Silesian Dumplings Recipe (Kluski Śląskie)

Silesian dumplings are a simple potato dumpling recipe that’s a beloved staple on Sunday tables across Poland. If you’re looking for an alternative to cooked potatoes or want to use up your leftover mashed potatoes, try making Silesian dumplings today.

Recipe At a Glance

• Simple ingredients: Besides potatoes, you’ll need potato flour, eggs, and some salt. That’s it.
• Versatile: Silesian dumplings pair well with almost any dish that cooked potatoes complement. If you’ve got an extra 30 minutes on a slow weekend, try preparing them.
• Easy scaling: You can easily scale this recipe to match the amount of cooked potatoes you have. The built-in process for adjusting the proportions of cooked potatoes and potato flour makes it flexible.

If you’re making Silesian Dumplings for the first time, read the ingredients notes, step-by-step instructions, and tips. If you’re a veteran, feel free to jump to the recipe card.

Ingredients Notes and Substitutes

• Potatoes. Starchy potatoes, such as Russets or Yukon Golds work best, but whatever you have on hand should work. You might need to use more flour if yours are moist and the resulting dough is sticky. You can start from raw or use leftover cooked potatoes.
• Potato flour. You can substitute it with potato starch (same amount).
• All-purpose flour. You need a small amount of AP flour for dusting, but you can substitute potato flour here as well.
• Eggs.
• Salt. Regular kitchen salt is fine.

How to Make Silesian Dumplings

1. Cook potatoes: If starting from raw potatoes, boil them in salted water (using 1 teaspoon of salt per quart of water) until they are soft, which should take at least 30 minutes. After boiling, drain the water and dry the potatoes by cooking them on low heat for about a minute to evaporate any remaining water.
2. Mash: Mash the boiled potatoes using a potato grater, potato masher, or a fork. It’s easier to do this while they are still hot.
3. Transfer: Move the mashed potatoes to a large bowl or plate, spread them out evenly, and pat them down.
4. Remove one quarter: Divide the mashed potatoes into four equal parts by making two perpendicular lines with a fork. Then, remove one quarter of the mashed potatoes and set it aside, leaving an empty space in the bowl.
5. Add potato flour: Fill the empty space in the bowl with potato flour. This method ensures a 4:1 ratio of potatoes to flour (by volume). Recipes for Silesian dumplings typically recommend a ratio between 3:1 and 4:1, so adding a bit more flour is acceptable.

6. Combine and mix: Return the set-aside potatoes to the bowl, add the egg(s), and mix everything together to form a dough.

7. Boil water: Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it once boiling, using 1 teaspoon of salt per quart of water as usual.
8. Prep dumplings: While waiting for the water to boil, sprinkle your work surface with all-purpose flour, take a handful of dough, and roll it into a cylinder about the thickness of a walnut. Cut the rolled dough into pieces, each about one inch in length.

9. Form dumplings: Flour your hands and flatten each piece of dough between them, aiming to make each dumpling about twice as wide as it is tall, while trying to maintain a circular shape. Press a small hole in the center of each dumpling with your index finger or thumb to create the signature Silesian dumpling hole. Place the formed dumplings on a floured surface, making sure they do not stick together (or dusting sticky points with flour).

10. Cook dumplings: Once the water is boiling, carefully add the dumplings in batches, stirring the water with a spoon to prevent sticking. Begin stirring the water at medium speed before adding the first dumpling, continue while adding the dumplings, and finish a few seconds after adding the last one. Cook the dumplings until they float to the surface, then continue cooking on low heat for an additional 3 minutes.

11. Remove: Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked dumplings to a wide plate.
12. Serve.

Tips for Making Silesian Dumplings

• Easily scale the recipe: You can easily cook Silesian dumplings regardless of the amount of cooked potatoes you have. The standard procedure of replacing a quarter of the potatoes with potato flour maintains the correct proportions. Just add 1 egg for every pound of boiled potatoes, mix everything, and your dough is ready.
• Use all-purpose flour when things get sticky: If the dough is extremely sticky and difficult to roll out, add 1-2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour and mix before continuing. Also, coat your hands with flour when rolling the dough and forming the dumplings.
• Work quickly: If the dough is sticky, adding flour helps, but try not to exceed 4 tablespoons per pound of cooked potatoes. Act quickly when forming the dumplings to prevent the dough from sticking to your warm hands.
• Cook on low heat: Cook the dumplings on low heat. Avoid boiling the water too vigorously; a gentle simmer is ideal.

How to Serve Silesian Dumplings

Enjoy Silesian dumplings in these ways:

• With fried onions: A classic way to enjoy Silesian Dumplings is to top them with onions fried until golden brown. Cube or slice the onions and sauté them in oil or butter for 8 to 10 minutes on medium heat.
• With Polish beef rolls: Polish beef rolls, or rouladen, are a classic meat pairing for these dumplings. Polish breaded pork cutlet is also a good choice.
• Paired with a stew: Polish goulash is a great option, but any meaty stew or goulash pairs well with Silesian dumplings.

For a complete meal, add a salad on the side. Consider these popular Polish options:

• Polish cucumber salad
• Simple sauerkraut salad
• Polish tomato salad

Storage

Store Silesian dumplings as follows:

1. Cool Separately: After cooking, place the dumplings on a plate with space between each one to prevent sticking. Let them cool for about 10-15 minutes.
2. Turn for Even Drying: Flip the dumplings over after the initial cooling period to let the other side dry. Leave them for another 10-15 minutes.
3. Transfer to Container: Once cooled, carefully move the dumplings to a plastic container, arranging them to minimize contact. If stacking is necessary, use plastic wrap between layers to prevent sticking.
4. Refrigerate: Seal the container and refrigerate. The dumplings will keep for 3-4 days.

How to Reheat Silesian Dumplings

Reheat Silesian dumplings as follows:

1. Prepare Your Pan: Use a pan with a non-stick surface and add a tablespoon of oil or butter.
2. Heat Over Medium: Warm the pan over medium heat, then add the dumplings.
3. Reheat and Optionally Brown: Reheat the dumplings on each side for a few minutes. For a crispy edge, leave them longer to brown slightly. Shake the pan occasionally to prevent sticking.

For a hands-off approach, set your oven to the lowest heat, add the oil or butter, and cover the pan with a lid. This will warm the dumplings gently without browning them excessively. In about 15 minutes, they should be perfectly warm.