Germknödel – The Austrian Classic You Can Make Your Own
Yeast dumplings are a staple of Austrian cuisine. These fluffy yeast dumplings filled with sweet plum jam (Powidl), steamed and topped with melted butter, poppy seeds, and powdered sugar, are considered a perfect dessert or even a sweet main course. With this recipe, you’re guaranteed to make this classic – explained step by step, with helpful tips and tricks to make your yeast dumplings as fluffy as possible.
What are yeast dumplings?
Germknödel are large, steamed yeast dumplings traditionally filled with Powidl (plum jam). They originate from Austrian cuisine but are also very popular in other German-speaking regions, such as Bavaria and South Tyrol. The word “Germ” comes from the German “Austrian” and means “yeast.” The combination of sweet dumpling dough, a fruity filling, rich butter, and poppy seeds ensures an incomparable taste. Read more on the next page
Ingredients for approximately 6 yeast dumplings
For the dough:
500 g wheat flour (Type 405)
250 ml lukewarm milk
1 cube of fresh yeast (or 7 g dry yeast)
50 g sugar
1 sachet of vanilla sugar
1 pinch of salt
Grated zest of 1 lemon
50 g melted butter
1 egg
For the filling:
Plum jam (or a jam of your choice, such as apricot or cherry jam)
To serve:
100 g melted butter
Grated poppy seeds
Powdered sugar
Step-by-step instructions: Make your own yeast dumplings
1. Prepare the dough
The yeast dough is the heart of a good yeast dumpling. It should be airy and elastic to give the dumplings their typical consistency.
Activate the yeast:
Heat the milk until lukewarm (not too hot, as this will destroy the yeast).
Stir in the sugar and yeast.
Let the mixture sit for 5 to 10 minutes until a light foam forms – this indicates that the yeast is activated.
Mix the dry ingredients:
Put the flour, vanilla sugar, a pinch of salt, and grated lemon zest in a large bowl and mix well.
Prepare the dough:
Pour the yeast milk, melted butter, and egg into the bowl with the dry ingredients.
First, mix the ingredients with a wooden spoon until you get a rough dough.
Knead the dough:
Knead the dough on a floured surface for about 8 to 10 minutes until it is smooth, elastic, and supple. Let the dough rise:
Place the dough in a clean, lightly greased bowl and cover with a tea towel.
Let it rest in a warm place until doubled in size, about 40 minutes.
Tip: The ideal temperature for rising dough is between 25 and 30°C. If your kitchen is cooler, you can place the bowl in a slightly preheated (but turned off!) oven.
2. Form into balls
Read more on the next page
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