Summer Fling: Yeasted Dumplings with Fruit
·Yeast starter
Stir the sugar into lukewarm milk and crumble in the yeast. Leave it in a warm spot to activate, and work with it once bubbles start forming on the surface.
Dough
Mix the flour with a pinch of salt, then pour in the yeast starter. Knead by hand, in a stand mixer or a bread maker until you get a smooth, non-sticky dough. Leave it to rise in a warm place for an hour.
Shaping the dumplings
Tear off pieces of dough and roll each into a thin round (though I actually find an oblong shape works better), then wrap it around a strawberry. Pinch the seams together firmly. Arrange the dumplings on the work surface and let them prove for another twenty minutes.
Boiling
Bring a large pot (a wide, shallower one works fine) of salted water to the boil. Once it's boiling, drop in the dumplings. Lower the heat slightly and cook until the dumplings float to the surface. Continue boiling for about another three minutes.
Serving
Place the cooked dumplings on a plate and top them however you like. Some prefer them with poppy seeds, sugar and melted butter, others with curd cheese, toasted breadcrumbs or grated gingerbread.