Austrian Napkin Dumpling (Serviettenknödel)
Serviettenknödel (ˌsɛr.vi.ˈɛt.ɛn ˈknø:dɘl) is a type of knoedel, a bread dumpling that plays an integral role in the culinary traditions of Austria, Bavaria, and the Czech Republic. These bread dumplings are often served alongside roast duck, goose, and pork, as well as many different kinds of dishes with hearty sauces such as Hungarian goulash and venison or mushroom ragout. The exact ingredients in the knödel vary…
Ingredients
- 8.8 oz (250 g) stale French or Italian bread, cut into crouton-sized cubes
- 2 eggs
- 1¼ cups (300 ml) milk (preferably whole milk)
- 4 Tbsp (60 g) butter
- ¼ cup (60 g) finely-chopped onion (1 medium-sized onion)
- 2 tsp (1 large dash) salt
- ½–1 bunch chopped broad-leaf parsley
Steps
- Mix milk, eggs and salt. Combine with bread cubes and parsley in large bowl, coating bread as much as possible. Rest.
- Chop and sauté onions. Cool enough not to cook the eggs. Add to bread mixture. Mix thoroughly.
- Rest mixture 1 hour, mixing once or twice, so cubes absorb liquid on all sides. This is especially necessary if bread is more than a few days old.
- Wet fresh cotton dishcloth, tea towel or cloth napkin. Optionally brush top side with melted butter.
- Unfold cloth completely. Place bread mass in middle.
- Form bread mass into 3-inch (~6 cm) thick log. Roll up tightly in cloth.
- Tie ends with short length of string or twine. Optionally tie string around middle to prevent puckering.
- Boil large pot of water. Add salt.
- Lower serviettenknödel slowly into water. Cook 40 min.
- Remove with tongs (or two forks). Transfer to large cutting board.
- Cut and remove string. Unroll and remove cloth.
- Cut ½-inch (1 cm) slices from one end. Slice only as many as needed so knödel does not get cold.
Notes from the original
- The amount of butter can also be lessened or substituted with a neutral-tasting oil.
- A wooden cutting board is preferred, as the wood will absorb much of the excess water in the cloth.
Source. Adapted from “Cookbook:Austrian Napkin Dumpling (Serviettenknödel)” by Wikibooks contributors, revision of 2025-07-10, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Changes. Steps rewritten into short commands. Introduction shortened. Wiki formatting removed. This adapted recipe is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photo. Serviettenknoedel bread-log.jpg by brite33b, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia. Resized; otherwise unchanged.