DampFnudel~A Tasty German Side Dish

   

         I will never forget the first time I ever ate this bread side dish.  It was at my now Mother-In-Laws.  She made a pork roast, green beans and this bread dish, Dampfnudel.  As everyone piled their food on their plates the gravy was passed around.  I was not a gravy eater.  “SAY WHAT” was the first response..okay that may have been a little exaggerated.  They, the whole family couldn’t believe that I didn’t eat gravy.  It wasn’t that I didn’t like it, I hadn’t really tried it that I could remember.  So, mom poured the gravy on and said that you had to eat it with gravy. I thought well I guess I better at least try, right? 
     Fast forward a few years and we have had this delicious side dish many times.  I get the recipe and attempt to make it myself.  I am not Betty Crocker and my MIL is an awesome cook.  So I figured that it wouldn’t turn out like hers, but I was willing to try.  This was a dish that my hubby grew up eating and I wanted to be able to pass it along.
  First, you will need to purchase the frozen bread dough. (I have tried to make the bread dough myself and it doesn’t work out well for me). It is found the the freezer section of your local grocery store by the garlic bread.  Each loaf will make 8 pieces so you will need to decide how many loaves that you will need each time you make it.  I am up to 4 loaves with my crew!  In the morning you want to take loaves out of the freezer and wrap them in saran wrap or a dish sprayed with Pam.  This is to keep it from sticking as it defrosts. 
     Once defrosted you want to take a dish (size will depend on how many you are making.  I used a lasagna pan) and lightly sprinkle it with flour.  Then taking each loaf  cut each into halves (and continue halving each half until you have 8 pieces).  Next, you want to pull the dough from the bottom, so to speak, and fold it into itself (or go from the top down whichever is easier), making like a dumpling or “dough ball”.  You want to place them in the floured dish.  Next you will need to wait until they rise, about double in size.  Timing on this will depend on all the factors that are considered when making a loaf of bread.
     Once risen, take the pan that you are going to cook them in.  I first used a large soup pot, now I make too many at one time and I use a roasting pan.  You will want to melt butter. I used a half a stick when got to the amount that I use.  You want to make sure there is a generous amount on the bottom of whatever you are going to cook them in.  This is one time when I don’t think you can have too much butter, within reason. 
     Once the butter is melted, you want to  take one dough piece.  Lightly shake the flour off the bottom, dip the top in butter then turn and place in the cooking pot/pan.  You will want to repeat until you have dipped each dough piece.
     Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30-45 minutes.  You will know they are done when they are golden on the top and crunchy on the bottom.  Serve with gravy (or they are also delicious on their own), great with beef, pork or chicken recipes!