A reader asked if I had a recipe for Polish steamed dumplings, something she’d eaten growing up. A quick search of the Internet revealed that these little puffs of dough go by many names.
- słodkie pampuchy – sweet puffs
- kluski na parze – steamed dumplings
- pączki na parze – steamed donuts
- pampuchy – (puffs?)
While many think of this as a donut, and I understand why – they are a light bread, often filled with jelly or glazed, I think dumpling is a more accurate term. Rather than being fried like a donut, kluski na parze (which seems to be the most common name) are steamed.
And that, my friends, is my definition of a dumpling – a dough that is boiled or steamed.
Now that we’ve narrowed down a name and category, allow me to further complicate things by saying our Polish Steamed Dumplings can be sweet or savory.
Sweet or Savory
On the sweet side, you might find these yeast puffs filled with jelly, served with a fruit sauce, whipped cream, sweetened cheese, or covered in a sweet glaze.
If you’d like to fill your steamed dumplings with jam or jelly, slightly flatten each individual piece of dough and put a teaspoon of jam in the center. Gather all of the edges up around the filling, pinching the dough together to seal the jam inside.
Savory fans will enjoy these dumplings with meaty stews, such as gulasz, a personal favorite! What could be better than mopping up a wonderful, savory gravy with a lighter than air bite of dumpling?
How to steam your dumplings
My pasta pot comes with a steamer that fits inside the pan. I lined it with paper towels to keep the dough from growing through the holes in the steamer. Parchment probably would have been a better non-stick choice.
There are many other options for steaming dumplings. The Asian style bamboo steamer would work, or you can make your own.
You can create a steamer by placing a lightweight tea towel (or cheesecloth) over your pan of water and using a length of string to tighten and secure your towel in place. Take care that your towel isn’t touching the burner or flames.
The tea towel now becomes the bottom of your steamer, where you will place your dumplings to be steamed.
Available from the Polish Shirt Store, I’m pleased to be their affiliate. Click on the photo to order.
You’ll need to cover the dumplings with an inverted bowl to add sides and a lid to your DIY steamer. The upside-down bowl will trap the steam and heat to properly cook your dumplings.
You’ll want to place your dumplings in your steamer about an inch and a half apart. They grow while cooking and need room to expand. I cooked mine in four batches of three.
Steaming dumplings is also a lesson in patience. Even if your steamer has a clear glass lid like mine, it will steam up, obscuring your view of the dumplings. If you open the lid to peek in, the large droplets of water that are collecting will drop onto your dumplings, making craters that will remind you of the surface of the moon.
This recipe is based on the one I found at Winiary.pl. I know I’ll be making it again; I hope you’ll enjoy it too!
Smacznego!
Lois
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Polish Steamed Dumplings or Donuts
- Prep Time: 90 min
- Cook Time: 20 - 60 minutes
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: 12 dumplings 1x
- Category: bread
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: Polish
Description
Lighter than air Steamed Polish Dumplings, serve them sweet or savory!
Ingredients
- 1 cup milk
- 1 packet dried yeast
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- pinch of salt
Instructions
Heat milk to 100 F, sprinkle yeast over the milk and let sit for a few minutes to allow the yeast to dissolve
Add flour, egg, butter, sugar, and salt to a mixing bowl, add milk and yeast, combine with a dough hook and mix for about minutes, or combine with a wooden spoon and knead until the sticky dough is more smooth
Cover bowl and let rise until doubled in size, about an hour, divide the dough into 12 equal portions, shape into round balls, 50 – 60 grams each (if you want filled dumplings, do that as you’re shaping the dough, details in the post above)
Let the dumpling rise for 10-15 minutes, place in the steamer, cover, and cook over simmering water for 15 – 20 minutes
Serve with fruit sauce, whipped cream, jam, sweetened cheese, or serve plain for savory uses
An accountant by trade and a food blogger since 2009, Lois Britton fell in love with Polish cuisine during the years she lived in Poznań, Poland. As the creator of PolishHousewife.com, she loves connecting readers with traditional Polish recipes. Lois has a graduate certificate in Food Writing and Photography from the University of South Florida. She is the author of The Polish Housewife Cookbook, available on Amazon and on her website.
Lorie
I am sorry to comment without making first. I am anxious to try these. My grandmother used to make something like this filled with lekvar. We poured melted butter over them and then sprinkled them with sugar and cinnamon. We had them for lunch or dinner, not dessert. I never found a recipe for them in searching through all my grandmother’s or mom’s recipes. I would like to try these to see if they taste similar. They also made something called plum buns, a dumpling cooked with a plum inside, again served with melted butter, sugar and cinnamon. I don’t remember if they were steamed or boiled. I was just a little girl, so that was a good 45 plus years ago. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
polishhousewife
Hi Lorie, the plum bun might have been something like this blueberry bun with a more bread like texture. https://polishhousewife.com/polish-yeast-buns-with-blueberries-jagodzianki/
There’s also a plum potato dumpling that is very tasty! https://polishhousewife.com/polish-potato-plum-dumplings-knedle-ze-sliwkami/
Paula Zduncyk
Wondering if this is something my Dad’s family made, Germans. He was always looking for the recipe.
His were BOILED APPLE DUMPLINGS
polishhousewife
Hi Paula,
Boiled apple dumplings sound yummy, but this might be a little more delicate. When I think of boiled doughs like bagels or pretzels, they’re a little chewier than this dumpling.
Mary Abramczyk
What type of yeast do you use – instant or active dry?
polishhousewife
I had to read the article below to find out what the difference was. I suspect I have used both without realizing there was a difference.
https://www.thekitchn.com/whats-the-difference-between-active-dry-yeast-and-instant-yeast-54252
Laura
Curious as to the answer of this question as well
Lindsy
Whoa-those were amazing! I’ve always wanted to make steamed buns and they were perfect. I put strawberry jam in them and a cinnamon, sugar and butter mixture on top. We ate them up!
polishhousewife
They sound delicious, Lindsy!
Terri Mento
I have not made this recipe, I just found your website today. These look similar to what my mom made but after refrigeration she would slice and fry them in Crisco till browned and we would eat them with jelly on top. I am wondering if this may be the same recipe. No one I know has the recipe and I have been trying to find one for a very long time. The steaming would cover the walls with water…she would make them all day. Thank you for any info you have.
Barbara
I’ve made this recipe a few times and I decided to try it on the dough cycle in my breadmaker. It worked really well! Just put all the wet ingredients, sugar and salt in first, then the flour and yeast (I use quick-rise or bread machine yeast). After the cycle ends, just dump the dough out on a lightly floured surface and shape into buns.
Liz
Can these be baked in the oven?
Lois Britton
I haven’t tried it, but that doesn’t mean it wouldn’t work. You’d still want the same setup over water.