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1
Place the stale bread cubes in a wide bowl. Pour the warmed milk over them and leave to soak until the bread has absorbed the liquid fully — about 15 minutes. With clean hands, squeeze the bread only partially dry: it should hold together when pressed but not be dripping. Some residual moisture is essential for binding. The mass should feel cohesive and soft, not waterlogged and not dry.
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2
Melt 30 g butter in a small pan over low heat. Add the finely diced onion and cook gently, stirring occasionally, until completely translucent and sweet — 8 to 10 minutes. The onion must not colour. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
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3
Add the diced Speck, sautéed onion, beaten eggs, chopped parsley, and flour to the soaked bread. Mix thoroughly by hand until the mixture is uniform. It should be cohesive enough to be shaped into a sphere without cracking, yet still yielding to the touch. Work while the mixture is still slightly warm — this is where the dish lives or dies: a cold mixture will not bind evenly and will produce misshapen, uneven dumplings that may break during poaching.
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4
With damp hands, shape the mixture into large spheres approximately 6–7 cm in diameter — four to eight pieces depending on size. Set aside on a lightly floured surface.
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5
Bring the beef broth to a gentle simmer in a wide, deep pot — it must not boil. Lower the canederli in carefully. Poach for 20 minutes at a steady, quiet simmer. The canederli are done when they have floated to the surface and remained there for 5 minutes. Confirm doneness by halving one: the interior must be uniform throughout, with no gluey or underdone centre.
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6
To serve in brodo: ladle the hot broth into warmed deep bowls and place one or two canederli in each. For the Alto Adige variant: transfer the canederli to warm plates without broth. Brown 60 g butter in a small pan until it smells of hazelnuts and turns a deep amber — beurre noisette. Pour immediately over the dumplings and finish with freshly grated Grana Trentino.