Semmelknödel
Semmelknödel are dumplings made from bread. A great way to turn stale bread into something delicious.
Semmelknödel are a specialty in the German language area (especially in the southern parts) and in Czechia. They’re dumplings made from bread rolls (“Semmeln” in southern Germany), although they can be made from any stale bread leftovers – a great way to avoid food waste. Traditionally they’re made with milk and eggs, but this recipe is vegan.
They can be boiled and eaten right away, or preserved in glass jars as a quick meal to eat later.
Semmelknödel can be served e.g. with some crispy fried onions or a mushroom cream sauce. In my family we like to enjoy them with Apfelrotkohl – red cabbage cooked with apples, which in Germany you can get deep-frozen in every supermarket.
TODO: compare the effect of soy milk vs. oat milk on adhesion
Originally adapted from https://www.chefkoch.de/rezepte/716081174356265/Semmelknoedel-im-Glas.html.
working time:30 min waiting time:120 min vegan vegetarian
× jar (370 ml)
Fry Onions
| Amount | Name | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 120 g | Onion | |
| 45 g | Margarine | vegan butter for better aroma |
Make Dough
| Amount | Name | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 300 g | Bread Leftovers |
any kind of old bread or pastries you like, e.g. wholegrain bread, white bread rolls or even laugengebäck |
| 18 g | Vegetable Broth Powder | for seasoning |
| 210 g | Soy Milk | |
| — | Salt | |
| — | Pepper |
- Cut the bread into cubes of about 1 cm size.
- Put onions, bread, broth powder, salt, pinch of salt and pepper and soy milk into a large bowl.
- Regularly mix while letting sit for 15 minutes.
- The dough should be soft, not too wet or mushy, and not too dry either. If too wet, add breadcrumbs, if too dry, add soy milk.
Heads up: If you plan on boiling the Semmelknödel in water right away, take special care that the dough isn’t too dry. Otherwise the dumplings could fall apart.
Preserve
| Amount | Name | Note |
|---|---|---|
| — | Margarine |
The Semmelknödel are great for home canning. They can be eaten cold directly from the jar, but taste best if sliced and fried in a pan or grilled until crispy brown.
- Prepare jars (we use 370 ml Weck Sturzgläser) by greasing with margarine.
- Divide the dough into the jars. The jars can be filled until about 1 cm below the rim as it rises very little.
- Sterilize in a water bath for 120 minutes at 100°C.
Boil Freshly
Instead of preserving the Semmelknödel, they can be boiled in water to be eaten right away.
- With dampened hands, form the dough into balls.
- Cook the Knödel in plenty of salted boiling water for 20 minutes.
- They’re done once they rise up to the water surface.