Oma’s Bavarian Bread Dumplings (Semmelknödel)

Method11 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Cut about 454 g stale crusty bread or rolls, including the crusts, into small pieces and put them in a large bowl. Use firm good-quality bread rather than soft packaged sandwich bread.

   Uses about 454 g stale crusty bread

2. 2

   Step 2: Pour the 360 ml hot milk over the cut bread and let it soak for about 30–60 minutes until softened. Pour off any excess milk; keep the actual soaked, drained bread.

   Soak bread in milk · 30 minUses cut stale bread from step 1 · 360 ml hot soaking milk

3. 3

   Step 3: During the soak, fill a large approximately 5-quart pot with fresh water to about 5 cm (2 inches) below the rim. Add the 18 g bath salt, or adjust to taste. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a gentle simmer.

   Uses water for the large simmering pot · 18 g salt for the cooking bath, or to taste

4. 4

   Step 4: While the bread soaks, melt the 28 g butter in a frying pan. Fry the diced bacon (3) and onion (1 small) for about 5–7 minutes, stirring, until the bacon is crisp and the onion is translucent. Stir in the 8 g chopped parsley.

   Fry bacon and onion · 5 minUses 28 g butter · 3 diced bacon slices · 1 small diced onion · 8 g chopped parsley

5. 5

   Step 5: Stir the cooked bacon, onion and parsley mixture into the soaked, drained bread. Taste and season with a little additional dough salt and black pepper if needed, before adding the raw eggs.

   Uses soaked, drained bread from step 2 · cooked bacon, onion and parsley from step 4 · additional dough salt, to taste · black pepper, to taste

6. 6

   Step 6: Mix the 2 lightly beaten eggs thoroughly into the seasoned bread mixture. Do not taste the uncooked egg dough.

   Uses seasoned bread mixture from step 5 · 2 lightly beaten eggs

7. 7

   Step 7: Check the egg dough. If it is too soft to hold a dumpling shape, add breadcrumbs, 10 g (1 tablespoon) at a time, mixing after each addition, until it can be shaped. Use only the amount needed.

   Uses bread and egg dough from step 6 · breadcrumbs in 10 g increments, only as needed

8. 8

   Step 8: Take a small portion of the adjusted dough, form a test dumpling and lower it into the gently simmering salted water. Keep the remaining raw dough aside. Check the test after 10 minutes. If it breaks up, check the remaining dough: add a little extra milk only if it is dry and crumbly; if it is too soft, add a little more breadcrumbs as in step 7. Mix and repeat the test after a correction. Keep the water gently simmering.

   Check the test dumpling · 10 minUses a small test portion of adjusted dough from step 7 · gently simmering salted water from step 3 · a little extra milk, only for dry crumbly dough · additional breadcrumbs, only for too-soft dough

9. 9

   Step 9: If the test holds together at the 10-minute check, simmer it for another 10 minutes (20 minutes total), until cooked through, then lift it out and taste it. Adjust the seasoning of the remaining dough with additional salt and pepper if needed. With wet hands or wet spoons, shape the remaining dough into dumplings about 5 cm (2 inches) across.

   Finish cooking the test dumpling · 10 minUses test dumpling from step 8 · remaining raw dough held aside in step 8 · additional dough salt, if needed · black pepper, if needed · a little water for wetting hands or spoons

10. 10

    Step 10: Lower the shaped dumplings into the gently simmering water and cook for about 20 minutes until cooked through. Keep a gentle simmer so they hold together; avoid a rolling boil.

    Simmer the main dumplings · 20 minUses shaped bread dumplings from step 9 · gently simmering salted water from step 3

11. 11

    Step 11: Lift the cooked dumplings out with a slotted spoon or spider and drain briefly on paper towels. Serve as a side dish, with ready gravy or red cabbage if desired.

    Uses cooked bread dumplings from step 10 · ready gravy to serve, if desired · ready red cabbage to serve, if desired