Serviettenknödel

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large wide pot (at least 6-liter capacity, wide enough for the log to lie flat)
• •Clean linen or cotton tea towel
• •Kitchen string
• •Serrated knife or sewing thread for slicing

Instructions

1. 1

   Soak the bread cubes

   Place the bread cubes in a large bowl and pour the lukewarm milk over them. Toss gently so every piece gets some milk. Don't drown them. You want the bread to soften and absorb the liquid, not turn to porridge. Let this sit for fifteen minutes. If after that time some cubes still have dry centers, press them down lightly with your hands. The bread should feel damp and yielding throughout but still hold its shape when you squeeze a handful.

   Stale bread is not optional. Fresh Semmeln hold too much moisture and your Knödel will fall apart in the water. If you forgot to leave the rolls out overnight, cut them into cubes and dry them in a low oven (120°C) for ten minutes. Let them cool completely before soaking.
2. 2

   Sauté the onion

   Melt the butter in a small pan over medium-low heat. Add the diced onion and cook slowly until it turns soft and translucent, about five minutes. You don't want any color here. Golden-brown onion would change the flavor of the Knödel entirely, pulling it toward a Speckknödel character when what you want is something clean and mild. Stir in the chopped parsley for the last thirty seconds, just long enough to release its scent. Set the pan aside to cool slightly.

3. 3

   Mix the dough

   Beat the eggs in a small bowl, then pour them over the soaked bread cubes along with the butter, onion, and parsley mixture. Add the salt, nutmeg, and a few grinds of pepper. Mix everything together with your hands. This is a hands job, not a spoon job. You need to feel whether the mixture is holding together. Squeeze and fold until it forms a cohesive, slightly sticky mass. If it feels too wet and won't hold its shape when you press it into a ball, add flour one tablespoon at a time. If it's too dry and crumbly, add a splash more milk. The dough should feel like wet sand that holds when you pack it.

   Gretel always said Knödel dough has to rest before you shape it. Let the mixture sit ten minutes after mixing. The bread absorbs the egg and the whole thing binds together better. You'll notice it firms up and becomes easier to handle.
4. 4

   Shape and wrap the log

   Lay out a clean linen or cotton tea towel on your worktop. Brush or rub the center third generously with butter. This keeps the dough from sticking when you unwrap it later. Spoon the dough onto the buttered area and shape it with damp hands into a compact log about 25 centimeters long and 8 centimeters in diameter. Think of a thick rolling pin. Pack it firmly. Air pockets inside the log will become holes in your finished slices, and nobody wants a Knödel with a cave in the middle. Roll the cloth tightly around the log and tie both ends securely with kitchen string. It should look like a Christmas cracker.

5. 5

   Simmer the Knödel

   Bring a large, wide pot of salted water to a gentle boil. Lower the wrapped Knödel into the water. It needs to be fully submerged, so choose your pot accordingly. If the log floats at first, weigh it down with a plate for the first few minutes until the bread swells and it sinks on its own. Reduce the heat to a lazy simmer. You want soft, steady bubbles, not a rolling boil. A hard boil will batter the cloth around and your Knödel will cook unevenly or, worse, break apart. Simmer for 35 to 40 minutes, turning it once halfway through.

   The simmer is everything. If you see big, aggressive bubbles, turn the heat down immediately. Think of the gentlest simmer you've ever managed and aim for that. The surface of the water should look like it's barely thinking about moving.
6. 6

   Rest and slice

   Lift the Knödel out of the water and let it rest in the cloth for five minutes. The carry-over heat finishes the center while the outside firms up enough to slice cleanly. Unwrap carefully, the cloth will be hot, and use a sharp serrated knife or, better, a piece of taut sewing thread to cut thick rounds about two centimeters wide. Thread gives you the cleanest cut because it doesn't compress the bread the way a blade does. Loop the thread around the log, cross the ends, and pull. Each slice should hold together firmly with a soft, pillowy interior and a smooth surface ready to drink up gravy.

7. 7

   Serve alongside the roast

   Arrange the slices overlapping slightly on a warm platter or next to your roast. Serviettenknödel exist to catch the sauce. Set them where the gravy can pool against the cut surfaces and let them do their work. These are best within minutes of slicing. If you're holding them, cover with a damp cloth in a low oven, but don't wait long. Mahlzeit!

Chef Tips

• •The bread must be stale. This is the single most important thing I can tell you. Day-old Semmeln, the Austrian white bread rolls, are the traditional choice. If you can't find Semmeln, use a good-quality white bread with a proper crust. Avoid soft sandwich bread. It turns to mush and your Knödel will be dense and gluey.
• •Use a proper linen or cotton tea towel, not cheesecloth. The weave of a tea towel gives the outside of the Knödel a slight texture that helps it hold sauce. Cheesecloth is too loose and the dough pushes through the gaps.
• •Don't skip the nutmeg. It's just a whisper, barely enough that you'd recognize it, but it rounds out the flavor the way Vanillezucker rounds out a Mehlspeise. Without it, the Knödel taste flat.
• •If you have leftover slices, fry them in butter the next day until golden on both sides. Reheated Serviettenknödel are almost better than fresh ones. The edges go crisp while the inside stays soft. Gretel used to serve them this way for Monday lunch.

Advance Preparation

• •The bread cubes can be cut and dried a day ahead. Leave them uncovered on a tray at room temperature overnight.
• •The mixed dough can rest for up to one hour in the fridge before shaping if you need to work ahead.
• •The cooked, unwrapped Knödel log can be held in a low oven (80°C) wrapped in a damp cloth for up to 30 minutes before slicing. Don't hold it longer or it dries out.
• •Leftover slices store well in the fridge for two days. Reheat by pan-frying in butter until golden on both sides.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 160g)