Škubánky: potato dumplings with poppy seeds, no rolling or boiling needed

Tip: tap a step to mark it as done.

1. Boil the potatoes

   25 min

   Peel the potatoes, cut them into evenly sized pieces, and place them in a pot. Add just enough water to cover, add the salt, and boil until tender. Drain, leaving about a finger's depth of water in the pot, and reserve some of the drained water in a cup.

2. Steam the flour

   20 min

   Pour the flour in a mound over the hot potatoes without stirring. Use the handle of a wooden spoon to poke 4–5 holes through to the bottom of the pot so steam can pass through. Cover the pot and let the flour steam over the lowest heat for 20 minutes.

3. Mix the dough

   5 min

   Mash the potatoes with the flour, then beat with a wooden spoon to make a smooth, thick, slightly sticky dough. If it is too stiff, add a tablespoon of the reserved water.

4. Prepare the poppy seeds and butter

   5 min

   While the flour steams, melt the butter in a small saucepan and mix the poppy seeds with the sugar.

5. Shape the škubánky

   10 min

   Dip a spoon into the melted butter, scoop a piece of dough from the pot, and use a second spoon to slide it onto a warm plate. Dip the spoon into the butter after each piece to keep the dough from sticking.

6. Serve

   2 min

   Immediately sprinkle the škubánky with the poppy seed and sugar mixture and drizzle with the remaining butter. Serve warm.

Tip: Do not stir in the flour right away; it must first steam on top of the potatoes, or the dough will taste raw. The next day, pan-fry leftover škubánky in butter until golden on both sides, or serve them savory, like spišské džatky, with bacon, onion, and bryndza sheep cheese.

This recipe was translated from the Slovak original: Mäkučké škubánky s makom: chutia ako šúľance, len cesto netreba vaľkať ani variť vo vode