Chef Graziella
Acquacotta Maremmana
The humblest soup in Tuscany, born from the wild Maremma where shepherds and charcoal burners transformed water, onions, stale bread, and an egg into sustenance. Proof that poverty teaches better than plenty.
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Canederli in Brodo
Created by
Bread dumplings from the Italian Alps, where Austrian tradition meets Italian restraint. Stale bread, smoked speck, and mountain herbs, poached in clear beef broth.
Soups & Stews
Italian
Comfort Food
Weeknight
45 min
Active Time
30 min cook•1 hr 15 min total
Yield6 servings (12 dumplings)
The first useful thing to know about Italian cooking is that, as such, it actually doesn't exist. Italy is a collection of regions, and each cooks according to its own traditions. Nowhere is this more evident than in Trentino-Alto Adige, where the mountains separate Italy from Austria and the cooking belongs to both.
Canederli are bread dumplings. The word comes from the German Knödel, and the dish crossed the Alps centuries ago with the Tyrolean people who have always lived in these valleys. They speak German there still, alongside Italian. The cooking reflects this duality: Italian ingredients, Austrian technique.
The bread must be stale. I say this in every recipe that calls for stale bread, and still people try to substitute fresh. Fresh bread turns to wallpaper paste. Stale bread has structure. It absorbs the milk and eggs without dissolving. If your bread is not stale, leave it on the counter overnight. This is not difficult.
Speck is the smoked ham of the region, cured with juniper and mountain herbs, then cold-smoked. It is not prosciutto. It is not pancetta. If you cannot find speck, use a good smoked ham, but know that you are compromising. The smoke is essential to the character of this dish.
Canederli descend from the Knödel of Austria and Bavaria, carried into the Italian Alps by Tyrolean settlers who have inhabited the Dolomite valleys since the medieval period. The region became Italian only in 1919, after the First World War. The dumplings remain unchanged: proof that borders move but cooking traditions persist.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
stale white bread
Quantity
10 ounces
crusts removed, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
whole milk
Quantity
1 cup
warmed
unsalted butter
Quantity
3 tablespoons
yellow onion
Quantity
1 small
minced fine
speck
Quantity
4 ounces
cut into small dice
large eggs
Quantity
3
beaten
all-purpose flour
Quantity
3 tablespoons
fresh flat-leaf parsley
Quantity
2 tablespoons
chopped fine
fresh chives
Quantity
2 tablespoons
sliced thin
fine sea salt
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon
black pepper
Quantity
1/4 teaspoon
freshly ground
nutmeg
Quantity
1/8 teaspoon
freshly grated
homemade beef broth
Quantity
8 cups
chives
Quantity
for garnish
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| stale white breadcrusts removed, cut into 1/2-inch cubes | 10 ounces |
| whole milkwarmed | 1 cup |
| unsalted butter | 3 tablespoons |
| yellow onionminced fine | 1 small |
| speckcut into small dice | 4 ounces |
| large eggsbeaten | 3 |
| all-purpose flour | 3 tablespoons |
| fresh flat-leaf parsleychopped fine | 2 tablespoons |
| fresh chivessliced thin | 2 tablespoons |
| fine sea salt | 1/2 teaspoon |
| black pepperfreshly ground | 1/4 teaspoon |
| nutmegfreshly grated | 1/8 teaspoon |
| homemade beef broth | 8 cups |
| chives | for garnish |
Equipment Needed
- •Large mixing bowl
- •Wide, deep pot or Dutch oven for poaching
- •Small skillet for aromatics
Instructions
- 1
Soak the bread
Place the bread cubes in a large bowl. Pour the warm milk over them and toss gently to coat. The bread should absorb the milk but not become sodden. Let it sit for 15 minutes, tossing once or twice. If after 15 minutes there is milk pooling at the bottom, your bread was too fresh. Squeeze out the excess gently.
The bread must be stale. This is not optional. Fresh bread becomes gummy paste. Leave bread uncovered on the counter for two days, or dry cubes in a low oven for 20 minutes. - 2
Cook the aromatics
Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add the minced onion and cook slowly until soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. The onion must not brown. Add the diced speck and cook for 3 minutes more, until the fat renders slightly and the edges begin to crisp. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
- 3
Form the dumpling mixture
Add the cooled onion and speck mixture to the soaked bread. Add the beaten eggs, flour, parsley, chives, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Mix with your hands, squeezing the mixture through your fingers until everything is evenly combined. The mixture should hold together when pressed. If it seems too wet, add flour one tablespoon at a time. If too dry, add a splash of milk.
- 4
Rest the mixture
Cover the bowl and let the mixture rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. This allows the flour to hydrate and the bread to absorb the eggs. Do not skip this step. Canederli formed from unrested dough fall apart in the broth.
Test one dumpling before forming the rest. Drop a small ball into simmering salted water. If it holds together, proceed. If it falls apart, work in another tablespoon of flour and test again. - 5
Form the dumplings
Wet your hands with cold water to prevent sticking. Take a portion of the mixture about the size of a golf ball and roll it gently between your palms into a smooth sphere. Do not pack it too tightly or the dumplings will be dense. You should have approximately 12 dumplings. Place them on a plate as you work.
- 6
Heat the broth
Bring the beef broth to a gentle simmer in a wide, deep pot. The broth should barely bubble. A rolling boil will break the dumplings apart. Season the broth now if it needs salt, keeping in mind that the speck adds salinity.
- 7
Poach the canederli
Lower the dumplings into the simmering broth, working in batches if necessary to avoid crowding. They will sink at first, then rise to the surface after 3 to 4 minutes. Once they float, cook for 12 to 15 minutes more. They are done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Do not boil them vigorously.
- 8
Serve immediately
Ladle the broth into warm shallow bowls, placing two dumplings in each. Scatter sliced chives over the top. Serve at once. Canederli wait for no one. They absorb broth as they sit and become heavy. Your guests should be at the table before you ladle.
Chef Tips
- •Seek out authentic Alto Adige speck from a good salumeria. The juniper and beechwood smoke define this dish. Supermarket ham does not compare.
- •Your beef broth must be homemade. Clear, golden, with deep flavor from long-simmered bones and vegetables. Canned broth or bouillon cubes will embarrass you.
- •The resting period is critical. Flour needs time to absorb moisture. Without it, the dumplings crumble. Impatience ruins more canederli than any other mistake.
- •Form one test dumpling and poach it before shaping the rest. Every batch of stale bread behaves differently. Adjust flour as needed.
Advance Preparation
- •The dumpling mixture can be prepared up to 4 hours ahead and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature for 20 minutes before forming.
- •Formed dumplings can rest on a floured plate in the refrigerator for up to 2 hours before poaching.
- •Leftover canederli can be sliced and pan-fried in butter the next day. They become crisp and golden, a different dish entirely but equally worthy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 350g)
Calories
355 calories
Total Fat
15 g
Saturated Fat
7 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
8 g
Cholesterol
125 mg
Sodium
1315 mg
Total Carbohydrates
29 g
Dietary Fiber
2 g
Sugars
3 g
Protein
20 g
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