Knoephla are chewy little German dumplings that are super popular in this region, as much of it was settled by German immigrants. Most commonly, knoephla are found in a creamy potato soup, but they also make a great addition to hotdish! This one builds on the German theme with mustard, sauerkraut (which cuts the richness of an otherwise very hearty dish), and a crunchy pretzel topping!
| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 2 hr 25 min |
| Active: | 1 hr 25 min |
| Yield: | one 8-inch square hotdish |
Ingredients
- 3 1/4 cups (420 grams) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for cooking
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- Nonstick cooking spray, for the baking dish
- 3/4 pound bulk raw pork sausage (you can use raw sausage links and remove casing too)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 cup sauerkraut, drained
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, toasted
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1 cup pretzels
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
Instructions
- For the knoephla: Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, pepper and nutmeg in a large bowl. Whisk to combine. Mix the egg with 1 cup water in a small bowl and add to the dry ingredients. Add the parsley to the mixture. Mix all together and knead until the dough has come together, taking care not to overmix.
- Place the dough on a floured surface. Roll out to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut into 1/2- to 3/4-inch squares.
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the knoephla in 3 or 4 batches, depending on the size of your pot, until cooked through, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon or spider and add to a large bowl. Toss with the olive oil to prevent the dumplings from sticking and set aside.
- For the hotdish: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8-inch square baking dish.
- In a skillet over medium heat, add the sausage and cook until browned and cooked through. Remove the cooked sausage from the skillet and add to the bowl with the knoephla.
- In the same skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the red onion and cook until softened. Add the sauerkraut and cook until the mixture has caramelized. Add toasted fennel seeds, salt and pepper. Cook for another minute, then remove the mixture to the bowl with knoephla and sausage.
- In the same skillet, add the butter and flour and whisk together, stirring up any brown bits at the bottom of the skillet. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the milk in four additions, whisking continuously, allowing the mixture to thicken before adding each addition. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Add the knoephla, sausage, onion and kraut mixture to the pot of gravy and mix until combined. Pour into the greased baking dish.
- Place the pretzels in a zip-top bag and crush with a rolling pin. Add the remaining tablespoon olive oil to the bag and shake up to coat the pretzels. Top the baking dish with the pretzel crumbs. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
- Garnish with the parsley before serving.
Reviews
This was OK, but I don’t think I’d make again. I thought the dumplings were chewy and too much nutmeg. Also felt the fennel was too flavor forward. I also thought it was an odd combination to have a cream sauce with sour elements. In the end, the cream sauce helped to camouflage the other flavors so it worked. Finally, it definitely needs to be put in either 2 8 x8 pans or a large casserole.
Where, when, and what kind of mustard is added to the dish?
Molly added 6 cups of milk, recipe says 3. Which is correct?
Where is the mustard in this dish? It’s not on the list of ingredients.
I really enjoyed the dumplings, will likely make them for other dishes too! I liked the recipe but I definitely needed to use a larger dish, closer to a 9 x 11. Always love Molly’s creativity!!
On the show Molly adds 6 C of milk for the sauce . What’s the correct amount ?
I made the dumplings earlier in the day when I had a little time. Tossed them in olive oil then covered the bowl with plastic wrap. They were just fine hours later!
Topper with mustard this dish was *chefs kiss*! My husband who dislikes dumplings LOVES this dish!
I enjoyed this but my boyfriend did not. It was tasty but may sub out the sauerkraut with shredded cabbage next time.
We made this today after watching Molly make it on her show today. We didn’t have fennel or sauerkraut, but even without those, this was delicious!