Potato Dumpling Perfection: The Austrian Way

Austrian potato dumplings are fluffy balls made with mashed potatoes, flour, semolina, egg, and butter. They are a great side dish to serve with any meat, especially roasted meat, duck, or goose, and red cabbage. They can also be stuffed with bacon or croutons browned in butter. To make the dumplings, you'll need to start by boiling unpeeled potatoes in salted water until soft. Then, you'll peel and rice the potatoes, and add the remaining ingredients to form a dough. The dumplings are then shaped and boiled. They can be frozen before or after cooking and reheated, but they may fall apart if reheated for too long.

Use starchy potatoes like Russets or Idaho

When making Austrian potato dumplings, it is best to use starchy potatoes like Russets or Idaho. These potatoes are high in starch and low in moisture, making them great for mashing, baking, and boiling. They have a neutral and mild flavour, and their texture is fluffy and smooth. Starchy potatoes are ideal for making mashed potatoes, as they break down easily during cooking. However, they don't hold their shape very well, so they are not suitable for dishes where you want the potatoes to maintain their shape, such as potato salads or gratins.

When preparing starchy potatoes for Austrian potato dumplings, it is important to minimise the amount of water they absorb. One way to do this is to swap boiling for steaming when mashing the potatoes. You can also cut the potatoes into larger chunks, which will reduce water absorption and result in lighter, fluffier mashed potatoes.

To make the dumplings, you will need to boil the unpeeled potatoes in salted water until they are soft. It is recommended to do this the day before and keep the potatoes in the fridge overnight, as this will make the dough less sticky and the dumplings easier to shape. After boiling, peel the potatoes and press them through a potato ricer. You can also use a grater or potato masher/fork, but avoid using a mixer or blender as this will destroy the texture of the dough and make it difficult to shape the dumplings.

Once the potatoes are mashed, you can add the other ingredients for the dumplings into a large bowl and stir everything together until well combined. Don't knead the dough, just stir until it sticks together. If the dough is too dry, try adding some melted butter. If it's too wet, add a little more potato starch. You can test the consistency by boiling one dumpling to see if it holds together or falls apart.

Boil potatoes in their skins, then peel

When making Austrian potato dumplings, it is best to use starchy potatoes, such as Russets or Idahos, as they are high in starch and low in moisture. These potatoes are ideal for mashing, baking, and boiling. If you are unable to get your hands on starchy potatoes, you can use other varieties, but you will need to add more starch to your dumplings, which will result in a denser dumpling. All-purpose potatoes like Yukon Gold are a good alternative, but they will also make for a denser dumpling.

To prepare the potatoes, start by boiling them in their skins in salted water until soft. It is important to not peel them beforehand. You can test if they are done by sliding a knife into the centre; if the knife slides in easily, they are ready. It is best to use similarly sized potatoes so that they cook evenly. Once they are cooked, let them cool slightly before peeling.

After boiling and peeling the potatoes, you will need to rice them. A potato ricer will give you the fluffiest dumplings, but if you do not have one, you can use a grater or a potato masher. It is best to rice the potatoes while they are still warm, as they can be tougher to press when cooled. Once the potatoes are riced, place them in the refrigerator until cold or, ideally, overnight. This will help improve the texture of your dumplings.

It is important to note that you should never use a mixer or blender to rice the potatoes, as this will "destroy" the texture of the dough and make it almost impossible to shape.

Use a potato ricer, not a mixer

When making Austrian potato dumplings, it is crucial to use a potato ricer instead of a mixer. A potato ricer is a kitchen tool that works similarly to a garlic press or a handheld citrus juicer. It is designed to create the perfect texture for potato dumplings. By placing cooked potato pieces in the ricer's chamber and gently squeezing the handles, you can achieve angel-hair-like strands of potatoes. This technique ensures a silky smooth and lump-free consistency, which is essential for shaping the dough and creating fluffy dumplings.

On the other hand, using a mixer or blender for this task can negatively impact the texture of the dough. Mixers tend to overwork the starches in cooked potatoes, resulting in a gummy and challenging-to-shape dough. The high-speed rotation of mixer blades can also cause the potatoes to become overly processed, making the dumplings almost impossible to form.

The potato ricer is a superior tool for achieving the desired consistency for Austrian potato dumplings. It efficiently breaks down the potatoes into a smooth and lump-free mash with just a single pass. This is in stark contrast to a potato masher, which often requires multiple passes and still leaves behind stubborn lumps. The ricer's ability to create a uniform texture without overworking the potatoes is key to the success of this dish.

While a food mill can also be used to mash potatoes, it is a more cumbersome and clunky option. It consists of multiple pieces, making it prone to loss or misplacement. Additionally, the process of cranking and rotating the handle to press the potatoes over the perforated plate can be more time-consuming and laborious than the simple squeezing action of a ricer.

Investing in a potato ricer will elevate your Austrian potato dumplings to the next level. It ensures a consistent and smooth texture, free of lumps, that is perfect for shaping and cooking. By avoiding the use of a mixer, you can maintain the integrity of the dough and create fluffy and delicious dumplings that are a true Austrian specialty.

Add flour, semolina, egg, and butter

When making Austrian potato dumplings, it's important to get the right consistency for the dough. To do this, you'll need to add flour, semolina, egg, and butter. The type of flour you use matters; in Austria, they use a special extra-coarse flour ("Griffiges Mehl"), but if this isn't available, you can use all-purpose flour. Durum wheat semolina is also added to make the dumplings soft and fluffy, and to make the dough less sticky and easier to shape. You can use just one egg yolk, but if you prefer to use the whole egg, that will work too.

To start making the dough, first, boil your unpeeled potatoes in salted water until they are soft. Leave them to cool, and it's recommended to prepare the potatoes the day before and keep them in the fridge overnight. This will make the dough less sticky and easier to shape. Peel the potatoes and press them through a potato ricer. If you don't have a ricer, you can use a grater, potato masher, or fork, but never use a mixer or blender as this will make the dough too sticky.

Now, add your flour, semolina, and egg to the potatoes. You can also add some melted butter if the dough is too dry. Stir all the ingredients together in a large bowl until well combined. You can use a spoon or your hands to do this, but don't mix for too long. The dough should stick together, but you shouldn't knead it. If your dough is too wet, add a little more flour or semolina. You can also add some potato starch if you have it, as this will add more potato flavor to your dumplings.

Once your dough is ready, you can start shaping your dumplings. Sprinkle some flour on your countertop to prevent sticking. Form a 2-inch (5-6 cm) roll from the dough and cut it into 0.5-inch (2 cm) thick slices. These are your dumplings! You can now cook them by boiling them in water, or you can freeze them for later.

Freeze uncooked dumplings on a tray

Freezing uncooked Austrian potato dumplings is a great way to save time when you have a lot of other dishes to make. You can freeze the dumplings a few days or even weeks before you plan to serve them, and simply cook them 15 minutes before serving.

To freeze uncooked dumplings, first place them on a tray or plate so they don't stick together in the freezer. Make sure the dumplings do not touch each other. You can line the tray or plate with parchment paper to prevent sticking. Once the dumplings have hardened in the freezer, after a few hours, you can transfer them to a container or bag. This way, you can also freeze a bigger batch and just take out the amount of dumplings you need.

It's important to note that you should not refrigerate uncooked dumplings, as the moisture from the dumpling fillings will continue to seep into the dumpling skins, causing them to turn soggy. Dumplings stored in the refrigerator are also more prone to getting freezer burn.

When you're ready to serve the dumplings, do not thaw the uncooked dumplings. Instead, add them directly to boiling water.

Frequently asked questions