Canederli Dumplings Recipe - How to Make Canederli Dumplings (2024)

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5 from 16 votes

By Hank Shaw

December 08, 2022

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Canederli are wintry, soulful, rich and filling dumplings from the Italian Alps. They are easy to make and are great served in broth, or with a variety of sauces.

Canederli Dumplings Recipe - How to Make Canederli Dumplings (2)

At their core, canederli, pronounced can-uh-DARE-lee, are bread dumplings with other good things mixed in. They are a lot like the Bavarian dumplings in my recipe for roast venison, and this makes sense, since it’s not that far between Trentino in Italy, where these are best known, and Bavaria.

Round dumplings appear all over Central Europe, and Italy has its share; I also make a spinach dumpling — although I usually make these with nettles or lambsquarters — that hails from Northern Italy as well.

According to the bible of pasta, Oretta Zanini de Vita’s Encyclopedia of Pasta, canederli exist in countless forms across the north of Italy, from Lombardy to Fruili. Some of the ingredients she mentions sound thrilling.

  • There is a form that is a quasi-fish ball, bound with pike or eel.
  • Some are bread-and-liver dumplings, which makes me want to make some with fatty wild duck livers.
  • Some canederli are made in part with buckwheat flour because that crop will grow in high Alpine valleys.
  • Most include some cured meat, from salami to speck, the local ham. Mine contains that, as you’ll see below.

You can make canederli in two ways: Super large, cannonball-like rustic dumplings, where like one is a serving, as they do in Germany, or make them with finely chopped ingredients, smaller, so you can eat them like you would a meatball. I do the latter.

Canederli Dumplings Recipe - How to Make Canederli Dumplings (3)

Making Canederli

Canederli always start with stale bread. These dumplings are icons of thrift in the mountains, where bread was traditionally only baked once a week, or less. You can use fresh bread if you don’t have an old loaf lying around.

The bread is stripped of its crust, torn into small chunks and soaked in milk until soft. While this is happening, you’re usually cooking some onions and garlic until they’re soft and chopping greens or herbs or mushrooms.

Whatever is going into the dumplings needs to be chopped small so they’ll hold together, especially any cured meat. I mince bits of ham — smoked or cured ham like speck or prosciutto, not the boiled stuff — and add that, too.

You squeeze out the excess milk in the bread, crack a couple eggs, and mix it all very well to form a paste that will adhere to itself. Form balls with wet hands, simmer in salty water or broth, and you’re good to go.

All in all, making canederli takes about a half-hour.

How to Serve Canederli

If you’re just whipping some up, you might just want to serve them Central European style, with butter and caramelized onions, maybe with the slightest drizzle of honey.

Mostly, however, you will serve canederli with broth. What broth is up to you. With these, I prefer a dark, rich broth made from mushrooms, game or beef.

In the pictures I am serving the dumplings with wild duck consommé. I love it because it is loaded with flavor, clear and pretty. But really any broth will do, and it will dictate the mood of your meal.

Try a tomato or a carrot consommé in summer or early fall. Use venison stock, or fish stock if you want, or even experiment with a flavorful shrimp stock or crab broth. Play with it.

Canederli Dumplings Recipe - How to Make Canederli Dumplings (4)

Storing

Alas, canederli don’t store well. I mean you can, but they seem to become heavy and leaden when you reheat them. And because these dumplings are made from pantry ingredients that store well in themselves, and because they can be made fairly quickly, best to make a batch of canederli and just eat them.

If you liked this recipe, please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and a comment below; I’d love to hear how everything went. If you’re on Instagram, share a picture and tag me athuntgathercook.

5 from 16 votes

Canederli

These dumplings are very similar to those in Austria and Germany, and are a spectacular way to use up little bits of this and that you have lying around. Serve in the broth of your choice, or with butter and caramelized onions.

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Course: Appetizer, lunch, Main Course, Pasta

Cuisine: German, Italian

Servings: 6 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 ounces stale bread, crusts removed (about 4 healthy slices)
  • 1/2 cup milk (or broth)
  • 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
  • 1/2 cup onion, minced
  • 2 ounces speck, prosciutto or salami, minced
  • 3 tablespoons minced parsley, or chard, spinach, etc.
  • 3 tablespoons finely grated parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 or 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • flour (see below)

Instructions

  • Tear the bread into bits and put in a bowl with the milk. Squash it all down and let this soak while you chop onions, parsley and the meat.

  • While the bread is soaking, sauté the minced onion in the butter or olive oil until soft. It's OK if it browns a bit, but you don't need it caramelized. Remove it from the pan and put it into a large bowl to cool.

  • Have a large pot of simmering water ready, with enough salt to make it taste like the sea.

  • Squeeze out excess milk from the bread and add it to the bowl with the onions. Add the minced meat, parsley, cheese, nutmeg, pepper and salt. Mix well. Stir in the eggs and work this mixture well, like its a dough. If it's too wet, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time until it comes together like a proper dough you can roll balls out of.

  • Roll out round dumplings with your palms. Size is up to you, but I like to make them the size of a walnut in the shell; they expand a bit when cooking. Do this with all the dough, then gently put them in the simmering water.

  • The canaderli are done about a minute or two after they float to the top. Serve by giving everyone a few dumplings in a bowl, then pouring some rich broth over them. Chopped herbs like parsley, lovage, savory, or sage are nice here.

Notes

If you want to use the crusts in this, you will want to chop them very fine, or dry them completely, pulverize and add them to the canederli as breadcrumbs. They are tasty, but won’t fully soften in the milk.

Nutrition

Calories: 186kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 103mg | Sodium: 460mg | Potassium: 143mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 463IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 91mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Tried this recipe? Tag me today!Mention @huntgathercook or tag #hankshaw!

Categorized as:
Featured, Italian, Pasta, Risotto, Gnocchi, Recipe

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About Hank Shaw

Hey there. Welcome to Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, the internet’s largest source of recipes and know-how for wild foods. I am a chef, author, and yes, hunter, angler, gardener, forager and cook. Follow me on Instagram and on Facebook.

Read More About Me

Canederli Dumplings Recipe - How to Make Canederli Dumplings (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to perfect dumplings? ›

Overworking the mixture, thus having heavy dumplings is a common mistake people make. Dumplings need very gentle handling, so mix only until the ingredients are just combined, and if your recipe involves rolling them out with extra flour, avoid using too much.

Why are my dumplings not fluffy? ›

Don't Overwork the Dumpling Dough

Stir everything together until the wet and dry ingredients are combined and you don't see any more dry flour. The dough might look a little lumpy, but that's okay! Overworking the dough is one of the easiest ways to end up with tough dumplings.

How do you cook dumplings so they don't fall apart? ›

Here are some tips on how to cook dumplings so that they do not fall apart:
  1. Use the right dough. Dumpling dough should be moist and pliable, but not sticky. ...
  2. Don't overwork the dough. ...
  3. Fill the dumplings loosely. ...
  4. Seal the dumplings tightly. ...
  5. Cook the dumplings in a gently simmering liquid.
Mar 20, 2023

Why are my dumplings gummy? ›

If you overcook your dumplings in the steamer or when boiling, the dough of the wrappers will have a gummy texture that isn't very pleasant, and your filling might get dry and tough. If you overcook them in the pan, you risk a similar gummy texture on top and a bitter, burnt crust on the bottom.

How to give dumplings more flavor? ›

It's the little things that really add flavor. Tip Three: Mix some dried herbs into your dumplings. Add a little bacon grease or poultry seasoning at the beginning of the simmer time. They're older, more "chickeny" and easy to work with.

Do you cook dumplings with the lid on or off? ›

Step 5: Bake until the dumplings are firm

If you leave the lid off, they'll crisp up more on top, and be slightly drier. I like to do a bit of both, so I'll usually leave the lid on for the first 10 minutes or so, then take it off for another 10. You'll know the dumplings are fully cooked when they're nice and firm.

How to make dumplings more juicy? ›

Hand-mincing meat and adding more pork belly results in the juiciest dumplings. Traditionally, some Chinese cuisine uses hand minced meat for their dishes. For example, lots of dim sum items like siu mai, pork buns, beef meatball, and more use hand minced meat to control the texture and fat content of the dish!

How do you keep dumplings soft? ›

As you fold your dumplings, keep them covered with a slightly damp kitchen towel. This prevents the dumplings from drying out (dry skins can split when cooked). Making fresh dumpling wrappers isn't hard when you have Hetty McKinnon to guide you. (But we won't tell if you use store-bought.)

What will thicken dumplings? ›

Use Cornstarch to Thicken Chicken and Dumplings

To give that a little thicker texture we're going to add 1 cup of cool water to 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and stir it up well. Make sure the soup is brought back to a good boil and go ahead and stir in the cornstarch mixture.

Can you overcook homemade dumplings? ›

Yes, dumplings that are overcooked will begin to fall apart and disintegrate into the soup, so try to stick to the cooking time. I always use a timer.

Can I use water instead of milk for dumplings? ›

The recipe below can be used either way. You might also like our recipe for cream cheese ranch chicken. This is a basic recipe and works for me every time. You can use milk instead of water and some people even sweeten with a little sugar if adding dumplings to fruit.

How to prevent gummy dumplings? ›

If they are homemade fresh dumplings, just as making breads, a few pitches of flour or corn powder will prevent them to stick together. If those are frozen dumplings, don't use hot water to boil them, out the dumplings in a pot of cold water and then heating them up, then they won't stick.

How to tell if dumplings are done? ›

Cover and bring to a vigorous boil. Add roughly one cup of cold water and return to boil while covered. Repeat this step again. The dumplings will be completely cooked and ready when they float on the surface of the boiling water.

What is the best way to cook dumplings? ›

The Two Easiest Ways to Cook: Boiling and Steaming

To boil dumplings, fill a large pot two-thirds of the way with water. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Add as many dumplings as can fit comfortably in a single layer in the pot and cook them until they float. Let them cook an additional two to three minutes.

Why do you put cornstarch in dumplings? ›

Instead of steaming these dumplings in water, we simmer them in a vinegary cornstarch and flour slurry that creates a lacy, crunchy golden crust as the water evaporates and the dumplings brown.

What are the three components of dumplings? ›

What are dumplings made of? The dumpling dough is made of three main ingredients: flour, water and salt.

Why add cornstarch to dumpling filling? ›

In the Filling: Incorporate a small amount of cornstarch into the filling mixture. Cornstarch helps absorb excess moisture, preventing the filling from becoming too wet and soggy during cooking. It also creates a sturdier texture, allowing the dumplings to hold their shape better.

What makes dumplings hard in the middle? ›

Overworking the dough: If you knead the dough too much or handle it too much, it can become tough. Be sure to handle the dough gently and avoid overworking it. Using cold water: If you use cold water to mix the dough, the dumplings may become tough.

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