Dampfnudeln — Print Recipe — The Culinary Codex

Fluffy steamed yeast dumplings with a caramelized, crusty bottom, served swimming in warm vanilla custard — a Palatinate and Bavarian comfort classic.

Ingredients

500g all-purpose flour
80g sugar
7g instant yeast
200ml warm milk
60g butter, softened
2 eggs
Pinch of salt
For the pot: 30g butter, 2 tbsp sugar, 100ml milk
For vanilla sauce: 500ml milk, 3 egg yolks, 60g sugar, 1 vanilla bean, 2 tbsp cornstarch

Instructions

1 Mix flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Add warm milk, eggs, and softened butter. Knead 10 min until smooth. Let rise 1 hour.
2 Punch down and divide into 8-10 equal pieces. Shape into smooth rounds. Let rise 20 min.
3 Melt butter in a large lidded pan. Sprinkle sugar over the butter and add milk.
4 Place the dumplings in the pan, cover with a tight lid, and cook over medium-low heat for 20-25 min without lifting the lid. The bottoms will caramelize while the tops steam.
5 Meanwhile, make vanilla sauce: heat milk with split vanilla bean. Whisk yolks, sugar, and cornstarch, temper with hot milk, then cook until thickened.
6 Serve Dampfnudeln caramelized-side up with warm vanilla sauce poured around them.

Did You Know?

The golden rule of Dampfnudeln: never lift the lid while cooking. The steam must be trapped inside or the dumplings will collapse — experienced cooks judge doneness by ear, listening for a faint crackling sound when the liquid evaporates.