Chop the bread roll into small cubes about 1 cm. Make sure you chop them small, as larger chunks will take longer to soak. Mix it with 1 teaspoon salt.
In a saucepan or microwave heat the milk. The milk should be hot but don’t bring it to boil. Pour it over the bread cubes.
Peel and finely cube the onions. Cube the bacon (if using). Finely chop the parsley. Heat the butter in a frying pan and fry the onion (and bacon if using) until the onions are translucent. Add them with the parsley to the bread mix.
Mix all the ingredients with a spoon and leave it to rest for 10-15 minutes.
In the meantime, you can heat up a large pot (at least 5 ltr) of water with 1 teaspoon of salt.
Beat the eggs and add them to the bread mixture. Season the bread mixture with salt and pepper to taste.
Now it is time to roll up your sleeves. Make sure your hands are clean (if you want you can use gloves). Knead the mixture with your hands. If the dumpling dough is too soft, add some breadcrumbs. If you find it to dry add a little milk.
Form your Knodel with wet hands to make 8-10 balls, depending on which size you prefer. My trick is to use an ice cream scoop to measure equal quantities. Press the balls with the palms of your hands so they are nice and compact. Try to shape a nice smooth ball, with no cracks and bulges as these might cause the Knodel to fall apart when cooking.
Once the water in your saucepan begins to boil, lower the heat. The dumplings are not supposed to be boiled, only simmer. If you place the Knodel into boiling water, they are more likely to lose shape and fall apart. Leave to simmer for about 20 minutes before removing them with a slotted spoon. – if you are doing this recipe for the first time, I would recommend doing a test knödel – to check the consistency of the bread balls. You know your Knödel is done when it swims to the top.