German Bread Dumplings (Semmelknödel)

German bread dumplings stacked in a small serving skillet.

5 from 1 vote

German Bread Dumplings (Semmelknödel)

German bread dumplings, called Semmelknödel in German, are an amazingly delicious way to use leftover bread and soak up some sauce! They are a staple food in Germany.

I can feel my Oma applauding me from heaven because I know how much she appreciated not throwing away food! Serve with my creamy mushroom sauce (Jägersosse), a German roast like Böfflamott or Glühweinbraten, or my German pork goulash.

Semmelknödel would also be fun to make for Thanksgiving as a stuffing replacement!

Also in 'German Home Kitchen'!

Prep Time30

Cook Time20

Total Time50

Course: Side Dish, Sides

Cuisine: German

Keyword: German dumpling recipe, German dumplings, German side dishes, leftover bread, stuffing dumplings, what to do with leftover bread

Servings: dumplings

Calories: 205kcal

Author: Author: Sophie Sadler

Equipment

1 Skimmer to carefully add the dumplings to the hot water and to remove them.

Ingredients

300 grams stale bread Turn ⅓ of the bread into breadcrumbs and use for later. As for what type of bread to use, and kind of leftovers from sourdough rye bread or Weizenbrötchen. You can also use old baguette (about ¾ of a whole baguette). I would only avoid using seeded breads.
150 milliliters milk
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
½ teaspoon salt plus more for the cooking water
¼ teaspoon nutmeg freshly grated is best
1 yellow onion medium to small size
1 handful fresh parsley leaves only
1 Tablespoon butter
1 egg

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Cut ⅔ of the stale bread into small cubes or thin slices. Process the other third in the food processor to make breadcrumbs. Alternatively, you can use store-bought breadcrumbs.
300 grams stale bread
Place the bread cubes in a medium sized bowl and pour the warm water over the top. Add to taste salt, pepper and nutmeg. Let soak for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Do not discard any leftover liquid.
150 milliliters milk, ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
Peel the onion, then rinse and dry a handful of fresh parsley. Finely dice onion and chop up the parsley leaves.
1 yellow onion, 1 handful fresh parsley
Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium high heat, add diced onion until it turns a light brown color. Add the chopped parsley and let wilt. Remove from heat.
1 Tablespoon butter
Add the egg and the cooked onion-parsley mixture to the milk-soaked bread and knead together. Add some flour until your dough sticks together nicely.
1 egg
Heat a large pot of salted water until boiling.
Shape a small test dumpling (about the size of a bouncy ball or one fourth of the size of a regular-sized dumpling). Reduce heat to just hot water and let steep a couple of minutes.
If the dumpling falls apart, add more breadcrumbs to the soft dumpling mixture and make another test dumpling.
Using wet hands, shape 6 dumplings and add to the boiling water, reduce heat to medium and let steep for about 20 minutes.
Serve with my creamy mushroom sauce (Jägersosse), a German roast like Böfflamott or Glühweinbraten, or my German pork goulash.

Notes

Bread dumpling tips

When making Semmelknödel, there are a couple of things you should pay attention to.

How much flour to add

Depending on what kind of stale bread you use, you may need to add more or less flour to your dough. White bread will likely require you to add a bit more flour. When using darker bread for your dumplings, you may get by by adding less flour. Whole-grain bread likes to soak up more fluids from the milk.

If your bread is not stale enough, you may also need to add in more flour. Stale bread is bread without moisture, which will soak up more of the fluids from the milk. You could also add a bit less milk than what's written in the recipe.

What kind of bread to use

I like using crusty bread, like leftovers of my German sourdough rye bread or Weizenbrötchen. Don't have any old bread? Slice up some fresh bread and put it under the broiler for a few minutes or in the toaster to help dry it out when in a pinch.

Test dumpling

t's smart to run a test dumpling route instead of ruining a whole batch of dumplings. And it only takes a couple of minutes. If your smaller test dumpling falls apart, it's not nearly as sad. Believe me.

To make a test dumpling, shape a bread dumpling about a fourth of the size (bouncy ball) of a regular dumpling (tennis ball) and carefully place it into simmering water. Allow to steep for a few minutes. If it holds together and does not fall apart, you're good to go with the remaining dough. If it does fall apart, add in more flour and run another test. I do this every time I make Semmelknödel.

Leftovers

Have leftover bread dumplings? I recommend rewarming it in water because microwaving it tends to dry it out too much.

You could also cut it into slices, fry it in butter, and top it with powdered sugar and some warmed cherries or raspberries for a quick, super amazing snack, dessert, or even breakfast.

Nutrition