If y'all want a really good savory (or sweet!) dumpling recipe, try dampnudeln (German dumplings). Made them years ago, and they were delicious! Ingredients
The Dough
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons dry yeast
2 tablespoons sugar
2/3 cup milk, warm
a pinch of salt
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 egg yolk from a medium-sized egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
The Ingredients For The Steam Pot
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup milk
Instructions
Add the flour, salt, sugar, melted butter, egg yolk, and vanilla extract to a large mixing bowl. Add the milk with the dissolved yeast - or instant yeast if you're using that kind of yeast.
Knead the mixture with the spiral dough hooks of your electric mixer. Slowly add the milk. Keep kneading until the mixture forms a ball that doesn't stick to the sides of the bowl anymore.
Use your hands to shape the dough into a nicer looking ball, then cover the bowl that holds the ball of dough with a dishtowel or lid. Place the bowl in a warm spot without draft for 60 minutes to allow the dough to rise.
After the 60 minutes are up and the dough has increased in size, sprinkle a little bit of flour on your countertop. Knead the dough briefly, then roll it into a thick sausage.
Cut the dough into 5 pieces of equal size. Form a small ball out of each piece of dough. Make sure that the "seams" are at the bottom of the ball so that the top looks relatively smooth. Press down on the top of the ball slightly so it gets a little squished. Let the balls of dough rest for another 15 minutes.
In the meantime, heat the butter, sugar, and milk on low heat in a large pot with a lid on the stove.
After the 15 minutes are up, place the balls of dough into the pot, leaving some space between them (they will increase their size significantly). Place the lid on the pot and DON'T LIFT IT AGAIN until the dumplings are done. Otherwise, they might deflate.
Steam the dumplings on medium heat for around 5-6 minutes, then turn the heat down slightly and steam them for approx. 18-22 more minutes. Ideally, you use a pot or large flat-bottom saucepan with a glass lid so that you can see the dumplings rise. When the milk has evaporated you will no longer see bubbles forming on the bottom of the pot/pan and less steam will be produced on the inside of the lid. When you reach this point, leave the lid on for another minute so the dumplings can get a nice browned bottom (but not burn so watch/listen carefully). If you don't have a pot with a glass lid, just make sure to listen really carefully. The sound from inside the pot will change when the milk is gone - it will sound more like a sizzling. When lifting the lid, make sure that no water droplets hit the dumplings.
Serve the dumplings right away. They taste delicious with homemade vanilla sauce!