Only last Week my friend Frau Dietz from Eating Wiesbaden ran a fabulous round-up of German Christmas Treats You’ve Probably Never Hear Of, where a range of English-speaking expats introduced range of treats available in Christmas markets in Germany. Some I had never heard of – I haven’t really visited the North and East of the country very extensively – but others brought home memories of childhood bliss. One of the sweet dishes that are almost too good to be relegated to a dessert – or too rich, depending on your inclination – are Dampfnudeln. As Emma, the writer behind A Bavarian Sojourn, points out in her contribution, these steamed yeast dumplings are fluffy and light and usually drowned in custard. The light caramel flavour and the crusty underside are what makes them so irresistible – and Emma is right, they are indeed best served with only one spoon. And a big one at that. 
When I was small, my mum always claimed she couldn’t make them, which surprised me, as she is an amazing baker and cook. In order to feed my addiction I would therefore visit my granny, who would kindly make them with me. Between her, my grandad and myself, we could easily devour an entire casserole of them. If you haven’t hear of Dampfnudeln – literally ‘steamed noodles’ – before, you might have come across its Austrian cousin, Germknödel, which are filled with plum jam and have poppy seeds sprinkled over them. The latter is a popular dish served in those pretty alpine huts in Austria or Germany. Perfect for pres-ski, or in between-ski, or instead of-ski. We sometimes have these dumpling as a sweet lunch at the weekends, each of us adults and teenagers eating between 3 and 4 dumplings, the little one devours at least 1one. Should you have any left over you can warm them up as a dessert the next day (I take mine to work, to make use of the microwave there). Always serve with fresh custard – it doesn’t take a lot of time to prepare and your Dampfnudeln will thank you for it. 
Dampfnudeln or Germknödel (makes ca. 16)
- 400g plain flour
- 60g unsalted butter
- 200ml lukewarm milk
- 1/2 tsp dried active yeast
- 1 tbs caster sugar
- 1 egg
- a pinch of salt
to steam:
- 200ml milk
- 50g unsalted butter
- 1 tbs caster sugar
- a pinch of salt
Mix the ingredients for the dough and knead them until you have a soft dough: once it comes easily off the side of the bowl and you can see bubbles forming as you mix it it is ready. Cover and rest in a warm draught-free spot (such as a cold oven).
After about an hour knock back the dough on a work surface dusted with flour and split it into ca. 16 pieces, which you roll into individual little balls. Cover with a kitchen towel and leave to rest for another 30 minutes.
In a large casserole (mine takes over 6l /11 pt/almost 6 qt) or two smaller-sized ones (see pictures), heat up the remaining milk, butter, sugar and salt. Once it is simmering, place the dough balls side-by-side into the mix and cover with the lid. 
Some people swear on placing a kitchen towel between the pot and the lid to ensure none of the steam can escape. My big casserole does not need extra help, but I used this method when preparing the dumplings in smaller and lighter casserole pots. Don’t be tempted to open the lid half way: the steam would escape and the dumplings would collapse (I can’t actually vouch for that: I’ve always heeded my granny’s gloomy warning). 
Reduce the heat and steam the dumplings for around 30 minutes: enough time to prepare the custard! Once you can hear a slight crackling noise the dumplings are done: the milk has evaporated and in its place the sugar is burning to form the delicious caramel crust. 
Serve with the lid still closed and open it at the table; drown the dumplings in plenty of custard and dream of a German Christmas market …
Ginger&Bread 
Ohhh Dampfnudeln… too late for today- but soon, I promise! Years and years I haven’t made them….
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It took me a decade to pick up the courage and make them for myself 😉
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yes, I can believe this. Had them once and they did not rise well…. hmpf. But now with much more experience handling yeast….. it should work out, I think!
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I always loved eating them with potato soup….
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They are lovely, too! Must post the recipe sometime 🙂
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Reblogged this on The Tampa Food Guy and commented:
Came across this post and had to share. Dampfnudlen are one of my favorite things go to eat, but have never been able to master the art of making them.. This recipe is a winner though!
My hat goes off to Ginger & bread.
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That last photo is making me wish I was sitting at your table Ginger! OMG these look soooo delicious!
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They are – gluttony with custard, I suppose 😉
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Oh my goodness, these bring back memories! I spent a year in Saarbruecken, and one evening in the Mensa, the veggie option was…these really strange sweet dumplings smothered in custard. I remember being very confused by this, I mean, who would eat pudding as a main? They were good, but it did seem like eating a large dessert. The Italians also thought it strange, but the Germans seemed to think it was perfectly normal. Will have to give them a try some time, I would imagine that home-made is far better than the university canteen!
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I’d hope so! We had sweet dinners occasionally, as a treat (usually when my dad was away …) and I absolutely love them when I am in the mountains!
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Ooh wonderful – I love dumplings and even the word makes me smile. And drowned in custard? Yes please!!!
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They need to be drowned in it – if they can still swim it’s not enough 😉
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This looks and sounds delicious! I am bookmarking it to try out in my kitchen 🙂
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It’s bliss on a plate 🙂
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How intriguing. Something to try in the break between Christmas and New Year, though I’m not sure I fully understand the concept of a sweet lunch.
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It’s probably something that appeals to kids more than adults – I for one can fully embrace it! To make up for it, I’ll read through a few recipes for salads and stuff for dessert …
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OMG!! You know that my mom makes them too!! Oh I have to get the recipe tomorrow and I’m making these like big time Ginger! Looks yummy 🙂
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My husband and I were recently debating the differences between Dampfnudeln and Germknödel while at a Christmas market. Thanks for settling that 😉 And for the recipe!
You make the Dampfnudeln seem quite easy to make and I have some yeast to use up, so these will be on the menu soon 🙂 (Fingers crossed that they’re as simple as they appear and taste as good as the ones we’ve had at the markets!)
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They are quite straightforward and we have them quite regularly, so do try these at home! I think ‘germ’ simply means yeast in Austrian German, and you can have savoury Germknödel as well as sweet ones. But then I might be wrong …
As for the taste, they’ll beat the market ones as they will be fresh, not reheated! Do let me know if they worked out for you!
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Thanks so much for the mention…. I have to say that your dampfnudeln look better than any I have had to date…. I might actually invite myself to come to stay at yours for a very long time! 😀
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You’d need to be quick – otherwise we’ll be ringing your doorbell and expect a guided tour of Munich! You’re really making me quite homesick for Southern Germany with your blog, and that means something as we Stuttgarter see ourselves as Munich’s enemies 😉
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You would be most welcome! And thank you for your lovely comment! I take that as a huge compliment! Happy New Year! 🙂
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I don’t believe it… you did actually just go and whip them up! And they look phenomenal. I’ve never tried one, you know, but I’m starting to think I might be willing to suffer for one 😉
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…and thank you for the mention!! 😀
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