Ahoj! Welcome to this primer on Czech dumplings (knedlicky). As a Czech-American, bread dumplings were an important part of my childhood. Moje babicka cooked traditional Czech foods representing the peasant culture of the Old World in which simple ingredients and loving care combined to form dishes that were more delicious than the sum of their parts. In adulthood, my parents and I have attempted to keep the tradition alive although in modified form. Despite becoming acculturated to the abundant colorfulness of today's organic food supermarkets, a 
monochromatic starch and protein meal from yesteryear is always a treat.Understanding Czech dumplings
Cubing slices of stale country white bread is the first stage in creating knedlicky goodness. Staleness is best achieved after the bread has been lying uncovered for two to three days. The cubes are added to the dough itself which is a mixture of yeast, flour, eggs, mil
k and a pinch of salt. As a contemporary modification, I have moved toward using Bisquick instead of yeast in order to avoid various yeast pitfalls. In the traditional recipe, live yeast must be warmed, but not cooked (or else it will be dead yeast) and added to the dough which must be set aside for several hours in order to rise. With Bisquick, the process of activating yeast and waiting for the dough to rise is circumvented. However, I imagine some of the lovingkindness is lost along with the live yeast as the dumplings move toward Bisquick fastfood overproduced Americanism.
k and a pinch of salt. As a contemporary modification, I have moved toward using Bisquick instead of yeast in order to avoid various yeast pitfalls. In the traditional recipe, live yeast must be warmed, but not cooked (or else it will be dead yeast) and added to the dough which must be set aside for several hours in order to rise. With Bisquick, the process of activating yeast and waiting for the dough to rise is circumvented. However, I imagine some of the lovingkindness is lost along with the live yeast as the dumplings move toward Bisquick fastfood overproduced Americanism.Once the cubed bread and dough are mixed to a stiff, sticky paste, hand-fulls of the dough are formed into large balls which are then boiled in a vat of water on the stove. Once boiled, the dumplings ex
pand to approximately twice their size. Approximately 12 minutes of boiling on each side is recommended. The dumplings are then removed from the water and left to cool for a few minutes before being sliced with string. Knedlicky are traditionally served with pork, gravy, and zelli (saurkraut) during a mid-afternoon holiday meal. It is not uncommon for my cousins and I to eat upwards of 5 slices of bread dumplings-- which expand to greater volume in our contented stomachs-- and then to sit around in a food coma for the rest of the day.
pand to approximately twice their size. Approximately 12 minutes of boiling on each side is recommended. The dumplings are then removed from the water and left to cool for a few minutes before being sliced with string. Knedlicky are traditionally served with pork, gravy, and zelli (saurkraut) during a mid-afternoon holiday meal. It is not uncommon for my cousins and I to eat upwards of 5 slices of bread dumplings-- which expand to greater volume in our contented stomachs-- and then to sit around in a food coma for the rest of the day. 
2 cups sifted flour1 cup Bisquick
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
Cubed bread
Dough will be stiff, add more milk if needed. Add 2 slices of stale whit bread. Mix all ingredients well. Wet hands in cold water and form dough into 3 dumplings. Drop into rapidly boiling water (24 minutes, 12 each side). Lift with a slotted spoon and cut into slices.
For a good bread dumpling recipe which involves yeast, try:
http://fooddownunder.com/cgi-bin/recipe.cgi?r=86951
And, to watch an old master make knedlicky, check out someone's Grandma Vera rolling it out old-school:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voRms5oTNGQ
Finally, enjoy an old Czech commercial for fruit dumplings! Eve, an excuse to put a naked woman in the commercial, makes an appearance to remind us of dumplings' original sinfulness...
And, to watch an old master make knedlicky, check out someone's Grandma Vera rolling it out old-school:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voRms5oTNGQ
Finally, enjoy an old Czech commercial for fruit dumplings! Eve, an excuse to put a naked woman in the commercial, makes an appearance to remind us of dumplings' original sinfulness...
Dobrou chut!
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