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German Potato Dumplings, aka Kartoffelklöße

These golden globes of tender potato are the traditional side dish to classic German meals. Gently opening them up to drizzle the rich gravy of your Rouladen or Sauerbraten will make these absolutely irresistible!
Course Side Dish
Cuisine German
Keyword croutons, nutmeg, potatoes, white pepper
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Cooling 8 hours
Servings 8

Ingredients

  • 3 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, cooked in their skins, See Notes
  • 3 slices day-old bread
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1 1/3 cup potato starch, more if needed
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp white pepper
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 2 tbsp chopped parsley or dill

Instructions

Potato Prep

  1. Cook the potatoes in their skins the day before by adding them to a pot of salted water. Bring it to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium, for a gentle but obvious simmer. Cook till a knife can slide into the middle, about 18 to 20 minutes. Cool slightly and peel. Rice the potatoes (or mash if you don't have a ricer). Place in a bowl and let them cool down to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Croutons

  1. Cut the bread into 1/2 inch cubes.
  2. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the bread cubes and sauté, stirring, until nicely browned on all sides. Remove from heat and set aside to cool on a plate. These can also be made the day before.

Make the Dough

  1. Place the riced potatoes into a large bowl. Add in 1 cup potato starch, both eggs, salt, pepper and nutmeg to make a dough that holds together when formed into dumplings. If the mixture is too moist, add a bit more starch. If for some reason it ends up being too stiff, crumbly and dry, you can add a little milk till softened.

Test Dumpling

  1. Bring a small pot of water to a boil.
  2. Form a small 1 inch dumpling by rolling it in your hands. Wet your hands so that the dough doesn't stick to your palms.
  3. Once the water is boiling, gently drop the dumpling into the water. Once it comes to the top and the water is at a rolling simmer around the ball, let it cook for about 10 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon. Once cool enough to handle, eat it! Now you can see if it is tough on the inside, and if there is enough salt and pepper. Adjust the dough in the bowl if desired. If the ball started to fall apart in the water, then you want to add some more starch to the dough. If it is really tough, then add a little moisture.

  4. Now flatten the dough in the bowl and divide it into four equal quadrants. You should be able to get about 3 dumplings from each section. Have a bowl of water next to you to wet your hands between each dumpling. Take the amount for one in your palm and roll it into a ball. Now flatten it slightly and add about 4 bread croutons into the centre. Fold the dumpling dough around them and then roll to smooth out the ball. It should be around 2 inches in diameter. Place this onto a wax paper lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough.

    As long as they are not touching, they can be covered with plastic wrap or a bag, sealed and stored in the fridge, or cold cellar if you want to prepare them in advance before cooking the next day.

Cook the Dumplings

  1. Bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil.
  2. Add 5 or 6 dumplings to the water using a slotted spoon. It won't take too long for them to float to the surface. Maintain a full rolling simmer around the dumplings. Let them simmer for 15-18 minutes. Using the slotted spoon to transfer them to a platter. Drizzle with a little olive oil or butter to keep them from sticking to each other.
  3. Repeat with the remaining dumplings.
  4. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.
  5. To eat, don't cut the dumpling with your knife, you will seal up any air pockets this way, and the gravy won't soak in. Instead, take your knife tip and your fork, and pull the top of of the dumpling in opposite directions, opening the dumpling and creating little craters inside. This is ideal for optimum gravy enjoyment!
  6. See blog post for more details

Leftovers

  1. Any uneaten dumplings can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge. The next day, slice up the dumplings you want to eat into 1/2-3/4 inch slices. Sauté them in a skillet with butter and oil over medium to medium high heat till nicely crisped on both sides. Serve with eggs, or as a side to any meat you are serving up.

Recipe Notes

Try to choose potatoes that are of similar size so that they will cook evenly. I usually choose ones that are between small and medium in size just to ensure that they cook through with ease.

I like Yukon Gold, for their versatility, and the lovely golden hue they add to the final dish. But Russet potatoes will also work fine.
If you can't find potato starch, you may use cornstarch. But I do think potato starch will guarantee the best flavour.