Sourdough Germknödel with Vanilla Sauce
Sourdough germknödel with vanilla sauce consists of soft dumplings, cooked until fluffy, filled with sweet plum jam, then finished with warm vanilla sauce and poppy seeds. It's cozy, nostalgic, and absolutely worth the time. If you've ever eaten dessert at an Austrian ski hut and wished you could recreate that experience at home, this is the recipe that does it!
Germknödel is especially popular in the winter months in Austria, where it's served as a dessert or even a sweet main meal after skiing. You'll often find it on mountain hut menus, and for good reason!
If you want more recipes that belong in European skiing huts and you can recreate them at home, be sure to check out my sourdough buchteln and Kaiserschmarrn!
Quick Look
- Prep Time: 45 minutes active work
- Rise Time: 4-6 hours total
- Cook Time: 20-30 minutes
- Total Time: About 5-7 hours (including rising)
- Servings: 6-8
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cooking Method: Boiled dumplings
- Best For: Dessert or sweet main meal
Jump to:
- Quick Look
- Important Ingredients
- Substitutions & Variations
- How to Make Sourdough Germknödel with Vanilla Sauce
- Baking Schedule
- 💭Crucial Success Tips
- Recipe FAQs
- How To Store Sourdough Germknödel with Vanilla Sauce
- Other Delicious Recipes
- Sourdough Germknödel with Vanilla Sauce
- Need Help Tweaking This Recipe?
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- Cranberry Orange Sourdough Brioche Wreath
Important Ingredients
- Active sourdough starter gives the dough flavor and helps it rise naturally.
- Plum jam is the traditional filling. Thick jam works best so it stays inside the dumpling.
- Butter and eggs make the dough soft and rich.
- Vanilla bean and milk are used to make a smooth homemade vanilla sauce.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- You can use apricot jam or berry jam instead of plum.
- Vanilla extract can replace vanilla bean if needed.
- Skip rum in the sauce if you prefer, it will still taste good.
- Store-bought poppy seed mix works if you don't have ground seeds.
How to Make Sourdough Germknödel with Vanilla Sauce
Step 1: In a mixing bowl, combine the sifted flour, milk, sourdough starter, egg, and egg yolk (Image 1). Knead until everything comes together, then cover and let the dough rest for 15 minute
Step 2: Add the sugar, salt, and butter (Image 2) and continue kneading until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and becomes smooth, soft, and elastic.
Step 3: Perform four sets of stretch and folds (Image 3).
Step 4: Cover the dough and let it rise for about 2 to 3 hours, until visibly puffy (Image 4).
Step 5: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into 6 to 8 pieces (Image 5). Gently flatten each piece with your palm.
Step 6: Place a generous tablespoon of plum jam in the center of each piece (Image 6). Bring the edges together like a little pouch, pinch them closed well, and shape into a smooth dumpling.
Step 7: Place the dumplings seam-side down, cover loosely, and let them rise for another 2 to 3 hours, until light and airy (Image 7).
Step 8: Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a gentle boil. Carefully lower the dumplings into the water, cover with a lid, and cook for about 20 to 30 minutes. Avoid rapid boiling so the dumplings stay fluffy (Image 8).
Step 9: While the dumplings are cooking, prepare the vanilla sauce. Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until pale and fluffy (Image 9).
Step 10: Stir in the cornstarch mixed with a small splash of milk (Image 10).
Step 11: Heat the remaining milk with the vanilla bean until steaming. Slowly pour it into the egg mixture while whisking (Image 11), then return everything to the pot.
Step 12: Cook gently over low heat, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens and becomes creamy (Image 12). Stir in the rum and remove the vanilla bean.
Step 13: Serve the warm Germknödel generously drizzled with vanilla sauce (Image 13).
Step 14: Finished with ground poppy seeds and vanilla sugar (Image 14).
Hint: keep the water at a quiet simmer and keep the lid on while they cook so the dumplings steam and stay light. A rolling boil can knock out the air you worked so hard to build, and nobody wants dense Germknödel.
Baking Schedule
- 9:00 am - Mix dough
- 9:15 am - Rest dough (15 minutes)
- 9:30 am - Knead and start first rise
- 12:00 pm - Divide, fill, and shape dumplings
- 12:30 pm - Start second rise
- 3:00 pm - Cook dumplings and make vanilla sauce
- 3:30 pm - Serve warm
💭Crucial Success Tips
Seal the dumplings really well around the jam, because a tiny gap can let filling escape into the water. I like to pinch the seam firmly, then roll the dumpling seam-side down against the counter to create a smooth, tight surface. Also, don't rush the second rise. Those dumplings should feel light and puffy before they go into the pot, because that's what gives you the airy, cloud-like texture when they cook.
Recipe FAQs
This recipe is designed for sourdough starter, so the texture and timing depend on it. If you need to make it without starter, you can use yeast instead, but you'll need a different recipe or you'll have to adjust the rise times significantly. The end result will still be tasty, but it won't have the same flavor and soft sourdough crumb.
Dense dumplings usually come from under-fermented dough or water that boiled too hard. Make sure the dough rises until it's visibly puffy during both rises, and keep the cooking water at a gentle simmer. Also avoid lifting the lid while they cook, because you lose steam and can affect how evenly they puff up.
You can shape the dumplings earlier in the day and cook them closer to serving time, which is a great option for hosting or planning around nap schedules. They're best fresh, but leftovers can be reheated gently. If you want to plan further ahead, you can also make the vanilla sauce in advance and warm it slowly when you're ready to serve.
How To Store Sourdough Germknödel with Vanilla Sauce
Store leftover dumplings in the fridge up to 2 days. Reheat gently with steam or microwave with a damp towel.
The sauce keeps 2-3 days refrigerated. Warm slowly while stirring.
Freezing is possible, but the texture is softer after thawing.
Other Delicious Recipes
- Lazy Sourdough Tangzhong Sandwich Bread
- Sourdough Guinness Bread
- Sourdough Ciabatta Bread
- Soft Sourdough Italian Milk Rolls
If you tried this sourdough germknödel with vanilla sauce or any other recipe on my blog please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below! Happy Baking!
Sourdough Germknödel with Vanilla Sauce
Ingredients
Dough:
- 400 g all purpose flour
- 200 g milk
- 150 g active sourdough starter
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 40 g sugar
- 80 g butter
- 8 g salt
Vanilla Sauce:
- 2 egg yolks
- 60 g sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon rum
- 3 cm vanilla bean 1 inch, A small piece
- 500 ml milk
Filling:
Topping:
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine the sifted flour, milk, sourdough starter, egg, and egg yolk. Knead until everything comes together, then cover and let the dough rest for 15 minutes.
- Add the sugar, salt, and butter and continue kneading until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and becomes smooth, soft, and elastic.
- Perform four sets of stretch and folds.
- Cover the dough and let it rise for about 2 to 3 hours, until visibly puffy.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into 6 to 8 pieces. Gently flatten each piece with your palm.
- Place a generous tablespoon of plum jam in the center of each piece. Bring the edges together like a little pouch, pinch them closed well, and shape into a smooth dumpling.
- Place the dumplings seam-side down, cover loosely, and let them rise for another 2 to 3 hours, until light and airy.
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a gentle boil. Carefully lower the dumplings into the water, cover with a lid, and cook for about 20 to 30 minutes. Avoid rapid boiling so the dumplings stay fluffy.
- While the dumplings are cooking, prepare the vanilla sauce. Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until pale and fluffy.
- Stir in the cornstarch mixed with a small splash of milk.
- Heat the remaining milk with the vanilla bean until steaming. Slowly pour it into the egg mixture while whisking, then return everything to the pot.
- Cook gently over low heat, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens and becomes creamy. Stir in the rum and remove the vanilla bean.
- Serve the warm Germknödel generously drizzled with vanilla sauce
- Finished with ground poppy seeds and vanilla sugar.
