Non-VegetarianEast Anglian cuisine Main Course

Norfolk Dumplings

Name: Norfolk Dumplings
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: East Anglian
Ingredients: 300 g strong white bread flour; 7 g fast-action dried yeast; 1 tsp caster sugar; 1 tsp Fine sea salt; 180 ml warm water; 15 g Unsalted butter; 1.5 litres rich beef stock; 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley

Fluffy, cloud-light yeast dumplings poached in rich savoury broth, a historic Norfolk staple known locally as floaters.

🇬🇧United Kingdom· East of England

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 20 min
Total: 45 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 310 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 8 gathered

Servings

300 g strong white bread flour — plus extra for dusting
7 g fast-action dried yeast — one sachet
1 tsp caster sugar — to feed the yeast
1 tsp Fine sea salt — for seasoning
180 ml warm water — around 38°C to the touch
15 g Unsalted butter — melted and cooled slightly
1½ litres rich beef stock — good quality, well seasoned
2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley — finely chopped, to garnish

Equipment

•Large mixing bowl
•Large lidded saucepan
•Measuring jug
•Slotted spoon
•Clean tea towel

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 310 kcal
fat: 5 g
carbs: 56 g
fibre: 2 g
protein: 10 g
calories: 310 kcal

Instructions

1
Mix the strong white bread flour, dried yeast, caster sugar, and fine sea salt in a large mixing bowl.
2
Pour the warm water and melted butter into the dry ingredients.
3
Stir the mixture with a wooden spoon until a soft, rough dough comes together.
4
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for eight minutes until smooth and elastic.
5
Divide the dough into eight equal pieces and roll each piece into a smooth, tight ball.
6
Cover the dough balls with a clean tea towel on a floured board and leave to rise for twenty minutes.
7
Bring the rich beef stock to a gentle simmer in a large lidded saucepan over a medium hob.
8
Drop the risen dough balls gently into the simmering stock, leaving space for them to expand.
9
Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and simmer undisturbed on low heat for twenty minutes.
10
Remove the lid carefully and lift the puffed dumplings out with a slotted spoon into warmed shallow bowls.
11
Ladle hot beef stock over the dumplings and scatter with freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley to serve.

Chef's tips

Never lift the saucepan lid during the twenty-minute simmering time, as trapped steam is essential to keep the dumplings light and airy. Keep the stock at a gentle simmer rather than a rolling boil so the delicate yeast dough does not disintegrate.

Ingredient substitutions

rich beef stock → rich vegetable stock for a vegetarian version
strong white bread flour → plain white flour kneaded for an extra two minutes
unsalted butter → vegetable oil or baking margarine

Storage

Store leftover cooked dumplings in an airtight container in the fridge with a little stock for up to two days.

Reheating

Reheat gently in simmering stock on the hob for five to eight minutes until piping hot throughout.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Lifting the pan lid while cooking, which lets steam escape and makes dumplings dense
•Boiling the stock too vigorously, causing the outer layer of the dumpling to tear
•Making the dough balls too large, leading to an uncooked, doughy centre

Serving suggestions

Serve floating in shallow wide bowls filled with hot beef broth and a sprinkle of parsleyPlate alongside a traditional slow-cooked beef and root vegetable stewAccompany with buttered seasonal greens such as Savoy cabbage or spring greens