German Spaetzle are tender, eggy dumplings that make a great addition to a hearty meat main dish.
German Spaetzle: Little Dumplings
Although loved throughout the country, Spätzle or Spaetzle is specialty of the South-Central (Swabian) region of Germany.
What makes spaetzle even better? CHEESE!
The word Spaetzle (pronounced SHPAYT-zel) comes from the word Spatz, which means ‘little sparrows.’ It is thought that the dumplings got their name from the original method of making them using two spoons which created a small dumpling that looked like a sparrow.
German Pasta: Spaetzle
The dough for Spaetzle is quite basic, made from flour, eggs, water, and salt. (Although you will find variations that call for different liquids: milk, sparkling water, and even beer.)
Compared to pasta dough, it is softer and more moist, the type of dough you can’t roll out into sheets. Instead, it must be shaped by pressing or ‘cutting’. There are a number of tools you can use to press Spaetzle: a press, a flat colander called a Sieb, or a cheese-grater like slicer called a Hobel.
But, really, you can use any metal kitchen gadget that has holes roughly the diameter of a pencil. We don’t have any of the special tools, so we used a slotted serving spoon. It made some beautiful Spaetzle!
Making German Spaetzle Dumplings
The Spaetzle strips are pressed or cut into boiling salt water. They cook just long enough for them to rise to the top of the pot. Once done, it is best if Spaetzle is served immediately. But, if you will be serving your Spaetzle later, you can add a tablespoon of oil to the boiling cooking water. This will prevent the Spaetzle from sticking together.
This method makes a nice and tender, egg-y Spaetzle. For a denser, creamier Spaetzle, take a look at our recipe for Kaesespatzle (Cheese Spaetzle) which gives you a bit of a thicker dough and uses the “cutting” method.
German Spaetzle are tender, eggy dumplings that make a great addition to a hearty meat main dish.
Yield: 4 c of spaetzle
- 3 c unbleached all purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 - 3/4 c water
- 3 quarts water
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp olive oil (optional)
- In a medium bowl, mix together flour, salt, and nutmeg.
- Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture and add eggs. Scramble the eggs slightly with a fork, mixing them with the flour mixture. Add the water, a little at a time, mixing until a soft dough forms. (Your dough should be somewhere between a drop biscuit dough and a stiff muffin batter. It should be spoon-able, but not pour-able.)
- Cover the dough loosely with a tea towel and set it aside to rest for 15 minutes.
While dough is resting, bring 3 quarts of water to a boil with 2 tsp salt. (You can add 1 Tbsp of oil to your water if you would like, to keep the cooked Spaetzle from sticking together. If you will be sautéing your Spaetzle after boiling, this is not necessary.)
- Scoop your rested batter into your Spaetzle pressing tool. (Any metal kitchen gadget with holes roughly the diameter of a pencil will work well. Don’t have anything? Grab a cutting board and a spatula and check out this recipe for making Spaetzle using the board cutting method.)
- Press the Spaetzle dough through the press into the boiling water. Once the Spaetzle bobs to the top of the water, it is done. Remove it using a slotted spoon. (But, not the one you’re using to press the Spaetzle dough!)
- Place the boiled Spaetzle into a bowl and continue with the rest of the dough.
- Serve immediately.
This recipe also works great with 2 c white wheat flour!
This recipe was updated in November 2018. Enjoy!
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