What is the real pride of Czech cuisine? That’s right – bread dumplings, houskové knedlíky! Since I’m from the Czech Republic, it would be inexcusable if I didn’t post a recipe for traditional Bohemian dumplings made from yeast dough.
What Are Czech Bread Dumplings
Knedlíky (plural) or knedle are one of the most common side dishes in Czech cuisine. The best-known type is called houskové knedlíky (bread dumplings).
Czech bread dumplings are kneaded out of flour, egg, yeast (fresh or instant), salt, and bread cubes, shaped in a cylinder roll, then boiled or steamed. Cooked dumpling rolls are sliced and served warm, typically with iconic Czech sauces like Svíčková or Rajská.
NOTE: There is another version of bread dumplings known in the Czech Republic; made by using baking powder instead of yeast. However, that baking-powder-recipe calls for little different ingredients.
Let’s be clear:
Today I’m talking about dumplings WITHOUT baking powder. This recipe is for yeast bread dumplings.
My tip: If you want to try another classic type of Czech dumplings, my honest pick is these potato dumplings called "Chlupaté knedlíky".
But hey, do you prefer sweets? I have Ovocné knedlíky (Czech fruit dumplings) for you, and they are definitely worth trying!
Pronunciation
I recorded a short audio clip on how to pronounce the Czech word knedlíky. The first word in the audio is "knedlíky", the last is "houskové knedlíky", which means bread dumplings.
Ingredients
You’ll need only a few ingredients to make homemade bread dumplings from scratch. Let’s have a look at them:
- Flour, the best flour for making dumplings, is coarse flour. We call it „hrubá mouka“ here in the Czech Republic. I know there it’s a problem to get coarse flour abroad. I’ve researched the topic a bit and will take a closer look at the bread dumplings flours further in the article.
- Milk, lukewarm, to activate the yeast. It can be substituted with warm water if you don’t have milk on hand.
- Egg, enhances the taste and the color.
- Salt
- Yeast, Czechs use fresh yeast, and so did I in this recipe. The dumplings will rise even if you use instant yeast, though. The dough doesn’t contain any fat, and that’s why it needs only a little yeast to rise.
- Pinch of sugar, to feed yeast.
- Bread cubes, made from stale rolls.
Instructions
Step 1: Dice stale white bread
Start with cutting bread. Cut the stale white bread into ⅓-inch cubes. The bread should be 2-3 days old, not fresh.
Step 2: Make dumpling dough
Combine the flour with 2 pinches of salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center. Put yeast in the center, sprinkle with a pinch of sugar (photo 1). Pour in ⅓ of lukewarm milk and stir with a little flour using a fork (photo 2). Let it sit for 5 minutes until yeast dissolve.
In a separate bowl, whisk the remaining milk with an egg (photo 3). Add to flour with yeast (photo 4).
Step 3: Knead the dough
Knead the dumpling dough until smooth. Use your hands (my choice) or a kitchen mixer with a proper attachment. Sprinkle with a bit of flour if the dough is too sticky.
Only now add cubed bread and combine.
Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let the dough rise for 45 minutes in a warm place until double (photos 5+6).
Step 4: Make dumpling loaves
Meantime, prepare a pot with low boiling salted water to boil the dumpling or a steamer in case you intend to steam the dumpling.
Divide the proofed dough into two pieces, form a cylinder shape out of each piece. One loaf should be about 10-inch (25 cm) long and 4-inch (10 cm) thick.
Step 5: Cook dumplings
There are two tried methods to cook dumplings: boiling and steaming. Choose one of these.
Boiled dumplings: Boil the dumplings in simmering salted water for 18 minutes, flipping the roll halfway through (after 9 minutes). Cover the pot with a lid while boiling.
Steamed dumplings: Steam the dumplings for 25 minutes in a pot with a suitable steamer insert or in a steamer covered with a lid. Do not flip the dumpling while steaming.
Step 6: Finish cooked dumplings
Take out the cooked dumplings carefully. A large dumpling spatula might be useful.
If you boiled the dumplings, prick them immediately a few times with a fork. Pricking the rolls when taken out of the water is necessary. Otherwise, the steam would remain inside, and the dumplings wouldn’t be as fluffy as they should be.
Do not prick steamed dumplings since they don’t absorb as much water as their boiled siblings.
If you don’t serve the dumplings right after cooking, brush their surface with a little melted lard or butter. This way, the dumpling rolls remain soft, and the surface won’t dry out.
Step 7: Slice the dumplings
The old-fashioned technique of how Czechs slice knedlíky is using a cotton thread. You can cut a still warm dumpling roll with a very sharp knife. Or use a dumpling cutter and slice the whole roll in one go.
How to Cook Dumplings
An important note on the dumpling cooking dilemma:
✅ There are two tried and tested ways; either to boil knedlíky in simmering water or to steam them.
Steamed dumplings will always offer the most visually appealing result. They will be inside soft and pretty smooth, with a regular shape, not mushy on the surface. You need to steam dumplings for 25 minutes without flipping them.
If you boil the dumplings, the boiling water will be erosive to the dumplings. Their surface won’t be perfectly symetrical, and they will be a little bit less fluffy inside. Knedlíky are boiled in simmering water for 18 minutes and need to be flipped in the middle of the cooking time.
Get a direct visual: There is a steamed dumpling on the left side, right a boiled variant. Both made with the same recipe, just the way I cooked them was different:
My tip: Would you love to try steaming dumplings instead of boiling? You don't need to have a fancy steamer; there are really cheap steam rack inserts you can use in your own pots. Be aware: Once you try steaming, you’ll never want to go back to boiling 😊
How do sliced knedlíky look like? On the left, there are a few slices of steamed dumplings. On the right the boiled dumpling’s slices. (Good news: Both boiled and steamed dumplings taste great!):
What Flour to Use
Czechs use coarse flour (Hrubá mouka) as the basic ingredient for dumpling dough. I know there is a problem to find this kind of flour abroad.
I researched a few internet forums, and there were some useful tips to substitute the Czech coarse flour, especially if you are based in the US:
- Use Wondra flour, or mix it with all-purpose flour.
- You can also substitute some all-purpose flour with farina (krupička).
- Some people refer that a cup of bread flour can help with the texture of dumplings.
- If you have only all-purpose flour, always steam dumplings instead of boil that knedlíky are not too dense. It's a must to steam dumplings if less coarse flour is used.
TIP: These old country Czech dumplings are also ideal for goulash!
Bread for Dumplings
The bread dumplings are called the “bread” ones for a reason. It’s because they contain diced white bread. The best bread for dumplings is white bread with a golden crust. Czechs typically use rohlík or housky.
The white bread must be 2-3 days old and stale, or it falls apart in the dough and will not be recognizable in the finished product.
Soft and delicate pastry like toast bread will make the finished dumpling soak up the sauce and basically disintegrate before you're done eating.
A nifty trick: If you only have fresh bread, put it in the oven to dry out for a while.
Knedlíky should contain about 10-30 % of bread cubes. Less bread will not be recognizable in the dough and more will make the dough practically uncookable by normal means.
If you like dumplings with a lot of pastry, try making karlovarský knedlík.
😉 Any dumpling leftovers in your fridge? Try this easy Czech recipe: Knedlíky s vajíčkem
FAQs
Yes, it’s a common way how to store dumplings. I recommend spreading out the dumplings in the freezer so they don’t touch. After 30 minutes, lay them out in an airtight container. Dumplings will be frozen separately and you can always take precisely how much you need.
Take the dumplings out of the freezer, put them in a plastic bag and let them thaw at room temperature. You can accelerate the process by putting the dumplings in a bag into the microwave. By thawing them in a plastic bag, their surface won’t dry out and the dumplings will be as good as fresh.
Bread dumplings go well with iconic Czech sauces, such as svíčková or rajská. They are also perfect as an accompaniment for Czech goulash (guláš), roasted duck with cabbage, or stew. Knedlíky leftovers taste great diced and fried with eggs in butter.
Houskové knedlíky – Czech Bread Dumplings
Ingredients
- 3 and ¾ cups (500 g) coarse flour
- 1 cup (240 ml) milk (lukewarm, or water)
- ½ cup bread cubes (made from stale white bread, cut into ⅓-inch pieces)
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp active dry yeast (or 10 g fresh yeast)
- ½ tsp salt
- a pinch of granulated sugar
Instructions
- Cut the stale white bread into ⅓-inch cubes.
- Combine the flour with 2 pinches of salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center. Put yeast in the center, sprinkle with a pinch of sugar. Pour in ⅓ of lukewarm milk and stir with a little flour using a fork. Let it sit for 5 minutes until yeast dissolve.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the remaining milk with an egg. Add the mixture to the bowl with flour and yeast.
- Knead the dumpling dough until smooth. Use your hands (my choice) or a kitchen mixer with a proper attachment. Add a bit of flour if the dough is too sticky.
- Only now add cubed bread and combine.
- Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let the dough rise for 45 minutes in a warm place until double.
- Meantime, prepare a pot with low boiling salted water to boil the dumpling or a steamer in case you intend to steam the dumpling.
- Divide the proofed dough into two pieces, form a cylinder shape out of each piece. One loaf should be about 8-10 inches (20-25 cm) long and 3-inch (7 cm) thick.
Boiled dumplings:
- Boil the dumplings in simmering salted water for 18 minutes, flipping the roll halfway through (after 9 minutes). Cover the pot with a lid while boiling.
Steamed dumplings:
- Steam the dumplings for 25 minutes in a pot with a suitable steamer insert or in a steamer covered with a lid. Do not flip the dumpling while steaming.
Finishing:
- Take out the cooked dumplings carefully. A large dumpling spatula might be useful.
- If you boiled the dumplings, prick them immediately a few times with a fork. Pricking the rolls when taken out of the water is necessary. Otherwise, the steam would remain inside, and the dumplings wouldn’t be as fluffy as they should be.
- You do not prick steamed dumplings, since they don’t absorb as much water as their boiled siblings.
- Slice dumplings into ½-inch thick pieces and serve warm as a side dish.
Notes
- Makes 2 dumpling rolls (each roll makes about 12-15 dumpling slices, it will be enough for 4-6 yields)
- If you don’t serve the dumplings right after cooking, brush their surface with a little melted lard or butter. This way, the dumpling rolls remain soft, and the surface won’t dry out.
- How to slice the dumplings right: The old-fashioned method Czechs slice knedlíky is by using a cotton thread. You can cut a still warm dumpling roll with a very sharp knife. You can also use a dumpling cutter – the whole roll will be sliced in one step.
- Steamed dumplings will always offer the most visually appealing result. The surface will be pretty smooth and regular.
- TIP: Every flour is different. If the dough is too thin, add a little flour. And vice versa: if the dough is too dense, add a little water by teaspoonfuls.
DISCLAIMER: Because I come from Central Europe, my recipes are based on metric units such as grams or milliliters. Check out how I convert metric units to the U.S. system:
Conversion chartThe recipe for these dumplings is inspired by a famous Czech cookbook „The Great Cookbook of Bohemia and Moravia“ by Roman Vaněk.
Try out another popular Czech side dish: Šťouchané brambory
Thank you for your descriptive recipe! Looking forward to trying the knedla next week.
Hi Pauline, thanks for your comment, I hope knedlíky will turn out well. I highly recommend steaming instead of boiling them. Rest assured, the result will be great! 🙂
Hi,
Could I use semolina instead of coarse flour. Or maybe a mixture of semolina and plain flour?
Hello Dad in the kitchen :), I don’t have much practical experience with semolina for cooking bread dumplings because coarse flour is widely available here in the Czech. But I’ve researched a bit and found out that a mix of semolina and plain flour should work fine. Some US people use plain flour only (all-purpose flour) and get good results. I highly suggest steaming the dumplings instead of boiling because steaming is a gentler method even for dumplings made with plain flour. I hope this helps, Petra
Hi Petra,
Thank you for your reply. My instinct was to use a mixture of semolina and plain flour as well. I also want to try use sourdough instead of fresh yeast. Do you have any suggestions in this area? I'll let you know how it went 😀
Ahoj, I think your instinct is right 🙂 Plain flour with an addition of semolina should be okay. However, I haven’t seen any recipe for Czech dumplings using sourdough. Curious how it turns out and will be happy to hear about the result from you. Fingers crossed!
Just wanted to say thank you for this recipe! I made one roll using AP flour and the steaming method and it turned out a dream! More than enough for two people as well!
So simple but so worth it to go with my goulash! Will definitely be using this recipe again!
Ahoj Abbey, thank you very much for your positive comment! I agree; if this bread dumpling is made with all-purpose flour, then it is ideal for steaming the dumpling instead of boiling it in water. Steaming is a much gentler method with a more certain result. And true, one dumpling-roll for two is more than enough! Greetings from the Czech Republic, Petra
This recipe does not work. I believe it is missing butter. I had to add 1 stick of butter. Hopefully the rest of the recipe is correct
Hello Christi, thank you for your comment, but this is a tried and tested recipe for real Czech bread dumplings. If you can go through Czech recipes, you will never see any butter in this dumpling dough. Because the dough does not contain butter, the dumplings are light and fluffy, which is why we love them in the Czech Republic. Maybe you're confusing bread dumplings with another type of dumpling?
Hi,
Although I’m not Czech I grew up in Prague so always ate but never made houskove knedliky myself. This recipe is amazing and works perfectly!
Quick question though: after defrosting an entire loaf, what’s the best way to warm them up? Steaming?
Thanks,
Nikki
Hi Nikki, thank you for your kind comment!
From my experience, I recommend cutting the dumplings first and then freezing them. I always do this by putting the sliced dumplings in a plastic bag in the freezer for about 30 minutes, then take the bag out and shake the dumplings. They separate from each other, and then I put them back in the freezer. That way, I can only take out as many dumplings as I need each time.
If you froze the whole loaf, I would let it thaw first. Then slice it up, put it in a plastic bag and let it in the microwave to reheat (quickest way). The bag will prevent the surface of the dumplings from drying out.
Or, as you suggest, reheat the dumpling slices on a steamer. I have no experience with heating the whole loaf, only the dumpling slices.
Good luck! Petra
Amazing! Diky moc! 🙂
You are very welcome 🙂 Není zač!
Do you Bake the Bread or not.
Ahoj Patrick, I use stale white bread like Czech housky or rohlíky (kind of baguette), I took a quick photo of a Czech salty houska roll. This is a typical example of the pastry used in bread dumplings. However, if the pastry is fresh (and thus too soft), it is recommended to cut it into cubes and then put it in the preheated oven and bake it for a while (5-10 minutes). This way the pastry will firm up and hold its shape better in the dumplings.
If you use white bread that is too soft (for example, toasted bread), it could dissolve when the dumplings are cooked. The bread would not be noticeable at all in the finished dumpling and the texture of the dumpling would not be as it should be.
Hope this helps, Petra