History

Spätzle (German for little sparrows) are soft egg dumplings made by pressing a wet batter through a perforated tool directly into boiling water. They have been a Swabian and Bavarian staple since at least the 18th century, with documented home recipes dating to 1725. The Käsespätzle variation, layered with cheese and caramelised onions, emerged in the Allgäu region of southern Bavaria and the Austrian Vorarlberg in the 19th century. Today Käsespätzle is a Munich Gaststätte standard, particularly in winter; Augustiner-Stammhaus and Wirtshaus in der Au run versions year-round.

Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy, Egg

Make it at home

Yield 4Hands-on 40 minTotal 1 hrDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • For the spätzle batter: 500g plain flour
  • 1 tsp fine sea salt
  • 5 large eggs
  • 200ml whole milk
  • 100ml sparkling water (very cold)
  • pinch of grated nutmeg
  • 300g grated Bavarian Allgäuer Bergkäse (mountain cheese; or substitute with a mix of aged Gruyere and Emmental, or Comte and Appenzeller)
  • 100g grated Bavarian Räßkäse (sharp aged Bavarian cheese, or substitute with aged cheddar for sharpness)
  • For the fried onion crown: 4 large yellow onions (sliced very thinly)
  • 60g unsalted butter (or duck fat for an even richer version)
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • pinch of sugar
  • To finish: 60g unsalted butter, 2 tbsp chopped chives, freshly cracked black pepper
  • To serve: Cucumber salad or a simple green salad with vinaigrette (the Bavarian convention; a sharp salad cuts the rich cheese)
  • Special equipment: a spätzle press (Spätzlepresse) or Spätzlehobel (a flat sheet with holes), or a flat-bottomed colander with large round holes

Method

  1. Make the spätzle batter: combine flour, salt and nutmeg in a large bowl. Whisk the eggs and milk together, then beat into the flour with a wooden spoon for 4 to 5 minutes until the batter is thick, smooth and shows air bubbles (the batter is more like wet bread dough than pancake batter; this is structural).
  2. Whisk in the very cold sparkling water at the very end; the batter should fall in thick ribbons.
  3. Rest the batter covered for 30 minutes.
  4. Caramelise the onions: melt the 60g butter in a wide heavy frying pan over medium-low heat. Add the sliced onions, salt and a pinch of sugar; cook for 30 to 35 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until deeply caramelised and golden brown. Set aside.
  5. Bring a large wide pot of well-salted water to a steady simmer (not a hard boil).
  6. Hold a spätzle press, Spätzlehobel or a colander with large round holes over the boiling water. Tip in a heaped ladle of batter at a time; press through with a flat scraper or the back of a spoon directly into the water.
  7. The spätzle will rise to the surface in 60 to 90 seconds; let cook a further 30 seconds, then lift out with a slotted spoon into a colander.
  8. Repeat until all batter is cooked.
  9. Heat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius (or use the grill on its highest setting).
  10. In a buttered gratin dish, layer one-third of the spätzle, then one-third of the grated Bergkäse and Räßkäse, then a layer of caramelised onions; repeat for three layers total, ending with a final layer of cheese on top.
  11. Dot the top with the 60g butter cubes.
  12. Bake at 200 degrees Celsius for 12 to 15 minutes (or grill 5 to 7 minutes) until the cheese is fully melted, bubbling and the top has a deep golden crust.
  13. Crown with the reserved caramelised onions, scatter chopped chives and a generous twist of black pepper.
  14. Serve hot in the gratin dish with a sharp cucumber or green salad on the side.

Tip from the editors. The batter consistency is the structural rule; too thin gives thread-like spätzle, too thick gives heavy nuggets. It should hold its shape on a spoon for 2 seconds before dripping. Allgäuer Bergkäse is the canonical cheese; without it the dish reads as generic baked pasta.

Where to eat käsespätzle

Käsespätzle in Munich

Andechser am Dom ★ 4.0

Bavarian€€altstadt-lehel

Andechser am Dom pours the Andechs Monastery's beers a minute from Munich's Frauenkirche; the casual Bavarian room locals send out-of-towners.

Order: Schweinshaxe with potato dumplings and a half-litre of Andechser Doppelbock.

Tip: Daily 10:00-01:00; the Weinstrasse-side terrace catches sun till evening in summer.

Weinstrasse 7a, 80333 München

Augustiner-Stammhaus ★ 4.2

Bavarian€€altstadt-lehel

Augustiner-Stammhaus on Munich's Neuhauser Strasse pedestrian zone has been pouring Augustiner since 1829; the city's oldest Augustiner room.

Order: Schweinsbraten with two dumplings; pair with Augustiner Helles tapped from the wooden cask.

Tip: Ask for the Muschelsaal (Seashell hall) when reserving; it is the most moody room.

Neuhauser Strasse 27, 80331 München

Wirtshaus in der Au ★ 4.3

Bavarian€€au-giesing

Wirtshaus in der Au on Munich's Lilienstrasse, between Deutsches Museum and Gasteig, is the city's best room for Knödel and dumpling sampler plates.

Order: The Knödel sampler: spinach, semmel and sweet plum dumpling for dessert.

Tip: Open evenings only weekdays; Saturday and Sunday lunch is the easier reservation.

Lilienstrasse 51, 81669 München

Spatenhaus an der Oper ★ 4.3

Bavarian€€€altstadt-lehel

Spatenhaus an der Oper, opposite the Bavarian State Opera in Munich's Altstadt, pours Spaten beer and cooks classic Bavarian; the suckling pig.

Signature: Wiener Schnitzel, Suckling pig with red cabbage

Order: The Wiener Schnitzel with cucumber salad; the suckling pig with braised red cabbage if you want one big plate.

Tip: Book the upstairs room for opera pre-shows; the ground floor is the casual side.

Residenzstrasse 12, 80333 München Book →

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