Dampfnudel (German Steamed Dumplings)

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Fluffy steamed yeast dumplings drizzled with homemade vanilla sauce – that’s the very definition of comfort food! This authentic Dampfnudel recipe is from my home of Southern Germany and is made the way my Mutti and Oma made them. A childhood favorite (and still is), I have many treasured memories of sitting down to a freshly made Dampfnudel drenched with a generous serving of Mutti’s Vanillesoße. It’s so filling it’s usually served as a main meal. Dessert for dinner you ask? Aber natürlich!

Serve these Dampfnudeln with our homemade German Vanilla Sauce! And for the popular Austrian version of these dumplings, try our Germknödel!

Dampfnudeln are synonymous with my childhood, a staple of my German upbringing. And even through my young adulthood my Mutti would make these for us and we’d gather around our table in southern Germany to enjoy this exquisite indulgence and catch up on family news. There’s nothing like family time and laughter shared around sweet yeasted dumplings drizzled with browned butter and drenched in homemade vanilla sauce. And when I say drenched, Mutti always knew me well enough to make a double portion. For as long as I can remember, she used a black high-rimmed lidded pan that was well-seasoned from years and years of use, a pan she got from my Oma, and this was also the pan she would use for things like Senfbraten, Sauerbraten, Rouladen. She still has that pan and has promised that one day it will be mine.

What is a Dampfnudel?

Dampfnudeln, or steamed yeast dumplings, is a very traditional German dish. The German word Dampfnudel (singular) translates as “steam noodle.” Noodle seems like an odd name for this dish but the word “nudel” as it was used historically actually referred specifically to Knödel, or dumplings. The method of making Dampfnudeln serves two purposes: to steam the dumplings while simultaneously browning their bottoms (that sounds comical but I’ll leave it!). So you have these wonderfully fluffy yeasted dumplings with browned and crispy, caramelized bases that are often the most favorite part of all.

Where Did They Originate?

And with that question we are treading on tumultuous ground. No one disputes that they are of Southern German origin. But which region of Germany is where the debate ensues. Bavaria claims it as their own as does Rheinland-Palatinate. In 2000 the Bavarian Ministry of Agriculture claimed it as a regional speciality in their online database. I’m not sure why it took them 8 years to respond, but in 2008 the minister of the Rheinland-Pfalz Ministry of Agriculture sent a letter of complaint, to which the Bavarian minister offered the reassurance that they would not be seeking regionally protected EU status for the dish. Where I’m from in Baden-Württemberg, nestled in between the two, we just enjoy our Dampfnudeln with a knowing smile while the other two duke it out.

That said there are some regional differences. Rheinland-Pfalz/Palatinate traditionally steams their Dampfnudeln in salt water (and they’re also commonly eaten with savory sides), while Bavarian Dampfnudeln are decidedly a dessert: steamed in milk, butter and sugar and drenched in vanilla sauce. The latter is also the way we make them in Swabia and is how I enjoy them best. And just as in Bavaria, even though it’s a dessert it is served as a main meal because it’s so filling.

An interesting story, there’s a legend surrounding the town of Freckenfeld in Rheinland-Pfalz from the time of the Thirty Years’ War. The Swedish calvary was making huge financial demands of the village, threatening to plunder and murder if the villagers did not comply. The village managed to persuade the Swedish soldiers that if they spared them they would ensure the calvary was well fed. The village master baker, Johannes Muck, went to work making steamed dumplings while his wife and maid cooked up a large pot of sauce, and the soldiers ate until they were full. In total Herr Muck is said to have made 1286 Dampfnudeln. The Swedish calvary accepted the offering and spared the village. In commemoration of the event, the town of Freckenfeld erected the Dampfnudeltor (Dampfnudel gate) made with two arches boasting a total of 1286 stone Dampfnudeln. This gate has been on the town’s official coat of arms since 1938. I have not counted the Dampfnudeln to verify the claim, but I’m happy to give them the benefit of the doubt.

Variations

As noted above, there are regional variations. I have lived in southern, central, and northern Germany and have visited everyone in between, and by far the most popular way of making Dampfnudeln is steamed in milk, butter and sugar and served with vanilla sauce. Some German cooks like to add a drizzling of browned butter, my Mutti being one of them. As already mentioned, the Rheinland-Palatinate region traditionally steams their Dampfnudeln in salt water and there the dumplings are also commonly served as a savory dish. While some cooks throughout Germany like to put a filling in their Dampfnudeln, usually stewed fruit or preserves, Dampfnudeln traditionally are not filled. This is contrast to the Austrian version, known as Germknödel (also popular in Bavaria), which are filled with spiced plum preserves and are served drizzled with browned butter, crushed poppy seeds and powdered sugar (no vanilla sauce). And so in Germany, and likewise in Austria, you’ll sometimes see crossover versions of the two. In the end, make your Dampfnudel whichever way you like.

While not traditional, other flavorings you can add to your Dampfnudel dough for some variation include lemon zest and ground cardamom, a combination that you can find in other traditional German baked goods and is also found, for example, in Danish Aebleskiver.

But in my opinion, which is shared by most Germans, a Dampfnudel simply isn’t a Dampfnudel with vanilla sauce! Grab my recipe for homemade German Vanilla Sauce (Vanillesoße), it’s irresistibly delicious!

Can You Freeze Dampfnudeln?

Yes you can! If this recipes makes too many for your needs or you want to make extra, they can frozen to conveniently have on hand for another occasion. Simply allow the Dampfnudeln to cool completely then transfer them to a freezer-safe container. They can be frozen for up to 3 months. Then let them thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in the microwave in a covered container.

Dampfnudel Recipe

Let’s get started!

Place the flour, sugar, yeast, salt, egg, melted butter and milk in the bowl of a stand mixer. (Contrary to popular thought, active dry yeast nowadays does not need to be dissolved first. You can also use instant yeast if that’s what you have.)

With the dough hook attached, mix the dough until it comes together (add a little more milk if needed) and then continue to knead for about 4 minutes. You should have a soft and pliable dough.

Spray the bowl with some oil, shape the dough into a ball and place it in the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and set it in a warm place to rise for 60-90 minutes, or until the dough has doubled in size.

Punch down the dough. Place it on a lightly floured work surface and cut it into 8 roughly equal pieces. I often weigh the pieces, added a little more dough from the larger ones to the smaller ones just because I like them to be as uniform in size as possible (they’ll be approximately 140 grams/5 ounces each).

Shape the dough into individual balls, squeezing the seams together at the bottom and then lay the balls on the lightly floured work surface, seam side down, and spread apart to give them room to expand.

Cover with a kitchen towel and let them rise in a warm place for another 30-60 minutes or until puffy.

Place the milk, butter and sugar in a large non-stick skillet with high sides. It is imperative that the pan is non-stick otherwise disaster will ensue. I’m using a 5 quart 12-inch ceramic saute pan that fits 8 Dampfnudeln perfectly. Heat the milk to a low simmer, stirring until the butter and sugar is melted.

Place the Dampfnudeln in the pan. Don’t smash them together, they need to have some room to expand. Return the milk to a very low simmer. Dampfnudeln are cooked not by boiling but by steaming them. Place the lid on the pan. Let the dumplings cook for about 30 minutes.

WARNING: Whatever you do, do NOT open the lid. The release of the built up steam and introduction to cooler air will cause the dumplings to collapse. I like to use a pan with a glass lid so I can see what’s going on inside.

After about 30 minutes the dumplings will have risen beautifully and will be cooked through. Their interiors will be soft and fluffy.

At this point the final step is to remove the lid, increase the heat just a little, and cook for just a few minutes longer allow any remaining liquid to evaporate while simultaneously allowing the bottom of the dumplings to brown. Just be careful not to let them burn!

Serve each Dampfnudel with some browned butter and my homemade German Vanilla Sauce.

Guten Appetit!

For more traditional German goodies be sure to try our:

• German Apple Cake
• German Plum Cake
• German Cheesecake
• Berliner
• Apple Strudel
• Cherry Marzipan Streusel Cake
• Gugelhupf
• Stollen
• Rhubarb Streusel Cake
• Pfeffernüsse
• Lebkuchen
• Zimtsterne
• Vanillekipferl
• Springerle