Homemade German Spaetzle
An easy, traditional German spaetzle recipe straight from my husband's German grandmother. Tender homemade egg noodles perfect with butter, stew, or gravy!
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt plus more for the cooking water
- 4 large eggs
- 2 cups milk (see notes for substitution)
- Butter for tossing and serving
Instructions
Make the dough
- Add the flour and sea salt to the bowl of a stand mixer, food processor, blender, or large mixing bowl, and stir to combine. Add the eggs and milk.
- Beat on medium-low until you have a thick, very sticky batter. If you're using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment. This takes about 8–10 minutes by machine, or longer by hand. The batter is ready when you pull it up with a spoon and small bubbles or holes appear. It will be looser than you might expect, like a very thick, sticky pancake batter that drips slowly off a spoon, and that's exactly right (see notes).
Cook the spätzle
- Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil, then reduce to a lively simmer.
- Set the spätzle maker over the pot and fill the hopper about one-third full. Slide it back and forth to drop the noodles into the water. (No spätzle maker? Press the batter through the large holes of a colander or box grater with a spatula, or spread a thin layer on the edge of a wet cutting board and scrape thin strips into the water with a knife, dipping the knife in the hot water between cuts.)
- Cook for about 2–3 minutes, until the noodles float to the surface.
- Lift the noodles out with a slotted spoon or spider strainer and drain on a paper towel-lined sheet pan. Transfer to a bowl and toss with a little melted butter so they don't stick together. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Serve
- Season with salt to taste and serve buttered, or alongside beef stew, roast beef, or turkey and gravy.
Notes
- About the batter: This family recipe makes a softer batter than some spätzle recipes, which call for a stiff dough, and that's on purpose! A looser batter drops easily through a spätzle hopper and cooks up into tender, delicate noodles. If you prefer a firmer, chewier spätzle, or you're using the board-and-knife method, you can beat in extra flour a tablespoon at a time until the batter is thick enough to hold its shape. If the batter ever gets too stiff to push through your spätzle maker, add a splash more milk.
- Milk substitute: You can use the same amount of water in place of milk, but milk makes a richer dough.
- Firmer noodles (optional): For a chewier texture, move the cooked spätzle into a bowl of ice water for a minute or two before draining and tossing with butter.
- For a little tang, some cooks whisk in a spoonful of sour cream, crème fraîche, or plain yogurt.
- Storage: Refrigerate cooled spätzle in a covered container for 3–4 days.
- Freezing: Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
- Reheating (the best part!): Melt butter in a skillet and fry the spätzle until warmed through and golden in spots, then salt to taste. You can also microwave it in a covered dish so it doesn't dry out.
Nutrition
Calories: 207kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 7gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 65mgSodium: 491mgPotassium: 78mgFiber: 1gSugar: 0.2gVitamin A: 96IUCalcium: 18mgIron: 3mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!