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    Home » Recipes » Gnocchi

    Canederli Italian Bread Dumplings Recipe (Knödel)

    Published: Apr 16, 2023 · Modified: Mar 25, 2025. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

    Recipe Jump to Video
    Canederli pin
    Canederli pin

    These Canederli are Italian bread dumplings originally from South Tyrol in Northern Italy, a recipe also known as Knödel in the German language. They are big bread dumplings boiled in stock made with stale bread mixed with milk, eggs, and speck, a cured smoked pork typical of the region. Round-shaped the size of a small orange, these bread gnocchi can be served in stock or with melted butter. This Canederli recipe perfectly exemplifies a sustainable, frugal meal from Italy's cucina povera tradition.

    Canederli Italian Bread Dumplings served with broth in back and white plates

    This dish is commonly found in the cuisine of Trentino, South Tyrol, and southeastern Germany, as well as in the culinary traditions of Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, and Poland.

    These Italian dumplings are a peasant tradition made with affordable and accessible ingredients for the rural population in the mountains of Trentino-Alto Adige.

    Different variations of this peasant dish can be made with speck, veal liver, or cheese, all products farmers would produce themselves.

    Some version of these dumplings uses white bread, others a rye bread typical of the region.

    This recipe is for the Canerdelli Tiloresi, made with white bread and speck.

    While it is typically served as a first course, it can also be enjoyed as a side dish to Trentino gulasch, game stews or Hausplatte (house plate).

    For more gnocchi recipes made with different main ingredients, you can check the recipes: Italian gnocchi, fluffy gnocchi, vegan gnocchi, Parisian gnocchi, Gnudi Malfatti, gnocchi alla Romana.

    You can learn more about Trentino cuisine in the article History of Traditional Italian Food by Region.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • How to serve them
    • Vegetarian variation
    • Storage
    • Top tip
    • Related
    • Pairing
    • 📋 Italian Bread Dumplings Recipe (Knödel)

    Ingredients

    This recipe is the traditional version made with speck, other versions use cheese or liver.

    However, all Canederli are made with simple inexpensive ingredients:

    • Stale bread: this recipe needs to use old bread, not store-bought breadcrumbs. The stale bread still has some moisture and taste, while packaged breadcrumbs are too dry and flavorless. If I don't have leftover bread, I buy a large fresh bread and leave it druntilll the next day.
    • Milk: here, I use half-fat, but whole milk is even better for its taste
    • Fresh eggs: I have two chickens, so my eggs are always fresh
    • Speck is a smoked cured pork meat from Trentino Alto Adige. You can replace it with smoked bacon, but not lean bacon, as the fat adds flavor. This recipe is traditionally made with cured meat produced by the farmer; therefore, any salami, bacon, or capocollo could be used.
    • Flour and some extra flour for coating
    • Freshly grated nutmeg
    • Salt
    • Finely grated fresh parsley or chive: it is important to use fresh herbs, not dried ones
    • Meat broth: I always have homemade stock in the freezer. I make it in the pressure cooker to save time. You can read the articles: Homemade beef broth and homemade chicken broth. You can also make a beef consommé, clarified beef broth, for a better presentation.

    Find the measurements in the recipe card.

    Ingredients for canederli

    Instructions

    Preparing the bread mixture

    Break the eggs in the milk
    1. Break the eggs in the milk
    Mix until egg and milk are combined
    1. Mix until they are combined
    Cut the stale bread into small cubes
    1. Cut the stale bread into small cubes
    Blend some bread with the finely chopped parsley
    1. Blend some bread with the finely chopped parsley

    Hint: In this recipe, I blend the parsley with the bread as it absorbs the moisture from the parsley and chop it finely. You can chop the parsley by itself, keeping the bread in small cubes instead

    Add the milk and the eggs to the bread mixture
    1. Add the milk and the eggs to the bread mixture
    Add the speck and any other pork meat cut into tiny chunks
    1. Add the speck and any other pork meat cut into tiny chunks
    Season with salt and freshly grated nutmeg
    1. Season with salt and freshly grated nutmeg
    Add a few tablespoon of flour to firm up their consistency
    1. Add a few tablespoon of flour to firm up their consistency
    Stir with a fork until it is roughly combined
    1. Stir with a fork until it is roughly combined
    Mix with your hands until the mixture is compact but still soft
    1. Mix with your hands until the mixture is compact but still soft

    Hint: for better flavor, you can make it the day before or let the canederli mixture rest for a couple of hours

    Boiling the canederli

    You can serve the Canederli in broth or dry and seasoned with melted butter.

    You can boil them in salted water instead of broth if you serve them dry.

    Warm up the broth or salted water in a large pot
    1. Warm up the broth or salted water in a large pot
    With wet hands, form compact balls about 2.5 in - 6 cm 
    1. With wet hands, form compact balls about 2.5 in - 6 cm 

    Hint: the mixture's consistency depends on the bread you are using. Add more flour if you think it is too fluid or more milk if too compact. First, place one ball in the broth to test its consistency.

    uncooked canederli balls
    Coat them with flour
    1. Coat them with flour
    Boil in a gentle simmer for 20 minutes
    1. Boil in a gentle simmer for 20 minutes

    Hint: It is important that the simmering is very gentle, as vigorous boiling can break the balls

    How to serve them

    As they are quite filling, plan to serve two or three canerdeli per person.

    To serve them in broth as a first course:

    1. Pour the broth into a soup bowl and serve the canederli at the table in the broth.
    2. You can top them with thin-sliced chives or parsley

    Dry Canederli are topped with melted butter and served as a first course or a side dish to Trentino gulasch, game stews or Hausplatte (house plate).

    Canederli Italian Bread Dumplings served with broth in back and white plates

    Vegetarian variation

    There is also a vegetarian version of the canederli, where the speck is replaced with butter or cheese.

    For cheese you can use fontina, asiago, edamer or gorgonzola. Do not use mozzarella or stringy cheese, as they release water when cooking.

    To add more flavor, you can also add chopped onion.

    You can serve them in vegetable broth, with melted butter and sage or with tomato sauce.

    Canederli Italian Bread Dumplings served with broth in back and white plates

    Storage

    You can store the canederli in the fridge for up to 3 day, although it is best to remove them from the broth; otherwise, they will soak too much liquid.

    Canederli Italian Bread Dumplings served with broth in back and white plates, a spoon cutting them in half

    Top tip

    • In this recipe, I blend the parsley with the bread as it absorbs the moisture from the parsley and chop it finely. You can chop the parsley by itself, keeping the bread in small cubes instead.
    • For better flavor, you can make it the day before or let the canederli mixture rest for a couple of hours.
    • It is important that the simmering is very gentle, as vigorous boiling can break the balls.
    • Place one ball in the broth to test its consistency. The mixture's consistency depends on the bread you are using. Add more flour if you think it is too fluid or more milk if too compact.
    • You can boil them in salted water instead of broth if you serve them dry.
    • Dry Canederli are topped with melted butter and served as a first course or a side dish to Trentino gulasch, game stews, or Hausplatte (house plate).
    • As they are quite filling, plan to serve three canerdeli per person.
    • Different variations of this peasant dish can be made with speck, veal liver, or cheese, all products farmers would produce themselves.
    • Some version of these dumplings uses white bread, others a rye bread typical of the region.
    Canederli Italian Bread Dumplings served with broth in back and white plates

    Related

    Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

    • chestnut gnocchi
      Italian Homemade Vegan Chestnut Gnocchi With Butter
    • Sweet potato gnocchi
      Authentic Italian Homemade Vegan Sweet Potato Gnocchi
    • purple potato gnocchi
      Italian Homemade Vegan Purple Potato Gnocchi
    • Gnocco Fritto Dough Recipe
      Gnocco Fritto Dough Recipe - Fried Italian Street Food

    Pairing

    These are my favorite dishes to serve with dry Canederli:

    • Wild Boar Meat Stew With Rich Spicy Chocolate Sauce
      Wild Boar Stew With Chocolate (Cinghiale in Dolce Forte)
    • Daube Provencal served with fresh tagliatelle
      Beef Daube Provencal (Red Wine Stew)
    • crown roast of lamb
      Crown Roast Of Lamb Recipe With Rosemary And Wine
    • Pork tenderloin with apples
      Easy Pork Tenderloin with Apples In The Dutch Oven

    If you are making any of these Canederli Italian Bread Dumplings, leave your comment below I would like to hear from you. You can find more delicious ideas if you FOLLOW ME on Facebook, YouTube, or sign up to my newsletter.

    Canederli bread gnocchi

    📋 Italian Bread Dumplings Recipe (Knödel)

    5 from 1 vote
    Laura Tobin
    Servings 6 people
    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 20 minutes mins
    Resting time 2 hours hrs
    Total Time 2 hours hrs 35 minutes mins
    Print Recipe Save Saved! Pin Recipe
    These Canederli are Italian bread dumplings originally from South Tyrol in Northern Italy, a recipe also known as Knödel in the German language. They are big bread dumplings boiled in stock made with stale bread mixed with milk, eggs, and speck, a cured smoked pork typical of the region. Round-shaped the size of a small orange, these bread gnocchi can be served in stock or with melted butter. This Canederli recipe perfectly exemplifies a sustainable, frugal meal from Italy's cucina povera tradition.
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • Braun blender
    • All-Clad Sauce Pan 3-Quart
    • Wooden Turner Set
    • Ladle with spout

    Ingredients
     

    • 9 oz Stale white bread
    • 1 cup Whole milk
    • 3 Fresh eggs
    • 7 oz Speck or smoked bacon or salami
    • 1 cup Flour
    • 1 pinch Freshly grated nutmeg
    • ½ cup Finely chopped fresh parsley or chive
    • 6 cup Meat broth
    • 1 teaspoon salt

    Instructions
     

    Preparing the bread mixture

    • Break the eggs in the milk
      1 cup Whole milk, 3 Fresh eggs
    • Mix until they are combined
    • Cut the stale bread into small cubes
      9 oz Stale white bread
    • Blend some bread with the finely chopped parsley
      ½ cup Finely chopped fresh parsley or chive
    • Add the milk and the eggs to the bread mixture
    • Add the speck and any other pork meat cut into tiny chunks
      7 oz Speck
    • Season with salt and freshly grated nutmeg
      1 teaspoon salt, 1 pinch Freshly grated nutmeg
    • Add a few tablespoon of flour to firm up their consistency
      1 cup Flour
    • Stir with a fork until it is roughly combined
    • Mix with your hands until the mixture is compact but still soft

    Boiling the canederli

    • Warm up the broth or salted water in a large pot
      6 cup Meat broth
    • With wet hands, form compact balls about 2.5 in - 6 cm
    • Coat them with flour
    • Boil in a gentle simmer for 20 minutes

    How to serve them

    • Pour the broth into a soup bowl and serve the canederli at the table in the broth.
    • You can top them with thin-sliced chives or parsley

    Video

    Notes

    • In this recipe, I blend the parsley with the bread as it absorbs the moisture from the parsley and chop it finely. You can chop the parsley by itself, keeping the bread in small cubes instead.
    • For better flavor, you can make it the day before or let the canederli mixture rest for a couple of hours.
    • It is important that the simmering is very gentle, as vigorous boiling can break the balls.
    • Place one ball in the broth to test its consistency. The mixture's consistency depends on the bread you are using. Add more flour if you think it is too fluid or more milk if too compact.
    • You can boil them in salted water instead of broth if you serve them dry.
    • Dry Canederli are topped with melted butter and served as a first course or a side dish to Trentino gulasch, game stews, or Hausplatte (house plate).
    • As they are quite filling, plan to serve three canerdeli per person.
    • Different variations of this peasant dish can be made with speck, veal liver, or cheese, all products farmers would produce themselves.
    • Some version of these dumplings uses white bread, others a rye bread typical of the region.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 303kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 15gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 109mgSodium: 1132mgPotassium: 652mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 618IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 94mgIron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe?Please consider Leaving a Review!
    important notes on ingredients

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    Laura Giunta Tobin

    Hi, I’m Laura. Welcome to my blog! While many talk about Italian food, I’ve lived it firsthand. Here, I share real Italian home cooking, just as it’s made in Italy. Won’t you join me?

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