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1
Place the bread cubes in a wide bowl. Pour the warm milk over them and leave to soak until the bread is thoroughly softened. Squeeze the bread in both hands to expel excess milk — it should be moist and cohesive, not wet. The bread must hold its shape when pressed; if it runs through the fingers, it carries too much liquid.
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2
Sauté the diced speck in a dry pan over a medium flame until it just turns golden. Remove from the heat and allow to cool briefly. Add the speck, beaten eggs, flour, salt, and black pepper to the squeezed bread. Mix until combined — do not overwork the mixture. The mass should hold a ball shape when a portion is squeezed in the palm; if it is too wet, incorporate a little more flour; if too dry, work in a small quantity of egg.
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3
This is where the dish lives or dies. Form a small patty of the mixture and simmer it in the broth for five minutes. Taste and assess: if it falls apart in the liquid, work more flour or half a beaten egg into the main mixture; if it is dense and floury, add a small measure of milk. Adjust seasoning at this point. Only when the test patty holds a clean edge and carries the correct balance of salt and smoke should the full batch be shaped.
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4
With lightly damp hands, shape the mixture into balls of 8–9 cm diameter. The surface should be smooth and uncracked; any fissure in the raw dumpling will open further in the pot.
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5
Bring the broth to a steady simmer — never a rolling boil. Lower the canederli in gently. Cook for 15–18 minutes. The surface of the broth should tremble, not churn; vigorous boiling will crack the dumplings and cloud the broth. The canederli are done when they float freely and feel uniformly yielding when pressed lightly with a spoon.
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6
Ladle 2–3 canederli into each warmed bowl. Pour the clear golden broth around them. Lay a fine slice of speck over the dumplings and finish with snipped chives. The broth must be transparent and bright; any cloudiness indicates the liquid boiled.