German Dumplings - Semmelknödel

These are a Christmas tradition at our German-American blended home!  My German husband is, of course, in charge of these.  The recipe comes from his family.  Delicious served with red cabbage, pork loin, or turkey!
Read about more about my adventures while MAKING GERMAN DUMPLINGS in my blog:  Big Coffee Cup!  
Ingredients  - Makes 6-7 Semmelknödel, depending on size.
10 -12 slices stale bread or 8 stale rolls (let sit out until very stale); cut into small pieces (Use a good quality French or homemade bread or hard rolls -- something with a bit of a bite, not sandwich bread.)
1 & 1/4 cup hot milk
1 onion, chopped fine
4 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled into small pieces
2 large eggs (slightly beaten with fork)
3 tablespoons  fresh parsley, fine chopped
​1 tablespoon salt (for boiling)
1 teaspoon salt (for seasoning)
1/4 teaspoon  black pepper
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/4 cup plain breadcrumbs, as needed 
2 or 3 pieces of clean cloth (dish towel sized) or non-terrycloth cotton dish towels
Steps
  1. Put bread pieces into a large bowl.  Pour the heated milk over them, cover, and let sit for about half an hour to soften.  Pour off excess milk.
  2. Fry bacon and onions in butter or olive oil until bacon is cooked and onions are transparent - not browned. 
  3. Add onions, eggs, bacon, parsley, pepper, nutmeg, and salt (to taste) to bread and milk mixture. 
  4. Knead the mixture together with clean hands hands until very combined, breaking up bread cubes until the mixture is soft.  If the dough is too wet, add breadcrumbs (not flour), a tablespoon at a time - until mixture can be formed to hold shape. 
  5. Wet your hands to prevent the dough from sticking and form a roll with dough about a foot long and about 3-4 inches in diameter (see photo).  Carefully place on a dampened dish towel or piece of cotton cloth.  Wrap and tie ends with string.
  6. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
  7. In a pot large enough to fit your dumpling roll, heat lightly salted water to a simmer (almost to boiling, but not a boil).  This is especially important if you’re making one big dumpling roll. It’s best to let the water come to a light simmer, then add in your wrapped dumpling and turn off the heat. Cover the pot with a lid and let the dumpling roll gently steep for 30 minutes.
  8. Carefully drop the dough roll in the water and let it "steep" 15-20 minutes. Do not let the water boil.  Carefully lift it out with a slotted spoon and drain briefly on paper towel.  ou want to gently poach these dumplings and not boil them until they fall apart.
  9. Carefully unwrap and slice into 1-1 & 1/2 inch wide rounds.
  10. To Freeze The Knödel: Let them cool completely, place them spread apart on a cookie sheet and freeze them, then transfer them to a freezer bag or container. To reheat, fry lightly in butter or olive oil.