Recipe - Dampfnudle (Yeast Dumplings)

500 g Flour (4 One half cups less 1
Tbsp)
One fourth l Milk (1 cup plus 1 Tbsp)
40 g [fresh] yeast (1.4 oz)
1 ds Salt
150 g Butter OR, better yet,
clarified butter (2/3 cup)
1 To 2 eggs

Heat the milk a bit and then dissolve the yeast in it. Make a well in the
flour, and pour the yeast mixture into it. Let rest for One half hour. Then, add
the remaining milk and the salt, and knead well. Vigorously beat the dough
until it forms bubbles, then cover, and in a warm spot, let rest for 1
hour. Cut off fist size pieces, and on a floured pastry board ~ let
these pieces rise one more time, for another 15 minutes.

In a wide pot, melt the fat, and then add warm, salted water to a depth of
about Three fourths inch. Add the dumplings, arranged in one layer, touching each
other. Put a lid on the pot, and additionally seal the edges ~ where the
lid rests on the pot with damp cloths in order to keep the steam inside.
Bake at low heat. The dumplings should be done in about 20 minutes, and
have the highly desirable 'Schuepet' (hard, brown crust) on the bottom.

'Dampfnudle' may be served sour, with sauerkraut, or sweet, with stewed
fruit or vanilla sauce.

Variation: DAMPFNUDLE IN DER SCHLEIFERBRUEH* (Steamed Dumplings in Thin
Gravy):

Prepare as for regular 'Dampfnudle', but prior to arranging them in the
pot, thoroughly dust the bottom of each dumpling with flour. During the
steaming process, the flour and water will form a whitish gravy that is
called 'Schleiferbrueh'.

[*Note: In the olden days, scissorsandknife grinders would go from house
to house, wheeling a little cart with a round, treadleoperated whetstone.
The bottom of the whetstone would be in a bit of water, which with the
treadle turning the stone would keep the grinding surface wet. As the
grinder sharpened knives and scissors, a bit of the whetstone would wear
off, and this somewhat cloudy water was the original application of the
term 'Schleiferbrueh'. K.B.]

Serves 4.

From: D'SCHWAEBISCH' KUCHE' by Aegidius Kolb and Leonhard Lidel, Allgaeuer
Zeitungsverlag, Kempten. 1976. (Translation/Conversion: Karin Brewer)
Posted by: Karin Brewer, Cooking Echo, 9/92

From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini