Canederli allo
Speck
South Tyrolean bread dumplings in broth
Bread dumplings dotted with speck and herbs simmer gently, then arrive in clear beef broth with a finish of chopped chives.
Speck bread dumplings in clear brothBread, speck and herbs,
an Alpine bowl of comfort.
Canederli are bread dumplings from the Alpine cooking traditions of Trentino-Alto Adige and neighboring Tyrolean areas. In the speck version, small cubes of cured, lightly smoked ham give the tender bread mixture a savory flavor. Milk and egg bind the bread without turning it into a smooth paste.
In South Tyrol they are also called Speckknödel. They may come in broth or with a different accompaniment, and cheese or spinach versions have their own character. This recipe chooses speck dumplings in clear beef broth, with chives added just before serving.
Explore by food: Bread, pizza & street food · Soups
Let’s make canederli allo speck.
Eight medium dumplings, two per bowl. Prepared beef broth and firm day-old white bread are starting ingredients.
Eight dumplings about 5 cm across, served as four first-course bowls.
What you’ll need
- 200 gfirm day-old white bread, cut into 5 mm cubes
- 60 gonion, finely chopped
- 20 gbutter
- 100 gspeck, cut into small cubes
- 2medium eggs
- 120 mlmilk
- 20 gplain flour, plus up to 10 g only if needed
- 1 tbspfinely chopped parsley
- 2 tbspfinely chopped chives, for serving
- 1.5 lprepared beef broth
- 3 lwater for poaching
- to tastesalt and black pepper, including salt for the cooking water
Use dried bread cubes with some structure, not finely ground dried breadcrumbs. The 60-minute cooking allowance includes onion softening, heating water, a full test poach and the main batch afterward; broth heating runs alongside the main poach.
How to make it
- 01
Soften the onion
Melt the butter in a small pan and soften the onion for about 5 minutes without browning. Let it cool slightly. Put the bread cubes in a bowl with the speck, parsley and 20 g flour.
- 02
Moisten the bread
Whisk the eggs with the milk, a little salt and black pepper. Pour over the bread, add the onion and its butter, and fold together gently. Rest for 15 minutes so the bread absorbs the liquid; do not blend it into a paste.
- 03
Shape and test
With damp hands, press into eight compact balls about 5 cm across. Bring a wide pan of lightly salted water to a quiet simmer. Lower in one test dumpling and cook for about 15–20 minutes. If it breaks apart, gently mix a little of the reserve flour into the remaining mixture and reshape; avoid adding enough flour to make it dense.
- 04
Poach gently
Cook the remaining dumplings at a bare simmer for about 15–20 minutes, partly covered, turning once if needed. Use a pan large enough for them to move without bumping. Cut the test dumpling open: the bread should be set and hot through, without a wet eggy center.
- 05
Serve in broth
Heat the beef broth while the dumplings poach. Lift the dumplings with a slotted spoon. Put two in each warm bowl, add hot broth and finish with the chives. Serve promptly.
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