Semmelknödel (German Bread Dumplings)
Tender, pillowy German bread dumplings made with crusty rolls, eggs, and parsley. Boiled and served floating in broth or alongside stews, these are a rustic comfort classic.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Servings
- 4
- Calories
- 215
- Protein
- 8g
Ingredients
- 4 rolls (about 8 oz total) crusty bread rolls (day-old or stale), divided into pieces
- ¾ cup whole milk
- 3 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1 pinch salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- 1
Tear the bread rolls into thumb-sized pieces—roughly the size of a walnut—and place them in a large mixing bowl so they have room to soak.
- 2
Pour the milk over the bread pieces, stir once, and let sit for 5 minutes until the bread has absorbed most of the liquid and feels soft throughout.
- 3
Crack the eggs into a small bowl and whisk them together with a fork until the yolks and whites are fully combined and uniform in color.
- 4
Pour the beaten eggs into the soaked bread, add the chopped parsley, a pinch of salt, and several grinds of pepper.
- 5
Stir gently with a wooden spoon, folding the mixture from the bottom of the bowl up and over itself until the ingredients are evenly distributed and no dry bread bits remain.
- 6
Fill a large pot three-quarters full with salted water and bring it to a boil over high heat—you will see large rolling bubbles breaking the surface continuously.
- 7
Wet your hands with cold water, scoop about 3 tablespoons of the bread mixture into one palm, and gently shape it into a ball roughly the size of a small orange by rolling it between your hands, being careful not to squeeze too hard.
- 8
Gently place each dumpling into the boiling water and repeat with the remaining mixture until you have shaped and added all of them—you should have 8 to 10 dumplings.
- 9
Once all the dumplings are in the pot, they will sink to the bottom; stir gently once with a wooden spoon to prevent sticking, then let them simmer undisturbed.
- 10
After about 3 minutes, the dumplings will float to the surface; once they float, simmer for 5 more minutes so the interiors finish cooking through.
- 11
Lift each dumpling out of the water with a slotted spoon and place it on a serving plate or into a bowl of warm broth, and serve immediately while still steaming.
Tools you’ll need
- large mixing bowl
- large pot (at least 4-quart capacity)
- wooden spoon
- slotted spoon
- small bowl
- fork
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
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