the boiling water. Boil for 12 minutes, then gently turn them over and boil for 12 more minutes.

-Remove loaves and prick them with a fork to release steam, then use a piece of thread to cut slices about an inch thick.

These dumplings are wonderful with a pork or beef roast and do a delightful job of soaking up pan sauce. I've also indulged my southern side by serving them with sausage gravy.