Austrian Semmelknödel (Bread Dumplings)

Ingredients

• 400 g white bread (cubed and left to dry (stale but not rock hard))
• 400 ml milk (cold; use less if bread is not completely dry)
• 5 eggs (divided use)
• 130 g onion (finely diced)
• 75 g butter
• fresh nutmeg (grated to taste)
• fresh parsley (finely chopped, stems included)
• salt (for sweating onions, seasoning dough, and boiling water)

Steps

1. 1

   Cut the leftover white bread into small cubes and ensure they are dried out/stale.

2. 2

   Place the dried bread cubes in a large bowl and pour the cold milk over them. Grate fresh nutmeg over the top and let them soak.

3. 3

   In a separate bowl, crack the 5 eggs and whisk them together thoroughly.

4. 4

   In a small pot or skillet, heat the butter until it is foamy. Add the finely diced onions and a touch of salt. Sweat the onions until they are translucent.

5. 5

   Turn off the heat under the onions. Pour in approximately one-third of the whisked eggs and stir until they curdle into a soft scramble.

6. 6

   Add the soft scrambled egg and onion mixture to the soaking bread cubes.

7. 7

   Pour the remaining raw whisked eggs and the finely chopped parsley over the bread mixture.

8. 8

   Mix everything together thoroughly but gently. You want the bread cubes to hold their structure; the mixture should be sticky but not a dense paste. Season with a touch of salt.

9. 9

   Let the mixture sit and rest for 10 minutes to allow the moisture to distribute evenly.

10. 10

    With moistened hands, shape the mixture into large balls (about a handful each). Apply enough pressure to create a smooth exterior without squeezing out the air from the center.

11. 11

    Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season it generously with salt. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer.

12. 12

    Carefully add the dumplings to the simmering water. They should ideally float at the top. Simmer gently for about 12 minutes, turning them over occasionally.

13. 13

    Remove the dumplings from the water and serve immediately with stews or sauces.

Notes

Using cold milk instead of warm milk helps the bread cubes maintain their individual structure rather than turning into a mushy paste. The partial scrambling of the eggs creates a unique custardy interior texture.

Nutrition per serving

• side dish
• vegetarian
• Austrian
• dumplings
• leftovers
• boiled