Polish National Dishes

Kluski leniwe: Polish cheese dumplings

Soft Polish twaróg dumplings are quickly shaped, cut on the diagonal and boiled, then served with golden buttered breadcrumbs and a little sugar.

Polish National Dishes
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A wide view of „Kluski leniwe: Polish cheese dumplings“ arranged on a table for serving.
Yield 32 small dumplings
Serving size 8 dumplings
Difficulty easy
Category Polish cheese dumplings; contains milk, egg and wheat
Ingredients ↓
At a glance

Kluski leniwe: Polish cheese dumplings

Soft Polish twaróg dumplings are quickly shaped, cut on the diagonal and boiled, then served with golden buttered breadcrumbs and a little sugar.

Kluski leniwe are soft Polish dumplings made from twaróg, egg and flour. The dough is rolled into ropes and cut into small diagonal pieces, so every dumpling is ready to cook without being filled or sealed. Their texture should be tender and lightly springy, with a clean cheese flavour.

The dish is also called pierogi leniwe, but it is not a filled pieróg. Unlike kopytka, this version contains no potato: twaróg forms the base of the dough. The names and exact dough formulas vary, including versions with separated eggs or different proportions of wheat flour and potato starch.

Serve the dumplings hot with breadcrumbs toasted in butter and a little sugar. That familiar sweet finish is only one option; butter, cinnamon, fruit, sour cream or savoury browned butter also work in Polish home cooking. This measured recipe makes four portions and keeps the dough soft by mixing it only until it comes together.

Tips for a good result

Tips for a good result

  • Drain noticeably wet twaróg before weighing it; excess moisture makes shaping difficult.
  • Mash the cheese finely before adding flour so the dough has no large lumps.
  • Mix only until the dough holds together. Extra kneading and flour can make the dumplings tough.
  • Dust the board lightly and use only enough extra flour to prevent sticking.
  • Keep the water at a gentle simmer after adding the dumplings; a hard boil can break them apart.
  • Cook in uncrowded batches and lift them shortly after they float, once the centre is tender and set.
  • Stir the breadcrumbs as they toast and take the pan off the heat before mixing in sugar.
Ingredients

Ingredients

Dumplings

  • 500 g semi-fat Polish twaróg, dry or lightly moist; drain if wet
  • 1 l arge pasteurized egg, about 50 g without shell
  • 110 g plain wheat flour, plus up to 20 g for dusting
  • 20 g potato starch
  • 3 g fine salt

Cooking water

  • 4 L water
  • 12 g fine salt

Buttered breadcrumbs

  • 60 g unsalted butter
  • 40 g fine breadcrumbs
  • 20 g granulated sugar
Method

Method

Directions

  1. Mash the cheeseKeep the twaróg chilled until you are ready to start. If it is visibly wet, drain it first. Mash the cheese in a large bowl with a potato masher or fork until mostly smooth. Mix in the egg and 3 g salt.

  2. Make the doughAdd 110 g flour and the potato starch. Mix quickly with a fork or your hands just until a soft, firm dough forms. It may feel slightly tacky but should hold together. If it is too sticky to shape, dust the surface with a little of the reserved flour; avoid working in more than necessary.

  3. Shape and cutBring 4 L water and 12 g salt to a boil in a wide pot, then lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Lightly flour the work surface. Divide the dough into four pieces. Roll each into a rope about 2 cm thick, flatten it slightly and cut diagonally into eight pieces, each about 2.5–3 cm long.

  4. Boil the dumplingsCook the dumplings in uncrowded batches. Stir once gently just after adding each batch. When the pieces float, cook for about 30 seconds more, then lift them out with a slotted spoon and let the water drain. A test dumpling should be tender and set through the centre, without a raw floury texture.

  5. Toast the topping and serveWhile the dumplings cook, melt the butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the breadcrumbs and stir for 3–4 minutes, until golden and nutty-smelling. Take the pan off the heat, mix in the sugar, and spoon the topping over the hot dumplings. Serve at once.

Nutrition per serving

Nutrition per serving

  • Serving size8 dumplings with topping
  • Caloriesabout 455 kcal
  • Carbohydratesabout 42 g
  • Proteinabout 29 g
  • Fatabout 20 g
  • Fibreabout 1 g
  • Sodiumabout 450 mg

Approximate estimate for eight of the 32 dumplings, including one quarter of the buttered breadcrumb topping. Values vary by twaróg brand, moisture, draining and how much topping reaches each plate; this is not a laboratory analysis.

Allergens and food safety

Allergens and food safety

Serving, storage, reheating and make-ahead: Serve eight dumplings per person with the warm buttered breadcrumbs. For a simple variation, add a pinch of cinnamon or serve with fruit; for a savoury plate, omit the sugar and use browned butter with herbs. Cooked dumplings can be cooled and refrigerated, but their texture is best freshly made.

Serving, storage, reheating and make-ahead: Keep the twaróg chilled until mixing and cook the dough soon after preparation. Do not leave the egg-and-dairy dough at room temperature for more than two hours. Refrigerate cooked leftovers in a covered shallow container within two hours, keep at or below 4°C and use within three days. Reheat until steaming hot throughout; 74°C is a conservative target. Make the breadcrumb topping just before serving for the best texture.

Contains milk, egg and wheat/gluten. Use pasteurized dairy and egg, and keep twaróg refrigerated until use. Discard the dough if it has been left at room temperature for more than two hours. Cook dumplings completely; a sample should be hot, tender and set in the centre, with no raw dough. Cool cooked leftovers promptly, refrigerate within two hours at or below 4°C, use within three days, and reheat until steaming hot throughout.

Work quickly and handle the soft dough gently; a light dusting of flour is enough to shape it.

Keep the water at a gentle simmer so the dumplings cook through without breaking apart.

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