by Natasha Sheldon

Created on: November 25, 2008   Last Updated: April 09, 2009

Boiled bread dumplings are an integral part of Czech Cuisine. There are various versions, some using only fat, flour and milk, others incorporating bread to produce a light but filling carbohydrate accompaniment to a variety of meals.

Traditionally bread dumplings are served as an excellent way of soaking up the delicious sauces and gravies of hearty Czech dishes such as beef goulash and Svickova, a beef dish served with a lemon and cream sauce.

This is a version of Czech Bread Dumplings that incorporates bread rolls in the mixture. It is incredibly easy to make. The resulting dumplings are lighter and less greasy than suet dumplings, as well as lower in calories.

There is no need to limit them to Czech dishes. The dumplings work well served with winter casseroles and stews as well as with the famous Czech goulash.

Ingredients:

2 bread rolls, 1cm cubed

30g/1.25 oz butter

400g/14oz All purpose flour

1teaspoon of baking powder

1 egg

salt

4 tablespoons of milk

Method:

Firstly, lightly brown the bread cubes in the butter before setting aside. Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl before adding the egg, salt and milk. Beat until smooth.

Now take the cubes of bread and add to the egg, flour and milk mixture. Mix well and leave for five minutes to allow the bread to soften and disintegrate into the mix.

Once this has happened, shape the dough into two long rolls and then place each one into a large pan of salted boiling water. Make sure its large enough to hold the dumpling rolls without them sticking to the bottom or sides. Simmer gently for twenty minutes.

When the time is up, remove from the pan and slice into 2 cm slices with a sharp knife. The dumplings should be soft but firm-perfect for absorbing the sauce from your chosen dish.

For variety, try adding 4oz of browned, finely diced bacon? Or for a refreshing taste, grate a teaspoon of lemon rind into the mix during the first stage.

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