Potato Dumplings 'Bavaria-style'
Basics, Dumplings, Potatoes, Sides, Vegetarian

German Potato Dumplings Bavaria-style (‘Bayerische Kartoffelknödel’)

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Last Updated on 4 years by Tim

Last year, I’ve published my recipe for German potato dumplings Thuringia-style. They’re made out of a mixture of raw and cooked potatoes. These dumplings, on the other hand, are made from 100 % cooked potatoes.

I’ve named them ‘Bavaria-style’ because Bavaria is kind of famous for its dumplings. You will also find Thuringia-style dumplings there, but this variety is widespread all over Southern Germany.

Bavaria-style potato dumplings are considered less fancy than Thuringia-style ones. They have a softer texture but I think they are nonetheless equally delicious. Different yes, less delicious: no.

The Building Blocks of German Cusine Series
This article is part of my basics series, which will introduce you to key ingredients and preparation methods. You can find all these articles in the ‘Basics’ category of this blog. Listed below are the articles that have yet been published in this series:

Use the right potato variety

As with the Thuringia-style dumplings, you do want to use a starchy potato variety. That way you won’t have to add as much refined potato starch to the dumpling batter.

Cook the potatoes as jacket potatoes: Shell on in salted water. Peel them once cool enough to handle while they are still hot. Press them through the potato ricer as soon as possible. That way they will have a super-smooth texture. And no, you can’t make these dumplings with a potato masher.

Dumpling batter

Thuringia-style dumplings are very minimalistic. Salt and starch are added to the dumpling batter. That’s it. For Bavaria-style dumplings, I like to enrich the dough with egg yolks and butter. Nutmeg and salt are then used to season the batter.

You will need a 1:1-mixture of all-purpose flour and starch to bind the dough. Cooked potatoes are wet. The flour and starch mixture will soak up the excess moisture and give them a firmer texture. But don’t overdo it with the starch unless you want industrial-style rubber gum dumplings.

How to cook your potato dumplings

The poaching liquid for the potato dumplings should never boil. Just below a light simmer is the sweet spot. If you’re new to making potato dumplings, cook a test dumpling first. If it falls apart, add more starch to the dough.

Poaching Potato Dumplings

If you nailed the dough consistency, your dumplings should fall to the bottom of the pot first and then slowly start floating up. Let the dumplings poach for about 20 minutes. It’s no problem to keep them in the poaching liquid for a little longer if your main dishes are not ready yet.

The main task of potato dumplings is to soak up the gravy. So serve them with anything saucy like goulash, pork pot roast, or sour tripe.

13 Comments

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  3. The ones that my great-grandma used to make had a buttered crouton in the center. Is that something she made up or is it regional?

  4. Thank you Tim for sharing, I have tried numerous recipes and yours is spot on. Delicious Dinner tonight and very easy to follow. Cheers from Down Under!

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  6. Hi. My grandmother made a potato fried dish she called Schtatz? Or something like that. She was from southeastern Bavaria. Never been able to find a recipe even similar. Any idea? Thank you.

  7. Kathy weidinger

    Sorry. This is not the recipe. It is a fried in lots of butter potatoes and dough jn small little balls.

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  9. Hi Tim,
    I made your potato dumpling recipe two months ago and they were lovely. Now, I want to make them for Christmas and am curious if any part of the process can be done a day ahead.
    Do you think the quality of the dumplings would suffer if I were to cook and rice the potatoes a day ahead and then refrigerate before mixing in the egg yolks and dry ingredients?
    Love your site!
    Jerry

    • Hi Gerard, thanks for your comment. Yes, you can make the dough ahead of time and keep it in the fridge overnight. It should be easier to form the dumplings when the dough is chilled. You can even mix the eggs and flour with the potato dough beforehand. It should last without a problem in the fridge for a day or two. Potato dumplings also reheat well. If you cook them the day before and put them in hot water the next day they will be just as good. Kind regards, Tim

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