Bread Knödel in Pepper Cream

Knödel is the German word for dumpling. And let me tell you—Germany takes its dumplings very seriously. There are two major camps: team potato and team bread. Today, we cheer for the crusty, chewy, carb-loaded MVP—bread Knödel. More specifically, Bread Knödel in Pepper Cream sauce.

Bread Knödel, or Semmelknödel, are made with old bread rolls. Not moldy bread, mind you—just stale. It’s the ultimate thrifty hack that turns last week’s rolls into a show-stopping meal. First, soak the bread in milk. Let it get nice and squishy for about 30 minutes. Then, give it a little love. Mix in eggs, a spoonful of flour, and a trio of sassy seeds: caraway, anise, and fennel. Toss in some sautéed onions, and boom—flavor fireworks. The beauty of bread knodel is that it is a culinary blank canvas. The possibilities of adding herbs, spices, and seeds are endless. So get creative with your combinations for this Bread Knödel in Pepper Cream sauce.

Now here’s where the magic happens. Shape those gooey handfuls into dumpling balls. Not baseballs. Golf-ball-ish is good. Boil them in salted water for 15 minutes and try not to peek every 30 seconds. They will float when ready, like happy little buoyant bread balloons.

Pepper Cream Sauce

But wait—every superstar needs a red carpet. Enter: pepper cream sauce. Start with onions and sweet red peppers. Sauté them till glossy. Season like you’re running a spice rack clearance sale—paprika, thyme, oregano. Add a splash of water, simmer till tender, and stir in luscious, tangy crème fraîche. The whole kitchen now smells like a herby hug from your German grandma. (Even if you don’t have one.)

Serve the pillowy bread Knödel over a generous puddle of pepper cream. It’s hearty, vegetarian, and screams “cozy meal alert” in all caps. Perfect for summer pepper harvests. But honestly? It slays in winter, too.

So next time you’ve got leftover bread and a crisper drawer full of peppers, skip the sandwich. Go full dumpling with this Bread Knödel in Pepper Cream sauce recipe. Because in the world of Knödel, bread > potato. (There, I said it.) And I mean it until I fall in love with another potato knödel recipe

Print

Bread Knödel in Pepper Cream

Course Dinner

Cuisine German

Keyword bread knoedel, german food, Pepper Cream, Red pepper recipes, semmelknödel, Vegetarian dishes

Prep Time 40 minutes

Cook Time 55 minutes

Rest Time: 30 minutes

Servings 4

Author Lora Wiley-Lennartz

Ingredients

Bread Knödel:

• 8 oz stale bread or rolls
• Scant cup whole milk
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 sweet onion
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 teaspoon Caraway seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon anise
• 1/4 teaspoon Fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Pepper Cream:

• 4-5 sweet red peppers
• 2 sweet onions
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup crème fraîche
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Sugar
• Cayenne pepper

Instructions

Make the bread knödel:

1. Chop the bread into small pieces and place in a bowl.
2. Add the milk,
3. Cover and let stand for 30 minutes.
4. Peel and dice the onion
5. Heat the butter in a skillet and sauté the onion until transparent. Let cool.
6. Whisk the flour with the spices and salt
7. Beat the eggs.
8. Combine the onion, eggs, parsley, and flour with the bread mixture.
9. Wet your hands and form the knödel mixture into 12 pieces.
10. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.
11. Add the knödel. Boil for 15 minutes.
12. Transfer to a plate, cover with aluminum foil, and stow in a warm place.

Make the Pepper Cream:

1. Cut the peppers into strips.
2. Peel and slice the onions into rings.
3. Heat the oil in a skillet and sauté the onions until transparent.
4. Add the peppers and sauté until they start to soften.
5. Add the paprika, oregano, thyme, and water.
6. Cover and simmer over low heat for 40 minutes until softened.
7. Stir in the crème fraiche.
8. Season with salt, pepper, sugar, and cayenne pepper to taste.to taste.
9. Cook, stirring for another 2-3 minutes.
10. Transfer to a serving dish, arrange the bread knödel on top, and serve.

So, do you like this Bread Knödel in Pepper Cream? Then also check out some of these other delicious recipes:

SWEET POTATO PECAN KNÖDEL

NUT-STUFFED ROSEMART KNOEDEL

RED BEET POTATO KNÖDEL WITH FRESH HERB VEGETABLE BROTH