Knedlíky are traditional Czech dumplings which use a dough similar to bread dough. They're boiled and sliced, and served with a variety of traditional Czech dishes. If you enjoy Czech food, make this authentic recipe!
Prep Time25 minutesmins
Cook Time20 minutesmins
Resting Time2 hourshrs25 minutesmins
Total Time3 hourshrs10 minutesmins
Course: Bread, Side Dish
Cuisine: Czech
Servings: 3large dumplings (each approximately 3 ½ inches x 10 inches yielding about 14 to 16 slices per loaf--serving size based on 45 dumpling slices)
4 ¾cups(635 grams) quick-mixing or instant flour(such as Wondra flour; see notes for alternatives and tips on measuring)
1 ½teaspoonskosher salt
Instructions
Combine the warm milk, sugar, and yeast. Let it bloom for about 10 minutes. Beat the egg into the milk mixture. Combine the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl, stir in the milk and egg mixture, and knead together for a few minutes until smooth. The dough can be a bit tacky but shouldn't be sticky. If it's sticky, add a bit more flour as needed. Cover with a towel and let it rise in a warm spot for 2 hours or until doubled in size.
Cut the dough into thirds, and shape each piece of dough into a 2-inch thick rope. Cover with a towel, and let the shaped dumplings rise for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large pot (at least 10-inches wide), bring salted water to a boil. Boil the dumplings uncovered for 20 minutes flipping them over halfway through. They will expand quite a bit. If they don’t all fit in your pan at once, cook them in batches. Note that if you do need to cook them in batches, plan for 1 hour total cooking time.
After removing from the boiling water with a large slotted spoon or spatula, immediately poke them with a toothpick in a few spots to let the steam out. Cool for at least 5 minutes before slicing with a serrated knife, thread, or dental floss into about ¾-inch-thick slices.
Notes
Wondra flour is a type of quick mixing or instant flour by Gold Medal brand available in the United States. It is more coarse than regular all-purpose flour. Here are some alternatives for flours you can try for making these in other countries. These flours vary in weight and absorption so start with a bit less flour and add more as needed.
Czech Republic: Hrubá mouka
Canada: Robin Hood Easy Blend
Australia: Continental flour (any brand)
Germany: Aurora Instant Mehl Type 405 or any Spätzlemehl
When in doubt, measuring by weight is always preferable to measuring by volume. The conversion of Wondra flour in this recipe from cups to grams is accurate (both by testing and also confirming the conversion on the Wondra packaging which states that ¼ cup = 30 grams). If you're measuring by volume and your dumplings turn out dry, you are packing too much flour into your cups. Spoon flour into the cup and level off the top for the best results, or better yet weigh it with a digital scale.
This recipe uses dry active yeast. I have not tested this recipe with different types of yeast, however I will provide general substitution guidelines in case you need to try them.
Instant yeast: reduce the amount of yeast by 25% and mix the yeast directly into the flour mixture. Proceed with the recipe as directed.
Fresh yeast: double the amount of yeast and crumble it into your warm milk mixture. Proceed with the recipe as directed.
To store: cool cooked dumplings completely, wrap them in aluminum foil or plastic wrap, then place in freezer bags into the refrigerator or freezer. You can refrigerate dumplings for several days, or freeze them for longer (about 3 to 6 months since they are basically bread). You will definitely need to reheat/refresh the dumplings before serving.
To reheat: thaw dumplings completely (preferably overnight in the refrigerator) and slice them into portions. Add a little water to a pot and place a steamer basket over the top. Heat it on high heat, then once you hear the water boiling, lower the heat so it’s more of a gentle simmer. Arrange sliced dumplings on the perforated steamer, cover, and steam for 2 to 3 minutes until heated through. As a backup option, you can also wrap the dumplings with a damp paper towel, put them on a plate and microwave for about 30 seconds until softened and heated through.