Soak your bread rolls in milk: Put the bread roll cubes inside a large mixing bowl. Heat the milk in a small pot or the microwave until it is lightly simmering. Pour the hot milk over the bread roll cubes and mix briefly. Cover with plastic wrap and let the bread roll cubes sit for 30 minutes.

Prepare the dumpling dough: Heat the butter in a small nonstick pan over medium heat and add in the onion. Sweat for 3-4 minutes until the onion turns translucent. Add the onion to your soaked bread roll cubes along with the egg, parsley, and nutmeg. Give everything a brief mix and season to taste with pepper and salt. Just briefly mix the dough and don’t knead it. It should be super light and fluffy. Cover the mixture with plastic wrap and let it sit for another 15 minutes.

If making ball-shaped individual dumplings: Stud the onion with a clove and bay leaf and add it into a large pot together with the lovage sprig. Add plenty of water and season lightly with salt. Bring the poaching liquid to a light simmer. Wet your hands and form round-shaped bread dumplings by rolling the dumpling dough between the palm of your hands. The dumpling size is up to your choice. Around the size of a tennis ball is ideal. Make sure the surface of your dumplings is completely smooth without any holes as you don’t want any water to leak inside your dumplings. Put the dumplings into your poaching liquid and keep it at a light simmer. Poach the dumplings for about 15-20 minutes. The dumplings will sink to the ground first and then slowly float up to the top over time.

If making one big dumpling-roll: Heat a large pot of water until it is lightly simmering. Cover your work surface with a large sheet of plastic wrap. Wet your hands and form the dumpling batter into a large sausage. Wrap tightly with the plastic wrap making sure to seal the edges. Wrap tightly with another layer of aluminum foil. Turn off the heat on your stove and submerge the dumpling roll inside your poaching liquid. Cover with a lid and let it steep for 30 minutes. Then take the dumpling roll out and let it rest for 5-10 minutes inside the foil before slicing. Remove the wrapper and slice the roll into smaller pieces about ½-inch thick. Use a sharp and wetted knife or kitchen twine to get a clean cut.

Serve your dumplings: Serve the dumplings as a side for saucy dishes like stews and roasts. They are a perfect sponge for soaking up gravy.