Germknodel (yeast dumplings)

Method

1. Sift the flour into a bowl and create a little well in the middle. Put a teaspoon of sugar, the yeast (crumbled if fresh) and 5 tablespoons of the warm milk into the well and use a fork to gently mix them with some of the flour.

2. Cover the bowl and rest at a warm place for about 15 to 30 minutes.

3. Melt the butter and add the warm melted butter, remaining sugar, eggs, salt and lemon zest to the dough, just to side of the flour mixture.

4. Starting from the centre and using your hands, mix the yeast with the flour and the other ingredients. Add as much of the warm milk as necessary to get a non-sticky dough.

5. Cover the dough in the bowl and set aside to rest in a warm place for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

6. Knead the dough well and form into dumplings, each roughly the size of a snowball.

7. Place a little plum jam into the centre of each dumpling and seal the dumpling around the jam.

8. Put the dumplings on a tray and place in a warm place for 10 minutes.

9. Bring a large pan of salted water to a gentle boil. Add in the dumplings, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Drain and serve at once.