Semmelknödel are traditional German dumplings made from dried bread rolls, milk, eggs and parsley. They can be served as a standalone dish, in a bowl of the seasoned broth they’re usually cooked in, or as a side for a roast dinner; they can also be made sweet to serve with jam or seasonal fruit.
Semmelknödel (bread roll dumplings)
Regular readers will know that I’m a wholefood chef who likes to use wholemeal bread and flour rather than processed white alternatives. As well as boosting nutrition, I think whole foods tend to have more flavour, too (wholemeal sourdough makes a surprisingly excellent summer pudding, for example). However, there are times, of course, when nothing beats a more refined product, such as a crisp, layered croissant. These German-style dumplings are traditionally made with hardened white rolls, so I tried them using white bread and another using brown bread. I found the white ones a bit slimy, and the wholemeal dumplings had more flavour, too.
The bacon, onion and parsley in this recipe is optional, but the dish would be very frugal without them. Other herbs, vegetables or meat can be used instead of or as well as these more traditional ingredients – think chopped rosemary, celery and even a little leftover roast meat. Once shaped, the dumplings freeze well and can be cooked and reheated from frozen in stock or bone broth.
Makes 6 dumplings, to serve 2 as a main course or 6 as a side
150-200g hardened bread rolls, or bread with crusts – I used wholemeal sourdough
30g butter
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
50g bacon offcuts or lardons
3 large parsley sprigs, finely chopped from stalk to leaf, or another herb such as sage or thyme
100ml milk, plus a dash more if needed
1 medium egg, beaten
Salt and black pepper
Dried breadcrumbs, optional, if the mixture is too wet
500ml stock or bone broth (chicken, beef or vegetable)
Break the bread into small pieces – it should be quite hard and dry, so if yours isn’t, leave it out on an oven tray to dry out over a day or two (or, if you’ve used the oven for something else, use the residual heat to dry it out). Put a large pan on a medium heat, add the butter and leave it to melt.
Add the chopped onion, bacon offcuts and parsley, cover and saute, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, until translucent and soft.
Turn off the heat, then stir in the milk, bread pieces and beaten egg, cover and leave the bread to soak up the liquid and soften. Knead the mixture until well combined, then season to taste and shape into six large balls (if the mix is too dry to shape, mix in a little more milk; and if it’s too wet, add some dried breadcrumbs).
Put the seasoned stock in a wide saucepan for which you have a lid and bring to a simmer. Drop in the dumplings, return to a simmer and cook for five minutes. Serve in or alongside the broth, or with a roast dinner.
