Perfect Homemade Spaetzle Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What flour is best for spaetzle? ›

What kind of flour should or could I use for Spaetzle? Always Plain to start! Depending on your diet or adventurous spirit, you can try any flour or a combination of flours. Chick Pea flour gives it a lovely nutty taste but I would mix that with a wholemeal or plain flour to start.

Can German Spaetzle Be Prepared Ahead of Time? Yes! It holds its shape wonderfully and if you shock the Spaetzle in cold water after cooking it won't stick together. You can easily make this side dish a day or two ahead and then simply reheat it in a pan with a little butter.

It should be like a thick pancake batter, but thin enough to pass through the holes of your utensil with a bit of help from a scraper or spoon. Rest the batter - Be sure to let the batter rest. Bubbly holes will form and it'll ooze from the spoon, which is a sign that it's ready.

Don't overcook your spaetzle

Spaetzle will never be as 'al dente' as a great Italian pasta. But they can be overcooked. Instead of light and fluffy, they can easily become soggy and mushy. Fresh spaetzle require a cooking time no longer than two minutes.

Don't Overcook: Keep an eye on the spaetzle while boiling, as they cook quickly. As soon as they float to the surface, give them a minute or two more and then scoop them out. Overcooking can make them mushy.

Rice flour and cornstarch work particularly well because they fry up crispier than wheat flour. They also absorb less moisture and fat during the frying process, making the products less greasy. This is why rice flour is often used when making tempura because it produces a very thin and crispy, dry crust.

Fill a large bowl with cold water and ice. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the spaetzle to a colander and then plunge them in a bowl of very cold water. This firms them up to the desired consistency. Toss with olive oil or melted butter to keep from sticking.

The easiest way is to use a colander with holes (or in this case little strips). Hold it above the pot. Don't set it on the edges of the pot like a flat spaetzle maker – the bottom of the colander will reach down further in the pot and clog up with cooked dough.

Boil the spätzle in a single layer until they float to the top of the water, about 30 seconds to 3 minutes depending on the size of the pieces.

Though I've never learned to cut my noodles off a board, I still am very careful to get the batter consistency just so. Once you master this one step, you will be well on your way to learning how to make spaetzle. A great spaetzle noodle should be slightly chewy, but not too dense or firm.

What not to do when making pasta? ›

The dough is sticky, so it will take some pressure to press it through the ricer and into the pot. The spaetzle made with a potato ricer may be a bit longer in shape, but they will still have the characteristic taste and texture of classic spaetzle.

It's not the healthiest of dishes but the spaetzle itself isn't too bad nutrition-wise. It's a simple dish, made with just flour, egg, water and a bit of salt.

Durum Flour

Its strength means you can use it for shaped pastas, like orecchiette, as well as extruded pasta, such as spaghetti. When cooked, pasta made with durum flour retains a toothsome al dente quality; the flour also imparts a lovely pale-yellow hue.

It's my usual solution when baking, as self-raising flour is only used for cakes etc. Whereas Plain flour can be used for Yorkshire puds, batter, pancakes, short pastry, then once you add baking powder or bicarbonate & cream of tartar, you use as self-raising flour.

White Flour Is Best for Egg Pasta Dough

Italians make fresh pasta using a particular type of lower-protein white flour called doppio zero, or 00 flour, with a talcum powder–like grind. Its protein content is similar to that of all-purpose flour, but the proprietary blend of wheat makes a difference.

For Crispy and Chewy Pizza Crust, Use 00 Flour

00 flour is finely ground Italian flour that contains about 12% protein, or 12% gluten. It's the traditional flour used to make Neapolitan-style pizza.