Preparing the Rolls

• Start with 1 pound of stale white bread rolls. Stale bread is a day or two old and is drier than just-baked bread. Dry bread is preferable because it absorbs more cooking liquid and more flavor than fresh bread does. If you don't have leftover rolls on hand, break fresh ones into small pieces and bake them at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 15 minutes or until they've dried, but not begun to brown.

Dumpling Ingredients

• A basic dumpling recipe calls for 2 cups of milk and 3 eggs for each 1 pound of rolls. Fried onion and bacon add a pleasing texture and flavor. Season the dumpling dough with salt, pepper, nutmeg and fresh parsley. You can also add such savory seasonings as fresh marjoram or thyme.

Mixing the Ingredients

• Pour milk over the bread and let it sit for about an hour or until the bread is thoroughly saturated. Pour off any milk that doesn't absorb. Mix in beaten eggs and the rest of the ingredients. The dough should hold together. Add bread or milk, if necessary, to achieve the correct texture. Handling the dough with wet or floured hands helps keep it from sticking. Mold the dough into golf-ball-sized balls or form dumplings between two wet tablespoons.

Cooking the Dumplings

• Add the dumplings to a large pot of boiling water. Work slowly and without overcrowding them; make two batches if they don't fit into the pot without touching. Simmer the dumplings for about 15 minutes. They'll rise to the top when they're cooked through. Remove them from the water using a slotted spoon or spider tool, and drain them well before you serve them.

Serving Suggestions

• Toss cooked German dumplings with melted butter to keep them from sticking, and place them in a bowl or on a platter to serve. Alternatively, drizzle them with gravy immediately before you serve them. Serve leftover bread dumplings for breakfast, sliced in half, tossed with beaten egg and browned in butter.