Croatian Bread Dumplings

I am submitting this after a recipe request for this meal. It is usual side dish we eat with sauerkraut, “sekeli goulash” or other meat goulash or paprikas recipes. It is very easy. This is recipe from Cooking High School from Zagreb, Second year. I have added parmesan because my experience says it will coagulate better and would prevent eventual crumbling while cooking. This amount of ingredients is for feeding a platoon, so for domestic use reduce ingredients.

• Ready In: 40 mins
• Serves: 25
• Yields: 30 dumplings

Ingredients

• 1000  g  white bread
• 800  ml milk (2,8% fat)
• 200  g flour (all purpose)
• 6  eggs
• 120  g pancetta
• 50  g fresh parsley (minced leaves)
• 35  g butter
• 50  g  breadcrumbs
• 30  ml  oil
• 80  g onions
• 30  g parmesan cheese (grated)
• 30  g salt

Directions

1. Remove crust from bread. Cut the rest of bread into small cubes and dry them in oven. They must become crunchy.
2. Make dough mixing milk, flour, eggs, parmesan and salt. Pour over crunchy bread.
3. Finely mince onion. Cut bacon into small pieces and fry them but not too much. Bacon will drain some lard, so add oil and sauté onion until becomes translucent. Add parsley leaves and bacon and put it into dough.
4. Mix well and leave at least half an hour in refrigerator.
5. Make balls with your hand. They must be not larger than tenis balls. To do it better, put your hands in cold water before you form each ball. Put balls into boiling water and cook about 20 minutes. The balls must float, that is the indication they are done.
6. Before serving fry in a frying pan some breadcrumbs on butter. Put bread balls on hot butter just for few seconds to cover them with breadcrumbs. For four persons reduce amount of ingredients to 1/4.