Semmelknödel (Austrian Bread Dumplings)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large wide pot for simmering
• •Slotted spoon
• •Large mixing bowl
• •Small frying pan for the onion

Instructions

1. 1

   Cube and soak the bread

   Cut the day-old Semmeln into small cubes, roughly one centimeter across. Some people slice them thin, but cubes give you a better texture in the finished Knödel, a mix of soft interior and the occasional firmer bit that holds its shape. Put the cubes in a large bowl. Warm the milk until it's comfortable to the touch, not hot, and pour it over the bread. Toss gently so every piece gets wet. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and leave it for fifteen minutes. The bread needs time to absorb the milk evenly. If you rush this, you'll have dry spots in the center of your dumplings and soggy patches on the outside.

   The bread must be stale. Fresh Semmeln have too much moisture and your Knödel will fall apart in the water. If your rolls are still soft, cut them into cubes the night before and leave them uncovered on a baking sheet. By morning they'll be perfect.
2. 2

   Cook the onion

   Melt the butter in a small pan over medium-low heat. Add the diced onion and cook gently until it turns translucent and soft, about five minutes. You don't want color here. Golden-brown onion would change the flavor of the whole Knödel. You're after something sweet and mild, the kind of soft onion that disappears into the mixture and just makes everything taste more like itself. Take the pan off the heat and let it cool for a few minutes.

3. 3

   Mix the Knödel mass

   Beat the eggs lightly and pour them over the soaked bread. Add the cooked onion with all its butter, the chopped parsley, salt, and a few gratings of nutmeg. Now work the mixture together with your hands. Not a spoon, your hands. You need to feel when the mass comes together. Squeeze the bread between your fingers to break up any large pieces, but don't mash it into a paste. You want a mixture that holds together when you press it but still has visible bits of bread throughout. If it feels too wet and loose, add flour one tablespoon at a time. If it feels too dry and crumbly, add a splash more milk.

   Gretel always said the Knödel mass should feel like it wants to hold together but isn't quite sure. That's the right texture. If it's stiff and heavy, you've added too much flour and the dumplings will be dense.
4. 4

   Shape the dumplings

   Wet your hands with cold water or rub them lightly with butter. Take a handful of the mixture, about the size of a tennis ball, and roll it between your palms using gentle pressure. The surface should close up smooth and round. Don't pack them tight. Semmelknödel are meant to be soft and a little bit airy inside, not dense cannonballs. If the mass sticks to your hands, wet them again. Line the finished Knödel up on a lightly floured board. You should get about twelve from this batch.

   Test one Knödel first before you shape the rest. Drop it into the simmering water and let it cook. If it holds together and has a good texture, you're set. If it falls apart, work another tablespoon of flour into the remaining mass. Better to know now than to lose the whole batch.
5. 5

   Simmer the Knödel

   Bring a large, wide pot of salted water to a gentle simmer. The surface should tremble, not bubble. A rolling boil will tear your Knödel apart. Lower the dumplings in carefully, a few at a time so they don't crowd each other. They'll sink to the bottom and then float to the surface after a minute or two. Once they float, cook them for another fifteen minutes with the lid slightly ajar. Don't lift the lid to check on them every thirty seconds. They're fine. Leave them alone.

   The gentle simmer is everything. Too much heat and the outside cooks faster than the inside, giving you Knödel that are mushy on the surface and raw at the center. Keep the water just barely moving. Patience is the technique here.
6. 6

   Serve immediately

   Lift the Knödel out with a slotted spoon and let them drain for a moment. Serve them right away alongside Schweinsbraten, goulash, roast chicken, or anything with a good pan sauce. The whole point of Semmelknödel is that porous, spongy interior that soaks up Bratensaft like it was made for exactly that purpose. Because it was. Mahlzeit!

Chef Tips

• •The bread matters. Use proper Semmeln or Kaiser rolls if you can find them. They have the right crust-to-crumb ratio and the right porosity. Soft sandwich bread won't give you the same texture. A good Semmel has structure even when it's stale, and that structure is what keeps your Knödel from turning to mush.
• •Always cook a test Knödel first. Shape one, drop it in the water, and check after fifteen minutes. If it holds together and tastes right, proceed with confidence. If it falls apart, add a little more flour. If it's too dense, add a splash of milk. This five-minute test saves the entire batch.
• •Leftover Semmelknödel are not leftovers. They're tomorrow's lunch. Slice them half a centimeter thick, fry them in butter until golden on both sides, and serve with a green salad. In Austria this is called geröstete Knödel and some people prefer it to the original.
• •Don't skip the nutmeg. It's barely detectable in the finished dumpling, but without it something is missing. Gretel always said nutmeg is the flavor you taste with your memory. You don't notice it's there, but you'd notice if it weren't.

Advance Preparation

• •The Knödel mass can be mixed and shaped up to two hours ahead. Keep the formed dumplings on a floured board in the fridge, covered loosely with cling film.
• •Cooked Semmelknödel reheat well. Drop them back into simmering water for three to four minutes, or slice and pan-fry them in butter for a different texture entirely.
• •Cube the bread the night before and leave it uncovered on a tray if your Semmeln aren't stale enough. The overnight drying is actually more even than trying to dry cubes in the oven.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 185g)