Semmelknödel

Method

1. Slice the rolls thin or cut them into 1 cm cubes. Put them in a large bowl with the salt and toss.
2. Warm the milk until it steams, but do not let it boil. Pour it over the bread, turn everything over with your hands, and leave it 20 minutes. The bread should soften all the way to the middle without collapsing into porridge.
3. Melt the butter in a small pan. Cook the onion over medium heat until translucent, about 5 minutes, then add the parsley for the last 30 seconds. Let it cool slightly so it does not start cooking the eggs.
4. Add the onion and parsley to the bread along with the eggs, black pepper, and a generous grating of nutmeg. Knead with your hands until the mixture holds together and pulls away from the side of the bowl. It should feel like a soft, sticky dough, not a batter.
5. Bring a wide pot of well-salted water to a boil, then drop the heat until the surface only shivers. The dumplings must never boil.
6. Wet your hands and shape one test dumpling, about the size of a tennis ball. Simmer it uncovered for 15 minutes and look at what happens. If it frays or comes apart, knead 30 g of breadcrumbs into the remaining mixture. If it holds but feels tight and dry when you cut it, work in another 30 ml of warm milk.
7. Shape the rest into 8 dumplings with wet hands, pressing firmly so there are no air pockets. Slide them into the water and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes. They float to the surface when they are done.
8. Lift them out with a slotted spoon and let them drain for a moment. Serve straight away with plenty of gravy.

Notes

• There are only two ways this goes wrong. Too wet and the dumplings fall apart in the water. Too dry and they come out heavy and tight. Cook one test dumpling first, every time, and correct the whole batch off that one result. It costs 15 minutes and saves the dinner.
• Fresh rolls will not work. They carry too much of their own moisture and the dumplings disintegrate. Use rolls that are at least a day old, or dry cubed rolls in a low oven for 15 minutes and cool them completely.
• In Germany, buy Semmeln from the bakery and leave them out overnight, or buy ready-cut Knödelbrot. In Canada, use day-old crusty white rolls or a plain baguette. Avoid sourdough, rye, and anything seeded; the flavor fights the gravy and the crust stays tough.
• The mixture can be made and refrigerated for a few hours before shaping. Do not shape them and leave them sitting raw for long, since they weep and slump.
• Leftovers are the point for many people. Slice cold dumplings 1 cm thick and fry them in butter until brown on both sides, with a beaten egg poured over at the end.
• A Bavarian variation stirs in 50 g of diced speck with the onion. Skip it if the main course is already rich.

Sources used

• Küchengötter: Bayerische Semmelknödel
• Emmi kocht einfach: Klassische Semmelknödel
• Bayerische Spezialitäten: Bayerische Semmelknödel
• Tastybits: Semmelknödel selber machen