A yeasted bread dough studded with cubed bread, poached whole and sliced, the essential starchy side for nearly every Czech braise.
Czech Houskove Knedliky is a real, traditional Czech dish, known as Bread Dumplings. A yeasted bread dough studded with cubed bread, poached whole and sliced, the essential starchy side for nearly every Czech braise.\n\nHouskove knedliky are a foundational component of Czech cuisine, served alongside nearly every major sauced dish like svickova and gulas, their light, spongy texture designed specifically to soak up rich gravies and sauces.\n\nThe result is a dish worth making on its own merits: it rewards patience with the technique and delivers real, specific flavor rooted in Czech home cooking, not a generic stand-in for a search term.
Serves 8
Mix flour, yeast, sugar and salt, then stir in warm milk and egg until a soft dough forms. Knead for 8 minutes until smooth.
Gently fold the cubed stale bread into the dough.
Cover and let rise for 1 hour until doubled.
Divide the dough into two logs, each about 20 cm long, and let rise again for 15 minutes.
Gently lower the logs into a large pot of barely simmering water, cover, and poach for 20 to 25 minutes, turning once halfway through, until cooked through.
Remove, pierce with a fork or thread to release steam, and slice with a piece of thread or a serrated knife into rounds. Serve immediately alongside a saucy main dish.
Use genuinely stale bread cubes, since fresh bread turns mushy and doesn't hold its texture within the dumpling.
Poach at a gentle simmer, not a rolling boil, which could cause the dumplings to fall apart or cook unevenly.
Slice with thread pulled through the dumpling, a traditional technique that prevents the knife from compressing and gumming up the soft slices.
A potato dumpling version replaces some of the flour with mashed potato for a denser, different texture.
Some households add caraway seeds to the dough for extra flavor.
Serve alongside svickova, gulas or any other richly sauced Czech dish.
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of water or stock to loosen the texture.
Houskove knedliky are a foundational component of Czech cuisine, served alongside nearly every major sauced dish like svickova and gulas, their light, spongy texture designed specifically to soak up rich gravies and sauces.
The water was likely boiling too hard — keep it at a gentle simmer throughout the cooking time.
Traditionally, a piece of strong thread is looped around the dumpling and pulled taut to slice it cleanly, rather than pressing down with a knife.
Yes, they reheat well by steaming briefly, or can be sliced and lightly pan-fried the next day.
Per serving (140g / 4.9 oz) · 8 servings total
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