1️⃣ 400 g stale bread, cut into small cubes
2️⃣ 250 g Speck from Alto Adige (PGI certified if possible)
3️⃣ 200 ml whole milk
4️⃣ 2 large eggs
5️⃣ 1 medium white onion
6️⃣ 40 g butter
7️⃣ 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
8️⃣ 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
9️⃣ 1 tablespoon chives, finely chopped
🔟 Salt and pepper to taste
1️⃣1️⃣ 2 liters meat or vegetable broth
1️⃣2️⃣ Melted butter and fresh sage leaves for serving
Canederli allo Speck (known as Knödel in German) are one of the most iconic dishes of the Trentino-Alto Adige region in Northern Italy. These rustic bread dumplings, enriched with speck, eggs, and milk, are served either floating in a hot broth or dressed with melted butter and sage.
More than just a recipe, they represent the culinary soul of the Dolomites. Originally born as a way to avoid wasting old bread and to provide hearty meals for farmers and woodcutters, canederli quickly became a symbol of mountain hospitality. Today, they are served in alpine huts, during village festivals, and in traditional restaurants across South Tyrol, often paired with a glass of Lagrein or Gewürztraminer wine.
This recipe is a celebration of mountain traditions, bringing together simple ingredients and transforming them into a dish that warms both body and soul.
Large stainless steel mixing bowl – for combining bread, milk, and eggs.
Wooden cutting board – sturdy base for cutting bread and speck.
Sharp chef’s knife – for finely chopping speck and onion.
Non-stick skillet – to sauté onion and speck in butter.
Whisk – to beat eggs with milk before mixing into the bread.
Large stockpot – for cooking the dumplings in broth.
Slotted spoon (skimmer) – to gently lift the dumplings out of the broth.
Kitchen scale – to weigh bread and speck precisely.
(Tip: All of these utensils can easily be found on Amazon if you want professional-quality tools for home cooking.)
1️⃣ Prepare the Bread
On the cutting board, cut the stale bread into uniform cubes of about 1 cm. Place them in the large stainless steel bowl. This ensures even hydration when you add the milk.
2️⃣ Sauté Onion and Speck
Melt the butter in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the finely chopped onion and cook until it becomes translucent and fragrant (about 5 minutes). Then add the diced speck and sauté for 2–3 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
(Tip: Use a wooden spoon to stir continuously so the onion doesn’t burn.)
3️⃣ Hydrate the Bread
Heat the milk until lukewarm (not boiling). Pour it evenly over the bread cubes in the bowl. Mix gently with a wooden spoon and let rest for 10 minutes, allowing the bread to absorb the liquid.
4️⃣ Combine Ingredients
In a small bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk until smooth. Pour them over the soaked bread. Add the sautéed onion and speck, flour, parsley, chives, salt, and pepper. Mix gently with your hands until you get a moist but shapeable dough.
(Tip: If the mixture is too wet, add a bit of flour; if too dry, add a splash of milk.)
5️⃣ Shape the Dumplings
Moisten your hands with water. Take a handful of the mixture and roll it into a ball the size of a small mandarin (about 70–80 g). Place each dumpling on a plate until ready to cook.
6️⃣ Cook the Canederli
Bring the broth to a gentle simmer in a large stockpot. Using a slotted spoon, lower the dumplings carefully into the broth. Cook for 12–15 minutes: they will rise to the surface when ready. Test one dumpling to make sure it is cooked through but still soft inside.
7️⃣ Serve
You can serve the canederli directly in hot broth for a warming soup, or drain them with the slotted spoon and dress with melted butter, sage, and a sprinkle of grated parmesan.
or richer flavor, substitute part of the milk with fresh cream.
For a vegetarian version, replace speck with spinach or mushrooms.
Pair with local wines: Lagrein (bold red) or Gewürztraminer (aromatic white).
Leftover dumplings taste amazing pan-fried in butter the next day.
Storage 🧊
Uncooked dumplings: refrigerate for 24 hours, covered with plastic wrap.
Cooked dumplings: freeze individually, then reheat directly in hot broth before serving.
The origins of canederli date back to the Middle Ages. The first documented representation appears in 1180 in a fresco inside the chapel of Castel d’Appiano (Bolzano), depicting a woman serving dumplings to knights. The word Knödel comes from the Old German term knodo, meaning “knot” or “small lump,” referring to their rounded shape.
Originally, canederli were made from stale bread, eggs, and wild herbs – a clever way to reuse leftovers and create a filling meal. They quickly became the perfect food for peasants, farmers, and woodcutters, who needed energy to face long working days in the mountains.
The introduction of speck into the recipe happened later, between the 16th and 17th centuries, when smoking and curing pork became widespread in Tyrol as a preservation technique. From that moment, canederli allo speck evolved into the signature version we know today, embodying the unique culinary identity of the Alpine world.
No single “inventor” of canederli can be named, as this dish is a product of tradition and necessity, but it remains one of the most representative recipes of Tyrolean cuisine.
Foto Dolomiti di Andreas Felske su Unsplash
Photo: “Semmelknödel.jpg” by Kobako, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.5
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