andrejthechef
AustriaDessertDessertVegetarian

Germknödel mit Powidl

A large steamed yeast dumpling filled with thick plum preserve, topped with melted butter and ground poppy seeds mixed with icing sugar.

prep
40 min
cook
25 min
total
1 h 5 min
serves
6
level
medium
Germknödel mit Powidl, a dish from Austrian Alpine cooking

Germknödel is a big, pillowy steamed yeast dumpling built around a core of Powidl, a thick, deeply flavored plum preserve, and it's a genuine Alpine classic, the kind of thing sold at mountain huts to warm people up after a day on the slopes.

Keep the steamer lid on while these cook. Lifting it too often drops the temperature and is the most common way to end up with a dumpling that never rises properly.

Part of our 20 best Austrian recipes list.

method

  1. Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm milk, and let it sit for 10 minutes until foamy.

  2. Mix the flour and salt, add the yeast mixture, egg and softened butter, and knead into a smooth, soft dough, about 8 to 10 minutes.

  3. Cover and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, until doubled.

  4. Divide the dough into 6 pieces. Flatten each piece, place a spoonful of plum preserve in the center, and gather the edges up, sealing completely into a smooth ball.

  5. Let the shaped dumplings rest, covered, for 15 minutes.

  6. Set up a steamer, or a pot with a lid and a steaming insert, and steam the dumplings for 18 to 20 minutes, until well risen and cooked through. Do not lift the lid too often; a sudden temperature drop can make them collapse.

  7. Mix the ground poppy seeds with the icing sugar.

  8. Serve the dumplings warm, drizzled with melted butter and dusted generously with the poppy seed and icing sugar mixture.

chef's tips

  • Sealing the dough completely around the plum preserve matters here too; any gap lets the filling leak out during steaming and can cause the dumpling to collapse on that side.
  • Keep the steamer lid on as much as possible while cooking. Repeatedly lifting it drops the temperature and can stop the dumplings from rising properly.
  • Powidl, a thick, intensely plum-flavored preserve traditionally cooked down without added pectin, is the authentic filling; a good thick plum jam is the closest substitute elsewhere.
  • These are a specifically Alpine, Austrian ski-season classic, often sold at mountain huts as a hearty, warming afternoon treat.