Dumplings in the Middle Ages and Today
Old parchments show that dumplings were already eaten in South Tyrol in the 11th century. Initially, dumplings were reserved only for the nobles and knights. However, during the 14th century, they were almost ubiquitous in Bavaria, Austria, and Bohemia. Until the middle of the 16th century, they were made of meat, flour, bread, and water. Since meat was hardly affordable for large parts of the population, they began to replace the meat with bread crumbs. Finally, the bread content was so high that pure bread dumplings were consumed. Around 1565, people started to make dumpling dough from potatoes. In addition to simple potato dumplings, more and more recipes for filled dumplings were added. Since there were various technical innovations from the 18th century onwards, it was now possible to produce dumpling dough not only more easily but also with different consistencies. In 1737, the production of dumplings was described in great detail in a universal lexicon. While the term "knödel" is mainly used in southern Germany, northern and western Germans tend to speak of "klöße". In addition, there are special names for dumplings in many regions. In Franconia, for example, you will come across "Kließ" and "Glües"; in the Palatinate, they are called "Knepp".
Potato Dumplings made from Raw and/or Cooked Potatoes
If you want to prepare potato dumplings yourself, you should plan about an hour for this. In the case of raw dumplings or half-seed dumplings, it is essential to have a good grater. After peeling, the proportion of raw potatoes must be finely grated. For the cooked potatoes, however, you should have a potato press or a coarse, sturdy sieve. Depending on the chosen recipe, you will also need flour, salt, eggs, and other ingredients. Once you have kneaded everything into a firm dough, you can shape the dumplings to the desired size. Put the dumplings in boiling salted water; they are cooked when they float to the surface. Raw dumplings have a slightly grainy texture after cooking and the outside is somewhat translucent. Cooked dumplings, on the other hand, are rather soft. The dough made from cooked potatoes is quite suitable for the preparation of sweet dishes such as plum dumplings.
You can save yourself the relatively complex preparation of potato dumplings by opting for corresponding convenience products. For example, in our online shop, you can choose between Pfanni dough for potato dumplings Halb & Halb and Pfanni potato dumplings with raw potatoes. To make the dough for the potato dumplings in the first product, you only need ¾ liter of cold water, a bowl, and a whisk. After stirring the contents of the package into the water, the dough must still swell for ten minutes. Then, with moistened hands, you can shape the dumplings and put them in boiling salted water. After a short boil, the dumplings still have to cook for about 20 minutes over low heat. If you prefer ready-made dumplings in cooking bags, you have even less work. Because the dumplings are simply placed in cold, salted water. After a short boil, they still need to soak for 15 minutes over low heat. To avoid a mushy consistency, it is important to make sure that the water no longer boils.
Bread Dumplings with and without Bacon
The preparation of bread dumplings is easier than that of potato dumplings because you can skip grating or cooking and pressing potatoes. You only need to cut some old rolls into cubes and pour hot milk over them to get the base for the dough. Chop an onion, fry it until translucent, and briefly cook some chopped parsley with it. As soon as the rolls are well soaked, add an egg, the parsley onions, and spices. Mix all ingredients well until you have a uniform mass. Like forming potato dumplings, it is advisable to moisten your hands before rolling the dumplings. If the dough appears too moist, add some flour. The saltwater should be simmering weakly when you put the dumplings in. The bread dumplings are ready to eat after 20 minutes. Here in our online shop for food delivery, you can order, for example, Gut & Günstig 6 Bread Dumplings in the cooking bag or Pfanni Bread Dumplings The Classic. Then you don't need old rolls or the other ingredients mentioned to enjoy bread dumplings again.
Do you really appreciate bacon? Then you should try bacon dumplings, which go particularly well with sauerkraut and mushroom ragout, among other dishes. The finely diced bacon, which is then fried in the pan, gives this special type of bread dumplings a very hearty taste. We offer you Pfanni bread dumplings with smoked bacon, which you have to let swell for 10 minutes in cold salted water. Then you have to boil them briefly and let them steep for another 10 minutes over low heat.
Other Dumpling Varieties
If you are one of those people who like to try new things, we can recommend Pfanni Vegetable Dumplings, Pfanni Bread Dumplings with Mushrooms, and Pfanni Bread Dumplings with Fried Onions. The first product is made of potatoes, spring onions, carrots, and peas. Pfanni bread dumplings with mushrooms consist of bread crumbs, mushrooms, and chives, making them a good match for hearty meat dishes, among other things. The bread dumplings with fried onions, on the other hand, are best served as a hearty side dish (for example, with roast beef or veal fricassee).
Specialty dumplings include liver dumplings and greaves dumplings. The production of liver dumplings requires the ingredients for bread dumplings and finely pureed beef liver. Unlike "normal" bread dumplings, liver dumplings are usually cooked in broth. For greaves dumplings, finely chopped greaves must be present, which are filled into small pieces of dough. The dumplings filled with greaves taste very good with sauerkraut or coleslaw. Of course, you can mix other ingredients into bread dumpling dough. Perhaps you have ham available right now. Then you can cut the ham into small pieces and knead it in to shape and cook the ham dumplings afterwards.