I always get a lot of requests for German recipes and since I love to cook German at home this is so easy for me to do. I decided to share as many of my German recipes, tips and tricks with you guys.
If you have ever been to Germany, especially Bavaria, you’ve probly seen or even tried these Bread Dumplings. Everyone loves them and raves about them when I make these delicious dumplings.
I personally love them any shape or form and can even eat them with nothing but a little butter…. they are so yummy. However the traditional way of eating these is together with some kind of roast, pork or beef, and gravy.
The Semmelknodel are so easy to make and they freeze very well. I usually make the recipe double if not triple and freeze them all on a cookie sheet till they are no longer sticky and then place them in a freezer bag or container and you can pull out as many as you need at that time.. even just one for your lunch
Ingredients
- 1 (1 pound) loaf stale French bread, cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley ( I usually use the entire bundle I buy..lol)
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 pinch ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs (optional)
Directions
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Place the bread cubes into a large bowl. Heat the milk until it starts to bubble at the edges, then pour it over the bread cubes. Stir briefly to coat the bread. Let soak for 15 minutes.
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Meanwhile, melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions; cook and stir until tender. Stir in the parsley, and remove from the heat. Mix into the bowl with the bread along with the eggs, salt and pepper. Use your hands, squeezing the dough through your fingers until it is smooth and sticky.
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Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. The water should be at least 3 or 4 inches deep. When the water is boiling, make a test dumpling about the size of a small orange or tangerine, by patting and cupping between wet hands. Gently drop into the boiling water. If it falls apart, the dough is too wet. In this case, stir some bread crumbs into the rest of the dumpling batter.
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Form the remaining dough into large dumplings, and carefully drop into the boiling water. Simmer for 20 minutes, then remove to a serving plate with a large slotted spoon. They should come out soft, spongy and delicious!
P.s. if you decide to freeze them, do not cook them first, stop after forming the dumplings and then add them to the freezer, then when you are ready to cook them, pull out and follow instructions just like above
Kassandra says
I love this! I should share some German recipes, I have an old German cookbook.
Kassandra recently posted..More hours in the day
CrazyMom says
Kassandra.. would love to hear some of your recipes… I’m always looking for new ones 🙂 glad you like like them
Gianna says
This sounds awesome!
German Mama says
I am sooo happy I found your blog. Just like you, I am German, living in the US. I will definitely try this recipe. Semmelknödel are one of my favorite things to eat. I like to read your posts about Germany, German food & traditions. (I have to admit that it makes me a little homesick.) It would be great to swap some recipes.
German Mama recently posted..Couscous Salad with Herbs and Chickpeas
CrazyMom says
Hi German Mama… I love it… thanks for leaving me a note… 🙂 can’t wait to see what’s cooking at the German mama’s page… will be over soon
Dara Nix says
I spent 7 years in Germany (including 1 year at college in Munich) so I am VERY familiar with Bavarian food! I forgot just how much I miss German food! I had always thought that these dumplings were hopelessly hard to make, but these sound relatively simple! And that final picture looks DIVINE! What kind of sauce is that (and do you have the recipe for it as well)??
CrazyMom says
I love to make them…soo simple but easier if you make a big patch and freeze some for later….I will get the recipe it’s in one of my German cookbooks I think….. Will post it and let you know….where in Germany did you live? I miss it and will finally get to go home for a few wees next summer with the family 🙂
Lynda Clark says
My great-grandmother used to make these the same way when I was a small child. I am so happy to now be able to recreate these for my family. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
lyndaclark81(at)yahoo(dot)com
CrazyMom says
Lynda; You are soo welcome… I was so happy the first time I made them and now can’t live without them in our Crazy House :0) Let me know how they turn out…enjoy
Dorothy says
I am originally from Austria & we have a version of these dumpling too.
Our family uses flour instead of the bread crumbs & puts a small amount of fried bacon bits in the center before cooking.
Also instead of the butter, we use the bacon grease. Really fantastic with a nice pork roast & sweet & sour red cabbage.
CrazyMom says
Ohh this sounds yummy Dorothy; we make the “flour” dumplings, too just never with the bacon, have to try it.. I can already smell it :0) thanks for sharing
Seyma Shabbir says
Thanks for sharing. I had forgotten about these. I remember eating this would baked chicken. You will have to share more recipes!
CrazyMom says
You are sooo welcome… I will share more I promise as soon as I get back from Germany this summer.. so stay tuned for our Germany trip posts and recipes to come very soon…:0)
Sandy VanHoey says
You have some wonderful recipes…seems i have printed out so many from you that are wonderful. Thanks for sharing them
Melanie Roberts says
you are so welcome Sandy; so glad you like them… would love to hear how they turned out in your kitchen :0)
Jeffri Coleman says
WOW!!! We travel to Europe twice a year and have eaten hundreds of dumplings in Germany, Switzerland, Austria and the Czech Republic, not a single one better than these!!! 24 people for dinner (wedding) on New Year’s Eve and wanting to do dumplings with the beef stew. Tested them today, some fresh, some frozen and some simply set in the fridge for the day. All perfect, and nice to know that they can also be made in the morning and just stored in the fridge without freezing, texture was GREAT!!! Thank you for making my life easier and tastier!!!
Jeffri
Melanie Roberts says
SOOO glad that I was able to help you guys out.. I love them, too and the smell.. ahhhhh… Happy cooking and enjoy…. thanks for checking us out, too…
Sandy VanHoey says
I have never heard of anything like this recipe…they look great too!
Kat says
Have you ever tried adding some shredded cheese? You’ll have Käsesemmelknödel 🙂 Alpine cheese, Emmenthal, Gouda. Around 1 to 1 1/2 cups for that recipe should be good.