Semmelknödel

Use 300 g stale white bread rolls, cubed; 250-300 ml hot milk; 2 eggs and the listed remaining ingredients. Pour 250 ml hot milk over bread and rest 20 minutes. Add more milk only if bread remains dry. Cut bread into similar small cubes. Pour the starting hot milk evenly over them and turn once so dry pieces can hydrate; avoid adding the upper milk amount if the mixture is already soggy.

Soften onion in butter and cool. Mix into bread with eggs, parsley and seasoning. Rest 10 minutes. Soften onion over medium-low heat, not until black. Cool before adding eggs. Work the mixture until bread is evenly softened and seasonings are distributed, while retaining some texture.

If too wet to shape, add breadcrumbs by tablespoons. With damp hands form 8 compact balls. Add crumbs in small amounts and wait for them to absorb moisture. Make equal balls with damp hands and compact only enough to hold together, not into hard dense lumps.

Test one in gently simmering water; if it holds, cook all in batches 18-20 minutes until cooked through. Drain. Keep the water just bubbling; a rolling boil breaks bread dumplings. If the test breaks, add a little more of the listed crumbs and retest. The cooked center should be set and tender, not liquid egg or wet paste. Lift with a slotted spoon and drain.