Semmelknödel (German Bread Dumplings)

Step 1

Tear the bread rolls into thumb-sized pieces—roughly the size of a walnut—and place them in a large mixing bowl so they have room to soak.

Step 2

Pour the milk over the bread pieces, stir once, and let sit for 5 minutes until the bread has absorbed most of the liquid and feels soft throughout.

Step 3

Crack the eggs into a small bowl and whisk them together with a fork until the yolks and whites are fully combined and uniform in color.

Step 4

Pour the beaten eggs into the soaked bread, add the chopped parsley, a pinch of salt, and several grinds of pepper.

Step 5

Stir gently with a wooden spoon, folding the mixture from the bottom of the bowl up and over itself until the ingredients are evenly distributed and no dry bread bits remain.

Step 6

Fill a large pot three-quarters full with salted water and bring it to a boil over high heat—you will see large rolling bubbles breaking the surface continuously.

Step 7

Wet your hands with cold water, scoop about 3 tablespoons of the bread mixture into one palm, and gently shape it into a ball roughly the size of a small orange by rolling it between your hands, being careful not to squeeze too hard.

Step 8

Gently place each dumpling into the boiling water and repeat with the remaining mixture until you have shaped and added all of them—you should have 8 to 10 dumplings.

Step 9

Once all the dumplings are in the pot, they will sink to the bottom; stir gently once with a wooden spoon to prevent sticking, then let them simmer undisturbed.

Step 10

After about 3 minutes, the dumplings will float to the surface; once they float, simmer for 5 more minutes so the interiors finish cooking through.

Step 11

Lift each dumpling out of the water with a slotted spoon and place it on a serving plate or into a bowl of warm broth, and serve immediately while still steaming.