Let me preface this post by telling you that I'm not an expert on German Dumplings. In fact, I have had a love/hate relationship with them my whole life. As a kid I grew up with a few different versions of dumplings or "Klösse" as we like to call them. I love Semmelknödel, which are made out of stale bread and what this post is about, but hated every time my mom or dad would make the traditional ones that are made with potatoes. Something about the texture and taste used to throw me off and I would spend quite a few Sunday dinners eating a piece of bread alongside my roast while the rest of the family would enjoy their dumplings. These days I will eat them if I visit my mom, but it is nothing I go out of my way to fix myself unless my husband requests them. He seems to be going back and forth between the potato kind and the bread kind and this year he thankfully chose the latter which I enjoy eating.
Semmelknödel, or bread dumplings are served throughout Bavaria in most restaurants. It is a great way to use up stale Semmeln or Brötchen which are similar to Kaiser Rolls here in America and they make for a pretty economic meal this way. My favorite part about these dumplings growing up was the second day, when my mom would use the leftovers, cut them up and fried them in a pan until both sides were nice and crispy. We were always looking forward to that.
Cooking dumplings is actually quite an art and I'll be the first to admit that because of cooking them so infrequently, I'm not as good at making them as my mom or grandpa are. Forming them properly so they keep their shape and being able to cook them is a little harder then you might think. The salt water to cook the formed dumplings in has to be just perfect. It has to be hot enough to cook them through, but it also can't boil or they will disintegrate, the water needs to be right around the simmer point and stay there with a consistent heat.
Since I can't get my hands on great rolls here, I started using a french baguette when I make these dumplings at home. The texture comes pretty close to a traditional German Brötchen and after sitting on the counter for about a day prior, the bread is perfect. The baguette is sliced thinly and soaked in lukewarm milk and some salt for about 30 minutes which will help soften the bread. Meanwhile, onion and fresh parsley are sauteed in a bit of butter. After the bread is nice and soft the sauteed veggies are added to the bread bowl along with seasonings, eggs and flour. Everything is mixed well together (clean hands are your best tool for this) and the "dough" is set aside to rest for another 20 minutes. With wet hands round dumplings the size of a baseball are formed and carefully placed in hot salted water which is where they will cook for about 20 minutes or until cooked through. The easiest way to test for doneness is to take one out and cut it in half to make sure the inside is cooked thoroughly. Once cooked, they are removed with a slotted spoon and served immediately.
My Semmelknödel might not be the prettiest and they pale in comparison to the way my mom's look, but they are darn tasty and are the perfect side dish for any kind of roast with gravy like my German Sauerbraten. I hope I have intrigued you enough to give another German classic a try and you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!
Semmelknödel (Bavarian Bread Dumplings)
(adapted from "my mom")
(Printable Recipe)
Ingredients:
1 french Baguette (about 10 oz./300 g), cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 3/4 cups lukewarm milk
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon butter
4 tablespoons onion, minced
4 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
3 large eggs
2 - 4 tablespoons flour
Preparation:
Cut baguette into slices. Place the slices in a large bowl, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and pour lukewarm milk evenly over the bread. Cover bowl and let the mixture sit for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile melt butter in a small pan, add onion and parsley and saute for about 2 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.
After 30 minutes add the sauteed onion and parsley to your soaked bread along with another 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper and nutmeg. Add in the eggs and 2 tablespoons flour. Mix until well combined. If the dough appears really wet at this point add another tablespoon or two of flour.
Cover bowl again and let rest for another 20 minutes. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add about 2 teaspoons of salt. Reduce the heat of the water so it is simmering, but not boiling. With wet hands start forming your dumplings (baseball sized) and carefully place them into the water. After all your dumplings are formed, you might have to bring the water temperature up temporarily, but make sure it won't boil or your dumplings will fall apart. Add the lid to your pot, but keep the lid cracked. After about 20 minutes the dumplings should be cooked. Remove one and check for doneness. If the inside is still a little "gooey" return the dumpling and cook for another couple of minutes. Remove all dumplings with a slotted spoon and serve immediately.
Yield: 6 dumplings
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