Recipe#10506

Title: Knedliky

Newsgroups: rec.food.recipes 
 From: APTP@P2VAX.LANL.GOV (Andrea Palounek, LANL, (505)665-2574) 
 Subject: Czech White Bread Dumplings (Houskovy Knedliky) 
 Message-ID: <940114184735.8829@P2VAX.LANL.GOV> 
 Organization: Taronga Park BBS 
 Date: Fri, 14 Jan 1994 18:47:35 -0700 (MST) 

A while ago, someone requested a recipe for Czech dumplings.  It sounded
 like they wanted savory, not sweet, so here are two versions of savory
 dumplings.  (They're only two of many.  Asking a Czech for a dumpling
 recipe is a bit like asking anyone else for a bread recipe! :-) )
 Houskovy Knedlik  (White bread dumpling)
 1/2 kg coarse flour* (4 cups Wondra)
 1 tsp salt
 2 egg yolks
 3/8 l milk (1 1/2 cups)
 20 dkg bread cubes (8 stale slices, toasted or fried, about 4 cups)
 Sift the flour into a bowl.  In a smaller bowl, lightly beat together
 the salt, egg yolks, and milk.  Pour the liquid into the flour and
 work the dough until it is smooth and shiny but no longer sticky.
 Dust with flour and let rest, covered with a towel or plastic wrap,
 an hour or longer (it tastes better).  Before boiling the dumplings,
 mix in the cubed bread and form dumplings using floured hands (some
 people make them about 3 by 8 inches, others make them rounder and
 bigger, like a large grapefruit.  I belong to the grapefruit school.)
 Add the dumpling(s) to briskly boiling water and boil 20 -30 minutes,
 making sure they do not stick to the pan (or to each other).  Remove
 from water and slice into one to make sure the dumplings are cooked
 through.  Serve immediately.  To serve the dumplings, slice them
 thick (1/2-3/4 inch) with a very sharp knife or a thread.  These
 dumplings are excellent soppers-up of gravy: make sure to have
 extra sauce whenever you serve them.
 Serves 6 to 8.
 Leftovers can be cubed and fried with an egg or two for breakfast.
 Bramborove Knedliky (Potato Dumplings)
 80 dkg potatoes, cooked with skins on (about 2 pounds)
 1 dkg salt (to taste)
 1-2 eggs
 10 dkg farina (3/4 cup)
 20 dkg coarse flour* (2 to 2 1/4 cups Wondra) 
 2 tablespoons vinegar
 (dkg = dekagram, or 10 grams)
 Boil the potatoes the day before.  To prepare the dough, peel the
 potatoes, grate, chop, or mash, and add the other ingredients.
 Work well into a stiff dough.  Do not let the dough sit too long
 or it will get runny.  Form dumplings about the size of an apple,
 using floured hands.  Add to briskly boiling, salted water, and
 boil 15-20 minutes, making sure they do not stick to the pan or to
 each other.  They're done when they float.  Remove from water,
 slice thick, and serve immediately.
 Serves 4 to 6.
 Leftovers can be cubed and fried with an egg or two for breakfast.
 * Coarse flour is more coarsely ground than American all-purpose,
 and is lower in gluten.  The best approximation I've found is
 marketed under the brand name of Wondra, and seems to be considered
 mainly a gravy flour.  It can be hard to find, but the search is
 worth it; you can make these dumplings with all-purpose white flour,
 but the texture suffers significantly.