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Looking for a German bread dumpling recipe- can anyone help?
- Thread starter CathyZ
- Start date
michael-in-phoenix
Well-known member
Cathy, here's my Mom's "recipe", with my notes interspersed. Sorry for the delay.
Semmelknoedel
1 loaf day old bread (I use a 24 oz. loaf)
1/2 cup milk (approximate)
1/2 bundle of parsley
Salt and pepper to taste (I use about 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper, by eye)
4 eggs, beaten
1 cup flour (more for dusting)
Cut bread as small as possible. (I use standard, cheapo store loaves and cut to 1/4" to 1/3" dice.)
Place bread in a large bowl and soak with very little milk. (What does that mean, Mom? How do you "soak" something, but use "very little milk"? See what I mean? I dampen the bread and use about 1/2 cup.)
Let bread sit for awhile. (I let it sit until I chop the parsley and add the other ingredients.)
Chop parsley and sprinkle on top of bread. Add salt and pepper. (At this point I toss the bread cubes with the parsley, s & p to mix.)
Add 4 eggs and 1 cup flour. Mix with a large wooden spoon (hands) until "sticky".
Make into tennis-sized balls. (At this point the dough should hold together when cupped in your hands and formed into balls about the size of a tennis ball, or a little smaller. They will expand in the boiling water by at least 1/3. Dust your hands with flour and press the bread cubes firmly.) Roll in flour and let sit 10 min. (I dust a cutting board with flour and place the balls on it, scattering a little flour over the top.)
Bring large pot (16 quart) of water to a FULL boil. Make sure pot is large enough to hold all the knoedel. Place knoedel into the water. (When I pick up each knoedel to put it in the pot, I give it one last gentle squeeze, just to make sure it holds together. It's ok if the knoedel are in layers in the pot. Just stir it occasionally to submerge them evenly.)
Bring water back to boil and allow it to simmer, uncovered, for about 45 minutes to an hour. At 45 minutes, cut one knoedel open to check if it is cooked through. There can be a little stiff dough in the middle, but the knoedel should be damp most of the way through.
Drain the knoedel and serve with a sliced pot roast and PLENTY of rich, brown gravy.
My kids request this for their birthday dinners. It is simple, but very, very good.
Cathy, I'm sure you can decipher this, as you are truly an awesome cook. Please don't hesitate to ask questions if you need to.
Michael
Semmelknoedel
1 loaf day old bread (I use a 24 oz. loaf)
1/2 cup milk (approximate)
1/2 bundle of parsley
Salt and pepper to taste (I use about 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper, by eye)
4 eggs, beaten
1 cup flour (more for dusting)
Cut bread as small as possible. (I use standard, cheapo store loaves and cut to 1/4" to 1/3" dice.)
Place bread in a large bowl and soak with very little milk. (What does that mean, Mom? How do you "soak" something, but use "very little milk"? See what I mean? I dampen the bread and use about 1/2 cup.)
Let bread sit for awhile. (I let it sit until I chop the parsley and add the other ingredients.)
Chop parsley and sprinkle on top of bread. Add salt and pepper. (At this point I toss the bread cubes with the parsley, s & p to mix.)
Add 4 eggs and 1 cup flour. Mix with a large wooden spoon (hands) until "sticky".
Make into tennis-sized balls. (At this point the dough should hold together when cupped in your hands and formed into balls about the size of a tennis ball, or a little smaller. They will expand in the boiling water by at least 1/3. Dust your hands with flour and press the bread cubes firmly.) Roll in flour and let sit 10 min. (I dust a cutting board with flour and place the balls on it, scattering a little flour over the top.)
Bring large pot (16 quart) of water to a FULL boil. Make sure pot is large enough to hold all the knoedel. Place knoedel into the water. (When I pick up each knoedel to put it in the pot, I give it one last gentle squeeze, just to make sure it holds together. It's ok if the knoedel are in layers in the pot. Just stir it occasionally to submerge them evenly.)
Bring water back to boil and allow it to simmer, uncovered, for about 45 minutes to an hour. At 45 minutes, cut one knoedel open to check if it is cooked through. There can be a little stiff dough in the middle, but the knoedel should be damp most of the way through.
Drain the knoedel and serve with a sliced pot roast and PLENTY of rich, brown gravy.
My kids request this for their birthday dinners. It is simple, but very, very good.
Cathy, I'm sure you can decipher this, as you are truly an awesome cook. Please don't hesitate to ask questions if you need to.
Michael
richard-in-cincy
Well-known member
Ahh dear Cathy, I've failed you! I thought you were looking for "light" kn
This is what I do.
You need very stale bread. Not frozen, not toasted, and preferably a toothsome Central European-style heavy white bread. I don't make these very often as the house prefers Kartoffelnknödeln...
Cut a pound of bread into small cubes and let it sit out overnight.
Mix it up with:
1/4 pound soft butter (or melted renderings from your pork/beef/chicken roast)
2-3 onions carmelized in pork/beef/chicken fat with the crispy bits throw in some bacon bits if you have it on hand.
1/2 cup parsley
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
a pinch of mace
1 tsp salt
3 eggs
1/2 cup flour (more or less to make a dough that you can form into balls)
4-6 oz. milk/cream--start adding the cream until it holds together.
Mix it all up.
Let it sit.
Too sloppy? Add more flour or corn starch. Depends on the bread. You want a meatloaf type mass.
Form it into balls. Not too big. Tennis ball size is the rule.
If it's too sloppy, depending on the bread, add some more flour. Too stiff, add some more liquid of choice.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Lower the dumplings into the water.
Simmer for about 12-15 minutes (depending on the size). Keep it a a steady simmer.
Strain out of the boil.
If you're serving with a roast on a platter, drain and dry, pile on the platter, decorate with gravy.
If you're serving as a side, place into dish, douse with butter. Sprinkle with parsley. Toasted and Buttered breadcrumbs to really put on the dog. Or just fry it up in skillet.
Did I say "light"? smileys/smile.gif
This is what I do.
You need very stale bread. Not frozen, not toasted, and preferably a toothsome Central European-style heavy white bread. I don't make these very often as the house prefers Kartoffelnknödeln...
Cut a pound of bread into small cubes and let it sit out overnight.
Mix it up with:
1/4 pound soft butter (or melted renderings from your pork/beef/chicken roast)
2-3 onions carmelized in pork/beef/chicken fat with the crispy bits throw in some bacon bits if you have it on hand.
1/2 cup parsley
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
a pinch of mace
1 tsp salt
3 eggs
1/2 cup flour (more or less to make a dough that you can form into balls)
4-6 oz. milk/cream--start adding the cream until it holds together.
Mix it all up.
Let it sit.
Too sloppy? Add more flour or corn starch. Depends on the bread. You want a meatloaf type mass.
Form it into balls. Not too big. Tennis ball size is the rule.
If it's too sloppy, depending on the bread, add some more flour. Too stiff, add some more liquid of choice.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Lower the dumplings into the water.
Simmer for about 12-15 minutes (depending on the size). Keep it a a steady simmer.
Strain out of the boil.
If you're serving with a roast on a platter, drain and dry, pile on the platter, decorate with gravy.
If you're serving as a side, place into dish, douse with butter. Sprinkle with parsley. Toasted and Buttered breadcrumbs to really put on the dog. Or just fry it up in skillet.
Did I say "light"? smileys/smile.gif
michael-in-phoenix
Well-known member
Wow. Waaaay fancier than the low-rent version I posted above. Sounds delicious.
richard-in-cincy
Well-known member
Variation: Serviettenkn
Add 4-6 strips of fried and crumbled bacon, 1/4 cup diced baked ham, and saute 1 cup sliced mushrooms with the onions. Optional: 1 tsp lemon zest.
Form into a log, roll up in a napkin or tea towel. Simmer or steam for 20-30 minutes (depending on how thick you make it). Slice, nap with gravy.
The next day, slice and fry these in butter.
Add 4-6 strips of fried and crumbled bacon, 1/4 cup diced baked ham, and saute 1 cup sliced mushrooms with the onions. Optional: 1 tsp lemon zest.
Form into a log, roll up in a napkin or tea towel. Simmer or steam for 20-30 minutes (depending on how thick you make it). Slice, nap with gravy.
The next day, slice and fry these in butter.
Don't be silly, Richard- you didn't fail me! "Light" was the wrong word to use
I think what I meant was dumplings that would not fall apart but would not be like cement either. You and Michael both gave me wonderful recipes to try and to send to my friend. Thank you so much!!! She will be thrilled.
She will probably favor Michael's version because she lost her own grandmother's recipe and this will be more like that one I think. I will try both recipes and love the additions to yours, Richard.
Thank you- both of you.
I think what I meant was dumplings that would not fall apart but would not be like cement either. You and Michael both gave me wonderful recipes to try and to send to my friend. Thank you so much!!! She will be thrilled.
She will probably favor Michael's version because she lost her own grandmother's recipe and this will be more like that one I think. I will try both recipes and love the additions to yours, Richard.
Thank you- both of you.