Yeast dumplings à la Aunt Frieda

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 500 g wheat flour
• 1 cube of yeast, fresh
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp, leveled salt
• 1 tbsp butter, melted
• 1 egg(s)
• 1 cup milk

Instructions

Working time approx. 45 minutes; Rest time approx. 1 hour; Cooking/baking time approx. 20 minutes; Total time approx. 2 hours 5 minutes

Heat the milk on the stovetop or in the microwave. Not too hot (you should still be able to reach into it with your finger). Crumble the yeast into a coffee or measuring cup with a fork. Sprinkle the sugar over it and then pour in the milk, just enough to cover the yeast. Set the remaining milk aside. Keep the container with the yeast warm (preferably on a warm radiator, with a tea towel underneath to prevent it from getting too hot). Let it rise until the yeast reaches the rim of the cup. Meanwhile, put the flour in a bowl, add the egg, salt, and melted, slightly cooled butter, and mix well. Pour in the risen yeast and knead in (works well with a dough hook). Add a small amount of the reserved milk as you go. Just enough to make the dough form a ball. It shouldn’t stick. If it does, add a little more flour if necessary. You have to develop a feeling for when the dough is “right.” Cover the finished dough with a kitchen towel and let it rise in a warm place (I always prefer a warm radiator). When the dough has increased significantly in volume, form individual dumplings and let them rise again in a warm place. I always place baking paper or aluminum foil on the radiator and then place the dumplings there. Be careful not to create a draft in the kitchen; otherwise, the dough will collapse. When the dumplings have increased significantly in volume, add them one at a time to a large pot of boiling salted water. Don’t add too many at once; dumplings expand during cooking and need space in the water. Cook gently at a low simmer. After 10 minutes, turn the dumplings over once with a wooden spoon. After another 10 minutes, remove the dumplings with a slotted spoon and immediately cut them in half using a piece of string. The steam must be able to escape immediately, otherwise the dumplings will collapse. Serve unfolded on a plate. Tip: We like goulash best with this. You can also make a sweet version with plums, sugar, and cinnamon. You can also reheat the dumplings in the microwave the next day. They taste almost as good as freshly made.