The story behind the recipe
Hreczka is buckwheat, and skrzeczki are cracklings. These names have persisted in a dish associated today with Warmia and Masuria and a tradition brought from the Borderlands. Dzyndzałki with buckwheat filling differ from the meat dumplings of Warmia.
In this variant, we add bacon, onion, and hard-boiled eggs to the cooked buckwheat. A separate topping is seasoned with garlic and marjoram. The filling is ready before shaping, so during cooking, we primarily need to prepare the dough and warm the filling.
Ingredients
Dough
- 400 g all-purpose flour (plus a little for dusting)
- 220 ml water (warm; add gradually, you may not need all of it)
- 1 pc egg yolk
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) oil
- ½ tsp (2.5 ml) salt
Filling
- 200 g buckwheat (dry)
- 400 ml water (for the buckwheat; according to the package instructions)
- 160 g smoked bacon (diced)
- 160 g onion (finely chopped)
- 2 pcs eggs (to be hard-boiled)
- salt and pepper (to taste)
Topping
- 150 g smoked bacon
- 2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
- 1 tsp (5 ml) dried marjoram
Method, step by step
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Cook the buckwheat in the measured water until soft according to the package, usually about 15 minutes. Drain any excess liquid and cool. Boil two eggs hard, cool, peel, and finely chop.
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Render 160 g of bacon in a pan. Add the onion and sauté until soft. Mix with the buckwheat and eggs. Season with pepper, and salt only if necessary. Cool the filling before shaping.
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Add salt, egg yolk, and oil to the flour. Gradually pour in warm water, kneading a soft, elastic dough. Knead for a few minutes until it stops crumbling. Cover and let rest for 20–30 minutes.
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Roll out the dough in batches to a thickness of about 2 mm. Cut out circles with a diameter of about 6 cm. Place a small heaping teaspoon of filling in the center, leaving a clean edge.
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Fold the circle and press the edges firmly to seal. You can join the corners like with uszka (small dumplings) or leave a small crescent shape. Place the finished pieces on a floured board and cover them to prevent drying.
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Cut the remaining 150 g of bacon and fry it for the topping. Add marjoram and garlic, and heat briefly over low heat without browning the garlic.
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In a wide pot, bring salted water to a boil. Add the dumplings in batches, gently stir, and cook for about 4–5 minutes after they float, at a gentle boil. Check the first piece by cutting it open: the dough should be soft, without a raw layer.
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Remove with a slotted spoon, drain, and serve hot with the cracklings. Any unused filling can be served separately as a side.
Photos
