German Spaetzle Recipe (Spätzle)

German Spaetzle recipe. I am sure that every house in Southern Germany has their own recipe for Spaetzle. My Spätzle recipe is also from an orginal source and with some practice you will soon be enjoying this National Southern dish.

Spätzle originates from the German word Spatz which means "small sparrows". It is a dish widely found in Southern Germany (Baden-Württenberg and Bavaria).

In case you haven't tried Spaetzle before, it is a flour and egg based homemade pasta, very similar to noodles. They are originally made by scraping the dough from a wooden board into boiling water with the back of a wide knife or (Schaber) which is a special scraping tool.

My mother-in-law makes hers using the traditional method, which takes a lot of practice. Thank goodness, nowadays, there are tools available such as a Spaetzle press or even a potato ricer which will also produce excellent Spaetzle.

In the past, some families used whey instead of water for making the dough. Whey actually contained a waste product that is obtained when producing curd and cheese. The whey gave the Spaezle a lighter consistency. However, I use water for my Spaetzle.

So without any further ado, below is my German Spaetzle recipe. Read and follow it carefully and enjoy one of my easy pasta recipes.

How to Make German Spaetzle

500g wheat flour
4-5 eggs
1 tsp salt
1/8-1/4 litre water, depending on type of flour
hot water for tossing the Spätzle

As a side dish my Spaetzle recipe serves 8. For a main course serves 4.

Mix the flour, eggs and salt in a large bowl. Add the water little by little and stir continuously until smooth. With a wooden spoon (or a hand mixer) beat the dough until nothing remains on the spoon when holding it up. Allow the dough to rest for 15 minutes and then beat it again thoroughly.

Moisten a Spätzlesbrett (a wooden board with a handle on one side and a bevelled edge on the other), with water. Spread a small amount of dough on it and scrape with a broad knife thin strips of dough into slightly boiling water.

If you are using a Spätzle press or potato ricer, then you need to fill the press with the dough and press down as per instructions.

While scraping, dip the board and the knife time and time again into boiling water. This makes scraping the dough easier. When the Spätzle rise to the surface, remove them from the pan with a slotted spoon and toss them briefly in hot water, so that they won't stick together. Drain well and place them on a pre-heated plate and serve immediately.

Spaetzle can either be served with melted butter and slightly toasted breadcrumbs or with finely sliced, fried onion rings.

Spaetzle also taste excellent if the dough is only prepared with eggs (about 8-9 eggs) instead of water.

Enjoy my Spaetzle recipe with a roast meat dish with a sauce or gravy.

Examples of Spätzle recipes:

Linsen, Spätzle und Saitenwürstle: Spätzle with lentils and frankfurter style sausages.
Gaisburger Marsch: a stew containing Spätzle.
Kässpätzle: Spätzle mixed with a large amount of grated cheese and topped with fried onions. This can be served as a main course.

Return from German Spaetzle Recipe To German Food Recipes

Return from German Spaetzle to Authentic German Recipes

	Enter your search terms Submit search form
	Web www.tasty-german-recipe.com