Dampfnudeln

A steamed and fried fluffy bread covered in vanilla sauce.

This is a sweet, yeast bread roll that is steamed in milk (steamed + fried), and as a result has a crunchy bottom and soft pillow top. It is served in a flat bowl with a vanilla sauce topping. My sister followed this recipe and indicates it tastes just like she remembers our mother making.

This is one of the more involved dish with many steps. Once you know how to do it, however, it goes pretty fast. You make dumplings, make a sauce and serve. It is not an every day dish, but when it is served everyone will love it.

Diet
[x] Flexitarian + Omnivore
[x] Vegetarian
[x] Pescitarian
[O] Not gluten free
[O] Vegan
[O] Weight maintenance: nope
[O] Keto Diet
[O] Mediterranean Diet
[O] Lectin Avoidance: egg, milk
[x] Oxilate Avoidance
[O] Purine Avoidance: yeast, sugar
[x] Allergies: EGG, MILK, GLUTEN

Dampfnudeln

A sweet, yeast bread roll steamed in milk and served with a vanilla sauce. 

Dampfnudlem

  • 3 C AP flour
  • 1/4 C Granulated sugar
  • .25 oz Fast-action yeast
  • 1 t Kosher salt
  • 1 C Warmed full-fat milk
  • 2 Large whisked eggs
  • 1/4 C Melted European unsalted butter
  • 1 zested lemon (not juice)
  • 2 T Olive oil (for greasing dough)

Vanilla sauce

  • 2 egg yolks
  • 2 t cornstarch
  • 2 T granulated sugar
  • 1 vanilla bean pulp (or 1t vanilla extract)
  • 1/2 C full milk
  • 1/2 C cream or half-n-half

Poaching liquid

  • 1 oz unsalted European butter
  • 5 Fl oz full-fat milk
  • 1 oz Granulated sugar

Dampfnudel:

  1. Measure the flour into a large mixing bowl. Add sugar and yeast and mix, making a well in the center. Add milk, eggs and butter, and continue to mix using your fingers until you have a rough dough and have picked up all the flour from the sides of the bowl. Yes this is a messy hand project to start.

  2. Tip the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for another ~5–10 minutes, until the dough starts to form a soft, smooth skin. Scatter the lemon zest on top and knead until evenly mixed into the dough. Then place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a clean kitchen towel and leave in a warm place to rise for ~1 hour until doubled in size.

  3. Scatter the lemon zest on top and knead until evenly mixed into the dough. Then place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a clean kitchen towel and leave in a warm place to rise for ~1 hour until doubled in size.

  4. After an hour: Turn the risen dough out onto a lightly floured surface again. Knead until all the air is knocked out and divide the dough into 12 pieces. Roll into balls and set aside while making the poaching liquid.

Poaching liquid:

  1. Heat the butter, milk and sugar in a large soup pot with a tight fitting lid ~5 minutes or until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and add however many dough balls will fit, ensuring they are all are sitting on the base of the pan since we want the bottom to brown a bit. Leave standing, off heat, and in the liquid for ~15min until they double in size.



  2. Put the pan back on to a low heat and cook, covered, for ~25min. Use a glass lid so you can constantly check the liquid levels without lifting the lid. Each time you take the lid off it will affect the cooking so leave it on unless the liquid is too low, then quickly add more warmed milk.



  3. Once the 25 minutes pass, remove the lid and let the Dampfnudels cook for an additional ~5min until the bases are golden-brown and caramelized. To check if done, press down gently in the middle of a bun and it should spring back.

  4. Remove the Dampfnudels from the heat and carefully lift from the pan. Serve with the golden crust down, with a drizzle of the vanilla sauce over the bun. Make sure to serve enough sauce in the bowl so that the eater can swizzle a fork full of Dampfnudeln in the warm vanilla sauce with each bite.

Vanilla sauce:

  1. Mix the egg yolks in a bowl with the cornstarch and sugar until creamy.

  2. Cut the vanilla pod lengthwise and scrape out the pulp. Put the vanilla pod and vanilla pulp together with the remaining milk and cream in a small saucepan and warm while stirring, but do not boil.

  3. Remove the vanilla pod (Reuse: rinsed well, left to dry and then use in a sugar or salt for flavoring.) Whisk the yolk-starch mixture into the warm milk. Increase the temperature slowly and stir continuously, heating to just before the boiling point. Then remove from the stove. Stir again occasionally so that no skin forms. (If you do not have a vanilla pod to use, add 1t good organic vanilla extract.)

  4. Cut the vanilla pod lengthwise and scrape out the pulp. Put the vanilla pod and vanilla pulp together with the remaining milk and cream in a small saucepan and warm while stirring, but do not boil. Remove the vanilla pod (Reuse: rinsed well, left to dry and then use in a sugar or salt for flavoring.)

  5. Whisk the yolk-starch mixture into the warm milk. Increase the temperature slowly and stir continuously, heating to just before the boiling point. Then remove from the stove. Stir again occasionally so that no skin forms. (If you do not have a vanilla pod to use, add 1t good organic vanilla extract.)

Dampfnudeln actually means “steamed noddles.” It is a Bavarian steamed bun dish, often eaten as a main course (kids love it) with a savory side or by itself as a treat. Variations of this are also eaten in Austria and France, and toppings may include jams, other sweet sauces, and sometimes it has a sweet filling as well.

There are, like so many of the German recipes I share, many regional variations including having a salt crust or serving with a plum sauce and vanilla custard. This recipe is version I was raised on and for those of you who understand German, above is a great German Video instruction and recipe on how to make this dish.

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