Speckknödel
Bread, Dumplings, Pork, Sides

Bacon Dumplings (‘Speckknödel’)

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These bacon dumplings are the first knödel recipe on my blog that isn’t part of my basics series. That’s because they are so much more than just a side dish. They can easily be the main attraction served in a rich and meaty broth.

They contain all the elements you need for a good meal: Bread, bacon, and spinach. It’s hard to come up with more stereotypical German flavors. They taste like home to me.

If you’ve made plain bread dumplings before than preparing bacon dumplings won’t be a challenge for you. It’s the same process with all the same rules as for regular bread dumplings. If you’re still a little inexperienced, please take a look at my basics post about bread dumplings. There, I explain in detail how to prepare and troubleshoot these dumplings.

How to prepare the perfect bacon dumplings

The most important steps to bacon dumpling perfection are:

  1. Let the dumpling batter rest for at least half an hour so that the flavors can mingle and the bread is fully hydrated before cooking.
  2. Don’t overwork your dumpling batter. Only mix it briefly without applying too much force.
  3. The cooking water should never be at a boil. Just below a light simmer is enough.
  4. Cook a test dumpling first to see if the dumpling batter is too stiff or falls apart.

If you stick to these four principles, there’s no way to fail. It might take a few tries to get consistent results when preparing dumplings. But once you’ve mastered the process, you can come up with all kinds of new creations. Anything can be made into a dumpling.

Bacon Dumpling Batter Before Mixing
Bacon Dumpling Batter After Mixing
Cooking the bacon dumplings

Why homemade broth is non-negotiable

If you’re serving these bacon dumplings plain with broth then it is of utter importance that you use homemade broth. I have shown you in my basics series how to prepare chicken and beef broth. Store-bought broth lacks strength and isn’t nourishing at all. If you own a pressure cooker, it takes less than half an hour to cook a superb chicken broth.

I know this might sound alien to some people. Meat broth is one of the most common instant foods because everyone thinks it’s a very involved process. But it couldn’t be any simpler to prepare. Maybe it’s because at my home we always ate real beef and chicken broth that I can’t stand the taste of the store-bought stuff.

If you put all the effort into making bacon dumplings, it would be a shame to serve them with salty msg water that has no depth of flavor.

One Comment

  1. Thanks For Sharing this amazing recipe. My family loved it. I will be sharing this recipe with my friends. Hope the will like it.

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