August 5th
2005
Once we had left the city limits, the first welcoming and pleasant difference I noticed was fresh air. Despite our proximity to the alps, city-air can be at times annoying if not displeasing. So we were off for a weekend in the countryside, visiting friends and family and enjoying some down to earth, rural cooking. Of course, to being able to show proof we took a few pictures (>>more), documenting our most recent farmland experiences (nothing compared to what Susan over at Farmgirl Fare does on a daily basis).
A long those lines I thought it'd be time to highlight another typical and basic dish I fell in love with as a kid (and still love!): Dampfbuchteln or Dampfnudeln - it probably won't get more traditional than this. In an attempt to produce (well, research first) some background info on them, about their origin, the nomenclature, how recipes developed etc. I rather quickly came down to earth and the conclusion that there is no way this can be covered in a regular size post. It seems that there is an infinite number of recipes and preparations, variations of recipes and variations of variations....Rohrnudeln, Hefenudeln, Dampfnudeln, Buchteln, Germknödel and what not - just to name a few.
Sweet dumplings are indeed esteemed mostly as a dessert but can of course also be enjoyed as a main dish. You can have them with, e.g. vanilla sauce (like we do) or fruit soup - some people like to hide stuff in them fill them with jam (plum-jam or Powidl), the possibilities are endless. For me, their origin lies in Bohemia, where my grandpa and his mother immigrated from - it was she who taught my grandma how to make them. Granny used to provide the whole family with them on a regular basis and I used to watch her kneading the dough whenever I was around. As she helped her brother in his little bakery, making yeast dough was the most natural thing to her - probably the reason, why I never was afraid of working with yeast. Despite all possible silly culinary mistakes I've made, I never ran into any problems using yeast. On the contrary, sometimes I'm caught off guard by how high the dough rises. Then there is also dry yeast. In the rare moments I ever used dry yeast (when the recipe explicitly called for it), high expectations turned into disappointment. The dough didn't rise a single millimeter and was tough as hell! Some of my principles when using fresh yeast, most of them delivered to me by my grandma but can also be found in many baking books: I only use really fresh yeast, not some that has a day left to go bad (if you're lucky, you can buy real "Bäckerhefe" from your local bakery). Make sure the yeast doesn't get in contact with the pinch of salt (if needed) at the very beginning (while preparing the sponge). While the dough (covered with a kitchen towel) should rest and rise, I place it at a rather safe (no drafts), warm place. In the winter I put it next to the heating, in the summer I preheat the oven for just half a minute (do not forget to turn it back off) and put the bowl inside, leaving the door open a bit.
Sadly my grandma didn't write down all of her recipes - so I don't have her original recipe. Several I have tried over the last years, and finally I found one, that could at least compete with hers. Well, almost ;)
For the dumplings
Sieve flour into a bowl and make a little depression in the middle. Take 2 tbsp of the milk and 2tbsp of the sugar and combine with the yeast. Once the yeast is fully dissolved, pour into depression and whisk in a little flour. Cover bowl with a kitchen towel and let the dough rise for about 15 minutes.
Add the remaining ingredients and beat well until dough can be easily removed from the bowl (non-sticky). If it still feels too sticky, add some more flour. Again, let the covered bowl rest at a warm place for about 30 min. (size of dough should double).
Knead dough one more time and toss on a floured pastry board. Cut in equal pieces and form snow ball sized dumplings.
Butter casserole or a larger pan and also pour some sugar in, until the bottom is more or less equally covered. Now add the dumplings, arranged next to each other, touching each other. Brush some melted butter over them. Cover and let rise a last time (about 15 minutes), then bake in preheated oven at 190°C for about 30 minutes. They should take on a light golden-brown color.
For the vanilla sauce
Meanwhile prepare the vanilla sauce by bringing the milk to a boil. Blend sugar, egg yolks, starch and the scraped out vanilla seeds with the 6 tablespoons of chilled milk.
2 Now combine the mix with the milk on the stove and while continuously stirring, bring to a boil again. Remove from heat and serve hot with the Dampfbuchteln. Optionally served with cinnamon sugar sprinkled on top.
Dampfbuchteln - Sweet Yeast Dumplings
Recipe source: Das große Buch der österreichischen Mehlspeisen, Josef Zauner (p. 387)
Required time: preparation (inc. the time to let the dough rise) about 1.5 hours, baking 30 min., serves 4-5
.
Ingredients for Dumplings:
250g flour
125ml lukewarm milk
10g fresh yeast
50g sugar
50g butter
2 egg yolks
a pinch of salt
additional butter for the casserole and brushing the Dampfbuchteln
additional sugar for the casserole
.
Ingredients for vanilla sauce (serves 2):
250ml milk
6 tbsp chilled milk
20g sugar
2 egg yolks
1 tbsp starch
half of a vanilla bean
What wonderful countryside photos! I especially like the ones with cats, they are just sooooooo cute :)
By the way, are those slices of Black Forest ham featured at the top of the post? I first had them at a mom & pop German restaurant here in Perth, called "Alt Heidelberg" and is the most delicious flavour.
Looks delicious.....we would like to see more german baked goods (sweet and savory).
Those countryside pictures are absolutely amazing - and brought back lots of nice memories of my childhood summers at my grandparents farm..
Lovely, lovely post.
I cannot seem to find fresh yeast in Scotland unfortunately, not even in bakeries. I much prefer using this to dried varieties, as that's what I was using back home when I first started baking (and still do when visiting and baking)
Well, here I am clicking across the world on the computer, shirking farm duties and hiding out from a glorious, much-needed thunderstorm we are having (4 inches of rain in about 18 hours so far). I knew I there would be something delicious over here, but what a wonderful surprise to find not only the most amazing collection of farm photos, but a mention of me as well! You are so sweet. I'm flattered--and have now been guilted back to work. Time to slip on the rubber boots and raincoat and check on the soggy sheepsies--and Donkey Doodle Dandy, of course. : )
P.S. I am so in awe of ALL of your photos. Thank you for sharing them. What a gift you have--and what a gift for us to see them!
wow. great pictures! and dumplings - you make me one very happy woman with this post. i was never too fond of them in my childhood, but now, with all ties removed, i can enjoy them without hesitation when i feel like it. yours look gorgeous - will you teach me???
What a fantastic post!
I will try and make these dumplings for my Oma (she will be so impressed!) Thanks so much. The farm photos are fabulous!!
Those dumplings look beautiful! I've never eaten anything like them--sadly, no Bohemian grandmother here--and I can't wait to try. It will also be new experience for me to work with fresh yeast; I've always used dried. Thanks again, Nicky and Oliver, for lovely photos and such a delicious-sounding recipe.
Dear Nicky ,
Thanks for this great Recipe,
It Looks very tasty, I can smell the vanilla..
Dumplings are a great comfort food for me,
I'll make this one Soon.
Chanit from Israel :-)
I love your pictures !
what I love about the images in this post is that they are filled with a light that is effervescent and cloudlike. they definately don't look like the heavy dumplings I have had before! Inspiring.
I remember being presented with a fooball sized one of these in a Christmas market in Berlin a couple of years ago. I'd thought I'd ordered egg nog.
Now, this is interesting. They are like a combination of two types of sweet dumplings that I know from Slovakia and Hungary.
First, small square dumplings that are packed and baked in a dish like yours and eaten with a custard sauce and second, big dumpling of round shape, filled with jam and cooked over hot steam, then sprinkled with either poppyseed&sugar mix, or cocoa&sugar mix and hot butter.
First type is called - sovereign 'Buchteln'(maybe because they look like gold coins)
Second type is called - steamed 'Buchteln'.
:)
These look so lovely. My childhood memory is of Marillenknoedel in Austria. Delicious for dinner or dessert. These look to be very similar. It's been a long time since I've had any, I may need to make a batch.
Must Fight Off Extreme Photo Envy!
Seriously, those pictures are stunning. I'm going to have to give my camera a stern lecture to get it to behave half that well.
The dumplings look lovely too, though I'll have to forgo attempting the recipe. The milk would do me in, alas! :-)
The first picture posted features my favourite sort of meals - gorgeous cheeses, charcuterie and other tasty treats, presented simply. How very lovely. The dumplings look like pillowy heaven, and will definitely be a must-try recipe this fall - once we're through this heat and I can bear turning on our oven again!
Yum! I have fond childhood memories of dumplings - my mother used to make with with a caramel sauce. I must ask her for the recipe... Perhaps I'll try your recipe while I'm waiting to hear from her.
Hi Angelika,
Germknödel we always have to have on our short skiing trips to Austria – sprinkled with poppy seeds and plum jam inside it, it’s a must have!
Hi Chubby Cat,
If I’m not mistaken, I believe it was Serrano ham. The mentioned Blackforest is also very good, just bought some last Saturday and enjoyed it on buttered fresh rye bread,...mmmmh ;)
Hi latifa,
I have a few things already in the back of my head - stay tuned ;)
Hi Pille,
it's really strange for me, to see how different our countries are -
concerning availability of ingredients I always thought that fresh yeast would be real basic... Let me know, when you have discovered fresh yeast around!
Hi farmgirl,
Thank you. I think if one is truly enthusiastic about what one is doing, the inspirational touch comes almost naturally….I think. There are so many great blogs out there, each and everyone of course with a different focus and personality, but they have all one thing in common, you can tell the ones created and maintained with a passion apart from the other - like your own blog :) Say hi to New Cat, Lucky Buddy Bear & Donkey Doodle Dandy!
Hi Johanna,
of course, I will! My place or your place? It’s really not that difficult, just give it a try and let me know how it turned out…
Hey Monkey Gland,
Hope it tasted good – did it have a filling?
Hi Dreska,
Thanks for the additional info – sweet dumplings are simply a treat, we love both the steamed version just as much as the baked ones!
Hi mrs D,
Don’t be too harsh on your camera - it needs love. ;) And I love your cat pictures! Sorry to hear about the milk issue - not as serious, but sadly I'm quite allergic to cats ;(
Tara,
I wouldn't want to turn on the oven, if we had high temperatures, too. BUT: We are almost freezing right now, 13 degrees Celsius and constant rain in August, can it get any worse? The sweet dumplings had to serve purely as comfort food!
Thank you all for visiting and your positive feedback :)
Great recipe!
These reminded me of my Grandma's "Butterkuchen" (butter cake), a simple yeast dough rolled out on a baking tin with small islands of butter, covered with sugar (and sometimes cinnamon, too), but always with crunchy sliced almonds on top.
These dumplings share the same delicious taste of butter and caramelised sugar.
Thanks a lot!
[...] Nur zu empfehlen: Die Paella, gefunden beim Kochtopf (viele leckere Sachen dort!) und die Dampfbuchteln von del [...]
Dear Nicky and Oliver, I always like your posts and photos ! but this time I really love it. Of course Germknödel also mean a childhood memory to me, and my mummy makes them from time to time, of course on my special request ;) I adore the countryside photos - very charming indeed - and thank you for acquainting me to the farmgirltale site. My own site will be launched next week, will give you a note - kind regard from not-so-far-away Vienna