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Thuringian Potato Dumplings with Bread

Make Thuringian potato dumplings with raw and cooked potatoes and a toasted bread center. Learn what helps them hold together and how to check the middle.

Servings
4

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Ingredients 🧂🥕

Floury Potatoes2000 g
Whole Grain Toast60 g
Butter90 g
Breadcrumbs35 g
Salt0.1 g

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Instructions 👩‍🍳

Step-by-step:

Prepare the potatoes: Peel the potatoes and separate those for boiling from those for grating. Cook the boiling portion until very soft. Refer to the illustrated recipe for the exact details.
Press the raw potatoes: Finely grate the remaining potatoes and squeeze them firmly in a clean cloth. Collect the liquid, let the potato starch settle and carefully pour off the water.
Make the dumpling mixture: Mash the cooked potatoes with their cooking liquid to a steaming, smooth mash. Work into the pressed raw potato and recovered starch until the mixture binds, then season with salt.
Toast the bread: Cut the toast into cubes and fry in butter. Shape the potato mixture around the toasted bread, closing each dumpling without gaps.
Poach the dumplings: Lower into gently simmering salted water and let them cook through without vigorous boiling. Check the centre of a dumpling rather than using floating alone as the test.
Finish and serve: Toast the breadcrumbs in butter. Lift out and drain the dumplings, then finish with the buttered crumbs.

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Thuringian potato dumplings with a toasted bread center

Thuringian potato dumplings topped with parsley, one split open to reveal toasted bread filling.

Tender Thuringian potato dumplings, toasted bread tucked inside, and plenty of gravy: that is a dinner worth sitting down for. The buttery crumbs on top make them even more inviting. Keep a little extra sauce on the table.

Two kinds of potato, two toasted finishes

Floury potatoes are the heart of these dumplings. A raw grated portion and a cooked portion come together to make the dough, with salt for seasoning. Whole grain toast, browned in butter, goes into the center. The breadcrumbs have a different job: toasted in butter, they finish the outside.

Good binding starts with the potatoes

Squeezing the grated potatoes well keeps excess water out of the dough. The starch that settles in the collected liquid goes back into the mixture to help it bind. The cooked potato mash needs to be steaming hot when it meets the raw portion; cool mash will not bind it in the same way. Combine everything evenly before shaping.

Keep the poaching water at a gentle simmer. A rolling boil can pull the dumplings apart. Floating alone does not tell you the center is cooked: open a test dumpling and check that the potato layer is cooked right through, with no raw, gritty part around the bread.

Try one before filling the pot

A test dumpling shows how the dough behaves in the water. If it breaks apart, check that the raw potatoes were well squeezed, the hot mash was thoroughly mixed in, and the water is not boiling hard. Shape the rest to a similar size and close the dough fully around the bread.

Optional: mushroom gravy instead of a roast

A generous mushroom gravy and cooked vegetables turn the dumplings into a meal without a roast. Add the buttery breadcrumbs just before serving so their toasted flavor stands out.

Bring on the gravy

These dumplings are a lovely side for Rhenish sauerbraten. Its tangy gravy pairs well with the mild potato, and red cabbage completes the plate. Let excess cooking water drain off before serving so it does not dilute the sauce.

Turn cooked leftovers into a skillet side

Slice chilled, cooked dumplings and fry them in butter until the surfaces are golden and the centers thoroughly hot. Keep leftover gravy separate so you can reheat just the amount you need. Freshly cooked dumplings are best served straight from the pot.

Refrigerate leftovers promptly in shallow containers within two hours, or one hour above 90°F (32°C). Discard food left out longer. Reheat the dumplings to 165°F (74°C) throughout, checking with a thermometer, and bring any leftover gravy to a boil.

Frequently asked questions

Are these made only with cooked potatoes?
No. This version combines finely grated raw potatoes with hot cooked potato mash.

Do I add an egg to bind them?
This recipe relies on the potatoes and their starch. Egg is not part of the ingredient list.

Are the dumplings done when they float?
Floating is only a clue. Open a test dumpling and check that the potato is fully cooked through, including around the bread center.

Are the breadcrumbs part of the filling?
The center is made from butter-toasted whole grain toast. The toasted breadcrumbs go over the finished dumplings.

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