Classic Beef Goulash with Chilli and Bread Dumpling

Step-by-step method

At a glance

You're looking at a proper weekend project: beef braising low and slow for three hours while you knead and proof a fluffy bread dumpling dough on the side, so everything comes together at exactly the right moment. The trickiest bit is steaming the dumplings (25 minutes, no more, no less), and the payoff is fork-tender meat in a deep paprika sauce, crowned with light airy dumplings and finished with fresh chilli and raw red onion for a sharp contrast.

1/16

Sear the meat

Cut the trimmed beef into cubes and mix thoroughly with salt and pepper. Heat the lard in a pot and sear the meat hard on all sides until golden brown, so it seals in the juices.

For this step
0/4

1 kilogram
Beef Shin

2 tablespoon
Pork Lard

1 teaspoon
Salt

1 teaspoon
Black Pepper
2/16

Fry off the onion base

Set the seared meat aside. Add the chopped onion to the fond left in the pot and fry, stirring constantly, until golden brown. This is the key foundation for both the colour and flavour of the whole goulash.

For this step
0/1

1 kilogram
Yellow Onion
3/16

Add the spices and pour in the stock

Lower the heat. Add the sweet paprika, chilli flakes and cumin to the onions, stir briefly to let the spices release their aroma, then immediately pour in the beef stock — otherwise the paprika would turn bitter.

For this step
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3 tablespoon
Sweet Ground Paprika

1 teaspoon
Chili Flakes

1 teaspoon
Caraway Seeds

500 milliliter
Beef Stock (Clear)

4/16

Braise the meat for the first two hours

Return the meat to the pot, let the mixture come to a gentle simmer, cover with a lid and reduce the heat. Braise for about 2 hours, checking occasionally that the goulash isn't catching on the bottom and has enough liquid.
5/16

Mix the dumpling dough

While the meat braises, tip the coarse flour, salt and dried yeast into a large bowl and mix them dry. Then pour in the lukewarm milk and crack in the egg.

For this step
0/5

500 gram
Coarse Wheat Flour

2 gram
Salt

7 gram
Dried Yeast

1 piece
Chicken Eggs

300 milliliter
Fresh Whole Milk (3.5% Fat)
6/16

Knead the dough smooth

Knead the dough thoroughly with a wooden spoon or a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook for about ten minutes, until it's smooth, glossy and starts pulling away from the sides of the bowl.
7/16

Fold in the bread

Cut a slightly stale bread roll, crust included, into small cubes, tip them into the dough and fold in very gently so the pieces spread evenly throughout.

For this step
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70 gram
Fatty bread roll
8/16

Let the dough rise

Cover the bowl with a clean, damp tea towel and leave the dough to rise in a warm spot for about an hour, until it has doubled in size. In a warmer spot it may rise faster, so keep an eye on it.
9/16

Braise the goulash until fully tender

After two hours, check how tender the meat is and braise it covered for a further hour or so, until the pieces start to fall apart and the sauce has developed a really deep flavour.
10/16

Shape the dumpling logs

Tip the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface, knead briefly into a smooth ball and divide into two equal halves. Roll each half into a neat log about six centimetres wide.
11/16

Let the dumplings rise again

Place the logs on a tray or baking sheet lightly brushed with oil, cover with a damp tea towel and leave to rise for another 30 minutes or so, so they gain volume before cooking.

For this step
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1 tablespoon
Sunflower Oil
12/16

Set up the pot and steamer

Pour about two centimetres of water into a wide pot, fit a steamer basket inside and bring the water to the boil. Line the steamer with a clean tea towel so the dough doesn't stick to it while cooking.

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1 liter
Water
13/16

Steam the dumplings

Place the logs in the steamer with plenty of space between them, as they'll expand a lot during cooking. Cover with a lid and steam over strong steam for exactly 25 minutes. Check occasionally that the water hasn't boiled dry.
14/16

Thicken and season the goulash

Stir the cornstarch into a little cold water and slowly pour it into the pot. Add the dried marjoram, rubbed between your palms, and the crushed garlic, then let it all bubble through briefly.

For this step
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2 tablespoon
Potato Starch

1 tablespoon
Dried Marjoram

4 clove
Garlic
15/16

Slice the dumplings

Move the cooked dumplings to a board and slice them with a piece of sturdy thread or a really sharp serrated knife, so you don't crush the light, airy texture inside.
16/16

Serve with onion and chilli

Divide the goulash between deep plates and add the dumpling slices alongside. Generously top each portion with thinly sliced red onion and add fresh chilli to taste.

For this step
0/2

1 piece
Red Onion

1 piece
Mixed chilli peppers

How it went

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Classic Beef Goulash with Chilli and Bread Dumpling

Name: Hearty Beef Goulash & Bread Dumpling
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 240 min
Total time: 370 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Czech
Ingredients: 1 teaspoon Black Pepper; 1 teaspoon Caraway Seeds; 1 piece Chicken Eggs; 300 milliliter Fresh Whole Milk (3.5% Fat); 2 tablespoon Potato Starch; 1 teaspoon Chili Flakes; 4 clove Garlic; 1 kilogram Beef Shin; 500 gram Coarse Wheat Flour; 3 tablespoon Sweet Ground Paprika; 1 liter Water; 1 piece Red Onion; 2 tablespoon Pork Lard; 1 tablespoon Sunflower Oil; 1 tablespoon Dried Marjoram; 7 gram Dried Yeast; 2 gram Salt; 70 gram Fatty bread roll; 1 piece Mixed chilli peppers; 500 milliliter Beef Stock (Clear); 1 teaspoon Salt; 1 kilogram Yellow Onion

everydaybyyumsto

Prep 30 min Cook 4 h

Plus 1 h 30 min of resting (not counted in active time)

22 Ingredients

16 Steps

Hard Difficulty

About this recipe

Meat that falls apart on the fork, a thick dark sauce with a spicy edge lurking underneath, and a fluffy dumpling to soak it all up. Oh my. The smell of marjoram and garlic drifts through the whole flat around the third hour of braising, and that's exactly the moment everyone starts "just popping into" the kitchen for a look. I've combined a classic beef goulash and a bread dumpling made from coarse flour into one recipe — and timed them so they come together perfectly: while the meat braises away, you've got plenty of time to knead the dough and let it rise. I always steam my dumplings rather than boil them in water. That way they don't crack, they don't turn slimy on the outside, and inside they stay beautifully light and fluffy. And I don't thicken the goulash with a roux, but with a little cornstarch right at the very end, so the sauce keeps the clean, honest flavour of the beef and paprika. On the plate, I always add raw red onion and fresh chilli — a sharp, fresh contrast I simply can't serve it without anymore 🌶️ So go on, get started — this weekend lunch will fill your whole home with the most amazing smell 💜

Beef Pork Warming & cozy Sunday family lunch Hearty & filling Comfort food Czech Main Course

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Step-by-step method

At a glance

Sear the meat

For this step

Fry off the onion base

For this step

Add the spices and pour in the stock

For this step

Braise the meat for the first two hours

Mix the dumpling dough

For this step

Knead the dough smooth

Fold in the bread

For this step

Let the dough rise

Braise the goulash until fully tender

Shape the dumpling logs

Let the dumplings rise again

For this step

Set up the pot and steamer

For this step

Steam the dumplings

Thicken and season the goulash

For this step

Slice the dumplings

Serve with onion and chilli

For this step

How it went

Nobody has tried this recipe yet

Classic Beef Goulash with Chilli and Bread Dumpling

Ingredients — what you'll need

About this recipe

Want a recipe like this every Thursday?

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