Špaldová knedľa: steamed spelt dumpling with oats

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1. First, prepare the yeast mixture: combine the milk, water, sugar, and crumbled yeast. Let stand for about 10 minutes to activate.

2. Mix the flour with the salt, then add the egg and activated yeast mixture to the center. Stir together and let stand for 10 minutes so the liquid can be absorbed. Knead into a dough, dust with flour, cover with a kitchen towel, and let rise for about 30 minutes, until doubled in size.

   Tip: For a two-tone dumpling, divide the dough in half before letting it rise. Knead about 1 teaspoon of turmeric into one half, then let both portions rise.

3. Fold the risen dough like an envelope once more, shape it into a dumpling log, cover, and let rise for 10 minutes. For the two-tone version, roll both portions of dough into rectangles. Place the plain dough on the bottom and the yellow dough on top, roll them up together, tuck in the ends, and let rise for 10 minutes.

4. Bring water to a boil in a steamer pot. Grease the bottom of the steamer insert with butter to prevent sticking, place the dumpling inside, and cover. Steam for 20 minutes without lifting the lid, or the dumpling will collapse. After 20 minutes, remove the lid and quickly pierce the dumpling about 5–6 times with a skewer to let the air escape.

5. Remove the cooked dumpling and serve.

Tip: Knead the spelt dough just until smooth; prolonged kneading can damage the more delicate spelt gluten and cause the dough to spread.

This recipe was translated from the Slovak original: Špaldová knedľa s ovsenými vločkami