Topfenknödel

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Wide pot for poaching (at least 4-liter)
• •Clean tea towel or cheesecloth for draining Topfen
• •Wide heavy pan (28cm) for toasting breadcrumbs
• •Slotted spoon

Instructions

1. 1

   Drain the Topfen

   If your Topfen or quark feels at all wet, spoon it into a clean tea towel, gather the corners, and squeeze out the excess moisture over the sink. You want it as dry as you can get it. This is the single most important step in the entire recipe. Wet Topfen means a loose dough, and a loose dough means Knödel that fall apart in the water and break your heart. The pressed Topfen should hold its shape when you squeeze a handful.

   Austrian Topfen is naturally drier and more crumbly than most quark sold outside Austria. If you're using German quark or a softer variety, you may need to drain it overnight in the fridge, hung in cheesecloth over a bowl. Don't skip this.
2. 2

   Mix the dough

   Beat the softened butter with the sugar, Vanillezucker, salt, and lemon zest until light and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each. Fold in the drained Topfen until just combined, then gently stir in the semolina. Stop mixing the moment everything comes together. You're not making bread. Overworking this dough toughens it, and Topfenknödel should be so tender they barely hold their shape on the spoon.

3. 3

   Rest the dough

   Cover the bowl and let the dough rest in the fridge for thirty minutes. The semolina needs this time to absorb the moisture from the Topfen and swell. If you skip the rest, your dough will be too soft to shape and you'll add more flour out of panic, which makes the Knödel dense and heavy. Patience here costs you nothing and earns you everything.

   Gretel always said that a Knödel dough tells you when it's ready. After thirty minutes, pinch off a small piece and roll it between wet hands. If it holds together without sticking, you're good. If it's still slack, give it another fifteen minutes.
4. 4

   Shape the Knödel

   Wet your hands to prevent sticking. Scoop a generous tablespoon of dough and roll it gently between your palms into a ball about the size of a small apricot. Don't squeeze or compress. You're coaxing the dough into shape, not forcing it. Set each Knödel on a lightly floured board. You should get about twelve from this batch.

5. 5

   Poach the Knödel

   Bring a wide pot of lightly salted water to a gentle simmer. Not a boil. The surface should tremble, not roll. Slide the Knödel in carefully, a few at a time so they don't crowd. They'll sink to the bottom and then slowly float to the top after three to four minutes. Once they float, let them cook for another eight to ten minutes. They're done when they feel firm but still give slightly when you press one with a spoon. Pull one out and cut it open if you're unsure. Better to sacrifice one Knödel than serve twelve that are raw in the middle.

   A rolling boil will rip your Knödel apart. Keep the water at a bare simmer. If you see aggressive bubbles, turn the heat down immediately. This is the kind of cooking that rewards you for doing less.
6. 6

   Toast the breadcrumbs

   While the Knödel poach, melt the 80g butter in a wide pan over medium heat. When it foams, add the breadcrumbs and stir constantly. They go from pale to golden to burnt in about ninety seconds, so stay at the stove. When they turn an even golden brown and smell nutty and rich, sprinkle in the sugar and stir for another thirty seconds until it melts into the crumbs. Take the pan off the heat.

7. 7

   Roll and serve

   Lift the Knödel from the water with a slotted spoon and let them drain for a moment. Drop them into the pan of butter-toasted breadcrumbs and roll them gently until coated on all sides. The crumbs should cling in a golden, buttery crust. Plate three Knödel per person, dust with powdered sugar, and serve with a spoonful of sour cream or warm fruit compote on the side. Mahlzeit!

Chef Tips

• •The quality of your Topfen determines everything. If you can find Austrian Topfen at a specialty shop, buy it. If you're using quark, choose full-fat and drain it thoroughly. Ricotta is not a substitute. It's too wet and too grainy, and you'll end up adding so much flour to compensate that the Knödel taste like bread.
• •Test one Knödel before committing the whole batch to the water. Shape a single dumpling, poach it, and check the texture. If it falls apart, your dough needs another ten minutes in the fridge. If it's dense and heavy, you've added too much semolina. Better to know with one than to find out with twelve.
• •The breadcrumbs must be fine and dry. Fresh breadcrumbs hold too much moisture and won't toast properly. If you can only find coarse ones, blitz them in a food processor until fine. Gretel always said the breadcrumb coating should crunch once, not crumble.
• •Topfenknödel are a main course in Austria, not a side dish. Serve three per person with compote and call it dinner. Austrians have been doing this for centuries and they're right.

Advance Preparation

• •The dough can be made and shaped up to four hours ahead. Keep the uncooked Knödel on a floured board in the fridge, covered with cling film.
• •Breadcrumbs can be toasted up to a day ahead and stored in a sealed container. Reheat gently in butter before rolling the Knödel through them.
• •Cooked Topfenknödel don't store well. They're best eaten within minutes of being rolled in the breadcrumbs. This is a dish that rewards you for eating it the moment it's ready.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 250g)