Authentic German Bread Dumpling (Serviettenknoedel)

An authentic recipe on how to make Serviettenknoedel (German bread dumpling) made without flour, onions and bacon, just with leftover dry white bread/ buns /rolls/ pretzel, eggs, milk and seasoned with fresh parsley, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Just like how my husband’s Bavarian grandmother, Annagrete, used to make it.

Serviettenknoedel is one of the typical side dishes in Bavaria, Germany. Also happens to be my Bavarian husband, Jo’s favorite. This recipe satisfies 6 grown ups, but Jo is capable of eating it all in one sitting!

Normally when Bavarian bread dumplings you shape the dumpling mixture into big sized dumplings and cook them in boiling water.

For this recipe however, you only make one huge dumpling, cook it in the oven or microwave (if there is a roast in the oven) and then you slice it before serving. In this way, you’ll save so much time, instead of shaping lots of mini bread dumplings. On top of that the dumpling looks so much appealing.

What makes this family recipe different from all the other bread dumplings is that:

a) it’s onion free

b) When eating the dumpling, you have something to bite on. Because half of the dry bread is cut into small pieces and soaked in milk, while the other part is roasted and added to the milk and bread mixture towards the end.

The bread dumpling tastes great served with roasts, stews or creamy sauces. Now let me show you step by step on how to make Bavarian style bread dumpling in the oven and in the microwave..

What you’ll need to make German bread dumpling (Serviettkloß)

• 400 g (14.1 oz) leftover dry white bread/ rolls/ baguette/ pretzel
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley
• 4 medium eggs, room temperature
• about 825 ml(about 3 ½ cups/ 28 fl oz) milk, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon salt
• freshly ground pepper and a pinch of nutmeg to taste
• margarine for browning bread rolls

Leftover dry white bread: If you don’t have dry bread/ pretzel/ rolls at home, just buy bread rolls, dry them overnight and use them the next day.

How to make authentic Bavarian bread dumplings

Cut half of the dry bread rolls into cubes. You can use any old white bread to make this bread dumpling recipe. From Pretzel, bread rolls/ buns/ toast bread to baguette.

Put the bread cubes that you’ve just cut in a bowl and pour over half of the milk. Let sit for 10 minutes, turn and pour over the part of the milk and let sit.

Keep mixing and adding milk in between and breaking the bread so that in the end you have a homogeneous bread mixture. This normally takes about 2 hours to get a homogeneous bread mixture.

In the meantime cut the remaining bread/ buns/ rolls into small cubes. Heat about 2 tablespoons margarine in a large pan and roast part of the dry bread and set aside. Repeat the process until you’ve roasted all the bread.

It’s very important that you always add margarine to the pan before roasting the next bread slices. If there are remaining impurities/ leftovers from the previous roasted bread rolls/buns, just remove them with a paper towel.

Once you have a nice homogeneous bread – milk mixture stir in fresh parsley. Then crack in eggs and combine well. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Next add the roasted bread and mix well and let sit for about 30 minutes.

Notes:

• Very important when making the dumplings, cut the old bread into small cubes/pieces to speed up the soaking process. You could also break with your hands.
• The breadcrumbs produced as a result of cutting the bread into small cubes for browning, just add them to the bread milk mixture.
• If you don’t have time, use hot milk to speed up the process.

How to cook German bread dumpling in the microwave

Transfer the bread dumpling mixture to a silicone bundt pan.

Cook in the microwave for 10 minutes at 600 Watt. Then for 6 more minutes at 360 Watt. Remove from the microwave and enjoy.

How to cook Serviettenknoedel in the oven

Once you’re done making the bread dumpling mixture preheat the oven to 200 ° C (392 °F), with both top and bottom heat. Next grease the bread pan or cake tin.

You could also line with parchment paper to make it even more easier to remove the bread dumpling after cooking. Then transfer the bread dumpling mixture to the prepared cake or bread tin and bake for about 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes switch off the oven. Let the pan be inside the switched off but still warm oven for 5 minutes.

Remove bread dumpling from the pan by simply putting it on a plate or cutting board. If the dumpling doesn’t come out immediately after turning the pan, simply bang the edges of the pan to loosen up the bread dumpling from the pan sides and enjoy.

NOTES

• If you don’t know how to change your microwave settings or there is a roast busy cooking in the oven and you really want to make this recipe, then you should cook your bread dumpling on the stove top in boiling salted water/ vegetable stock.
• Simply wet your hands to makes it easier to work with the dumpling mixture and shape the bread mixture into a long roll. Next you slightly damp a kitchen towel, put the dumpling bread mixture in the middle. Then gently wrap and tie both ends together. (You could also use a heat resistant cling film and then wrap the cling film with aluminum foil).
• Carefully drop the kitchen towel or heat resistant cling with dumpling mixture in salted boiling water and let cook for 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from the pot, unwrap carefully and cut into slices. Enjoy!

What to serve with German Serviettenknödel recipe

• Roasted duck with gravy
• Roast goose breasts and gravy
• Roasted goose legs with gravy
• Schnitzelpfanne
• Port tenderloin in cream mushroom sauce
• Venison roast with white wine cream sauce

Did you make this German Semmelknödel recipe? I’d love to hear from you! Simply write a review and add rating to it.