YEAST DUMPLING (a German recipe)

A yeast-raised sweet dumpling of the Hefeklöße family, written for a kitchen that kept liquid brewer's barm on hand. The quantities of sugar, lemon and cinnamon are left to the cook, and the yeast needs translating before anything else.

• The cupful of yeastThis means liquid barm or a wet brewer's yeast, which was mostly water. A modern equivalent is about 2 teaspoons of instant dried yeast, with the liquid made up by roughly another cup of warm milk so the dough hydration stays the same. Using a cup of modern yeast in any form would be wildly out of range.
• Butter and eggsA quarter of a pound is 1/2 cup, 115 g. Four or five eggs with that much butter makes a very rich, slack dough, closer to a brioche batter than a bread dough; expect to need 4 to 5 cups of flour to bring it together.
• Unstated seasoningsNo amounts are given for sugar, lemon peel or cinnamon. For this quantity of dough, 3 to 4 tablespoons sugar, the zest of one lemon and half a teaspoon of cinnamon are in keeping without overwhelming the yeast.
• "A proper consistency"The dough should be soft and tacky, just short of pourable, and should hold a rough ball when floured. Stiffen it too much and the dumplings turn dense and bready instead of light.
• The riseAn hour in a warm place, around 75-80F, after shaping. They should look visibly puffed and feel airy; underproofed dumplings come out dense and heavy.
• Cooking in waterLower them into barely simmering rather than hard-boiling water, cover, and give them 15 to 20 minutes for dumplings the size of a small fist. A rolling boil tears the risen surface. Cook in batches with plenty of room, since they swell considerably.
• Wine sauceThis could be an egg-foam sauce in the German manner (yolks, sugar and white wine whisked over a water bath until thick, never allowed to reach a full boil or it curdles), or the simpler sweetened wine sauce thickened with flour or arrowroot that English books of the period also give under that name.
• YieldAbout 10 to 12 dumplings, enough for six as a dessert course. They are best eaten within minutes of leaving the pot.