Steamed Czech Bread Dumplings (Houskový Knedlík)

Step-by-step method

At a glance

You're making fluffy Czech bread dumplings with a foolproof dried yeast method that steams to tender perfection—no cracking or dryness. The dough comes together quickly, gets one rise while you wait about an hour, then takes another short 30-minute rest before a 25-minute steam. The trickiest part is slicing these beauties hot without squashing their airy texture, so a sharp knife or strong thread is your friend.

1/9

Combine the ingredients

Put the coarse flour in a large bowl, add the salt and dried yeast, and stir the dry ingredients together. Then pour in the lukewarm milk and crack in the egg. This saves time, as you can go straight on to kneading.

For this step
0/5

500 gram
Coarse Wheat Flour

2 gram
Salt

7 gram
Dried Yeast

300 milliliter
Fresh Whole Milk (3.5% Fat)

1 piece
Chicken Eggs
2/9

Knead the dough

Knead everything in the bowl thoroughly with a wooden spoon, or let a stand mixer with a dough hook do the work. Knead for about ten minutes, until the dough is smooth and glossy and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
3/9

Work in the bread

Cut the day-old bread roll into small cubes, crust included. Add them to the finished dough and fold them in very gently, just until the pieces are evenly distributed.

For this step
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70 gram
Fatty bread roll

4/9

First rise

Cover the bowl with a clean damp towel. Leave the dough to rise in a warm place for about one hour, until it has doubled in size. Keep an eye on it, as in a warm spot it may rise faster.
5/9

Shape the loaves

Turn the risen dough out onto a work surface and knead it lightly into a smooth ball. Divide it into two equal halves. Carefully roll each one into a neat log about six centimeters wide.
6/9

Second rise

Place the dumplings on a tray or baking sheet lightly greased with oil. Cover them again with a damp towel and let them rest for another 30 minutes or so to puff up before steaming.

For this step
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1 tablespoon
Sunflower Oil
7/9

Prepare the pot and steam

Pour two centimeters of water into a wide pot and set a classic steamer insert inside. Bring the water to a boil. You can line the steamer with a clean kitchen towel so the dough doesn't stick to it while cooking.

For this step
0/1

1 liter
Water
8/9

Steam the dumplings

Carefully place the loaves in the steamer with plenty of space between them, as they swell a lot during cooking. Cover with a lid and steam over strong steam for exactly 25 minutes. Check from time to time that the water hasn't boiled away.
9/9

Slice and serve

Carefully transfer the cooked dumplings to a cutting board. To slice them hot, use strong thread or a really sharp serrated knife so you don't damage their perfectly fluffy inner texture.

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Steamed Czech Bread Dumplings (Houskový Knedlík)

Name: Fluffy Czech Bread Dumplings (Houskový Knedlík)
Prep time: 23 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 146 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Czech
Ingredients: 1 liter Water; 2 gram Salt; 500 gram Coarse Wheat Flour; 300 milliliter Fresh Whole Milk (3.5% Fat); 70 gram Fatty bread roll; 1 piece Chicken Eggs; 1 tablespoon Sunflower Oil; 7 gram Dried Yeast

everydaybyyumsto

Prep 23 min Cook 25 min

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

8 Ingredients

9 Steps

Hard Difficulty

Ingredients — what you'll need

You only need 8 ingredients

Adjust servings

1 liter
2 gram
500 gram
300 milliliter
70 gram
1 piece
1 tablespoon
7 gram

Equipment

What you'll need besides the ingredients.

Stand mixer optional

Baking sheet optional

Steamer

Tea towel optional

What's in it?

614 kcal

Calories

111 g

Carbohydrates

10 g

Fats

20 g

Proteins

The nutritional information is an estimate and may vary based on the specific ingredients used.

About this recipe

We all know that moment of doubt when you slice into a classic Czech dumpling: will it collapse, or turn out dense and tough inside? We've found a foolproof method that handles the challenge with ease. It relies on convenient dried yeast, which saves plenty of time, and gentle steaming, so there's no cracking and no slimy surface. Cooking from abroad, perhaps in Switzerland or Germany? Try combining Zopfmehl with Semola grano duro. The dumplings come out with the same flavor and texture as traditional ones made with Czech coarse flour (hrubá mouka). The result is a wonderfully fluffy, tender side dish that takes a favorite like goulash or svíčková to the next level.

Vegetarian High-protein Czech Side Dish

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Step-by-step method

At a glance

Combine the ingredients

For this step

Knead the dough

Work in the bread

For this step

First rise

Shape the loaves

Second rise

For this step

Prepare the pot and steam

For this step

Steam the dumplings

Slice and serve

How it went

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Steamed Czech Bread Dumplings (Houskový Knedlík)

Ingredients — what you'll need

Equipment

What's in it?

About this recipe

Want a recipe like this every Thursday?

Similar recipes

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