Semmelknödel
Plain bread dumplings made from stale white rolls, milk, eggs, and parsley, known in Italian as canederli di pane. They are served in clear broth or beside rich braised roasts.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 310 kcal
Equipment
- •Large mixing bowl
- •Large pot
- •Slotted spoon
- •Small frying pan
- •Kitchen scale
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 310 kcal
- fat
- 11 g
- carbs
- 42 g
- fibre
- 2 g
- protein
- 10 g
- calories
- 310 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Place the diced stale bread cubes into a large mixing bowl.
- 2
Melt the butter in a small frying pan over medium-low heat.
- 3
Add the finely diced onion and cook until soft and translucent without colouring.
- 4
Stir in the chopped parsley for ten seconds, then take the pan off the heat.
- 5
Whisk the lukewarm milk, eggs, salt, and nutmeg together in a jug.
- 6
Pour the milk mixture and sautéed onions over the bread cubes.
- 7
Mix gently with your hands until the liquid is evenly absorbed without crushing the bread.
- 8
Cover the bowl and let the mixture rest at room temperature for 20 minutes.
- 9
Wet your hands with cold water and shape the mixture into 8 smooth, compact round dumplings.
- 10
Bring a large pot of salted water or broth to a gentle simmer.
- 11
Lower the dumplings into the water and simmer gently for 15 minutes until they float.
- 12
Lift out with a slotted spoon and serve immediately in hot broth or beside braised meat.
Chef's tips
Use naturally stale rolls rather than oven-toasted fresh bread, which turns gummy when wet. Always cook a single test dumpling first; if it starts to loosen in the water, gently fold a tablespoon of plain flour into the rest of the mixture.
Ingredient substitutions
- stale white bread rolls → stale rustic white sourdough bread or baguette cubes
- whole milk → lukewarm vegetable broth for a lighter, dairy-free soaking liquid
Storage
Store cooked and cooled dumplings in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days.
Reheating
Simmer gently in hot broth for 5 minutes, or slice and pan-fry in butter over medium heat.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Boiling the cooking water violently, which tears the delicate bread dumplings apart.
- •Kneading the bread mixture into a dense paste instead of leaving distinct soaked cubes.
- •Using very hot milk, which scrambles the eggs before they can bind the bread.
Serving suggestions
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