German dumplings...with a twist

Dumplings are a staple of German cooking. Traditionally they are made from potatoes, but I prefer the variety made from bread. To the uninitiated the method I use to make these might seem strange, but it's really quite easy. The dough can be prepared in advance, which is convenient when you have guests. I would always recommend making at least enough for 4, even if you are cooking for just two people, because the left-overs are delicious.

Ingredients (for 4):

300gr white Bread from the day before (rolls work best)
220ml milk
100gr bacon
1 medium-sized onion
Small bunch of parsley
2 eggs
Butter
Nutmeg

Preparation:

1. Cut the rolls in 1cm cubes and warm up the milk. Place the bread in a large bowl and add the milk. Weigh the mixture down using a plate and a can of tomatoes or similar and allow to soak for approximately 15-20mins. 

2. In the meantime, chop the onion and cut the bacon in small bits. Fry both in a bit of butter over medium heat until the onions are soft. Transfer on a plate to cool down.

3. Once the bread has soaked up all of the milk, add the eggs, the chopped parsley, the bacon-onion mix, salt, pepper, and some nutmeg. Mix(using your hands) until you have a sticky dough. 

4. Take a clean kitchen towel and soak it in water. Lay it out on your work surface and place your dough in the middle, forming a sausage shape (see picture below). Roll the towel up, twisting the ends for added pressure, and tie the ends using cord. The whole thing now looks like a large piece of wrapped candy. 

5.Heat up water in a large casserole and, once it starts simmering, place the dumpling in the water. After 30mins the dumpling will be ready and can be unwrapped.

6. There are two ways to serve this. The simple version is to slice the dumpling and serve as it is. The second version (which I usually reserve for the left-overs) is to fry the slices in a bit of butter before serving.