Sweet Šišky with Fried Breadcrumbs

Czech šišky with sweet fried breadcrumbs recipe.

Sweet Šišky with Fried Breadcrumbs

This Czech dish brings back fond childhood memories. Potato šišky, topped with sweet fried breadcrumbs, is a classic comfort food that Bohemian grandmothers often made for their grandchildren.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Czech

Keyword Potato recipes

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 10

Total Time 28

Servings

Calories 853kcal

Author Petra Kupská

Ingredients

Potato dough for šišky:

1 pound potatoes e.g., Yukon Gold or Russet
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 egg
¼ teaspoon salt

Fried breadcrumbs:

1 ¼ cups breadcrumbs plain, unflavored
½ cup granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

Misc.:

1 teaspoon salt for water where the Šišky will boil in
3 teaspoons unsalted butter to drizzle the Šišky on the plate

Cups - Metric

Instructions

Boil 1 pound potatoes in their skins until they are soft, which usually takes about 20 minutes depending on their size. Check for doneness by piercing a potato with a fork; if it's soft, it's cooked. Drain the water and let the potatoes cool completely.
Peel the cooled potatoes and finely grate them using a box grater. Add 1 egg, 2 cups all-purpose flour, and ¼ teaspoon salt to the grated potatoes.
Work the mixture into a compact dough. Start by roughly mixing all the ingredients in a bowl using a fork. Then transfer the mixture onto a floured work surface and knead until the dough is no longer sticky.
If the dough is too sticky, dust it with a tablespoon of flour and work it in. Continue adding flour a little at a time until the dough holds together nicely and no longer sticks to your hands.
Divide the dough into three to four pieces. Roll each piece into a cylinder. Cut equal-sized pieces from each cylinder and roll them into Šiška shapes, about the size of your index finger.
Meanwhile, take a wide pot, pour water into it, add 1 teaspoon salt, and bring it to a boil on the stove. Once it reaches a boil, reduce the heat so that the water simmers.
Carefully drop the Šišky into the simmering water. They will stick to the bottom initially; gently peel them off with a fork. Once the Šišky float to the surface, cook for an additional two minutes. Transfer them to a shallow bowl using a colander or a slotted spoon. The entire cooking process takes about 10 minutes.
Fry the breadcrumbs with sugar: Melt 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Add 1 ¼ cups breadcrumbs and stir continuously. If the breadcrumbs do not turn golden within five minutes, slightly increase the heat. Once golden, remove the pan from the heat and add ½ cup granulated sugar to the breadcrumbs, stirring well to combine. The mixture will be crunchy.
Serve the Šišky warm, sprinkled with sweet breadcrumbs. For an extra touch, drizzle them with a little melted butter before serving.

Notes

The basic recipe makes 3-4 yields.
SERVING: Arrange the cooked, warm Šišky on a plate and sprinkle them with sweet breadcrumbs to your liking. Typically, two to three heaping tablespoons of breadcrumbs per serving works well. Top with about a tablespoon of melted butter and enjoy!
FUN FACT: Czechs typically eat this dish as a sweet main course, often for dinner, rather than as a dessert.
The exact amount of flour in the recipe depends not only on its type but also on the potatoes you use. Starchy potatoes require less flour, while waxy potatoes need more flour to create a smooth dough.

Nutrition