Kraut Crullers are so good and I would never have expected that filling noodle dough with sauerkraut could be that delicious but it is!
This recipe reminds me of cannelloni or lasagna since it is made with noodle dough and a filling. But I never thought of filling it with sauerkraut. So, my first encounter with this recipe was a total surprise and an instant hit for family dinner.
Video for Kraut Crullers
The Sauerkraut Filling
As a child, I didn’t like sauerkraut. I thought it was the second-worst food in the world (second to Brussel sprouts). The reason was, that my mom didn’t know how to prepare sauerkraut. She would just open the jar and heat the content. That’s not how it works! First of all, Sauerkraut needs to be cooked for an extended time to be tender and taste good. Second, adding spices, onions, bacon and other taste-increasing ingredients are key.
Knowing this, almost any sauerkraut dish will instantly taste wonderful, and even the kids like it. Our absolute favorite sauerkraut recipe is the Creamed Sauerkraut but the Krautkrapfen (German name for Kraut Crullers) comes as a close second!
Btw.: Learn how to make Sauerkraut from scratch!
For those who prefer a vegan dish, just leave out the bacon, use vegetable broth and there you have a wonderful, healthy vegan meal.
Making Noodle Dough
The challenge with noodle dough is, that it can’t be made in a regular kitchen mixer. You have to knead it by hand and that requires a lot of elbow greases. On the bright side: It’s the “workout of the day” and will train your biceps. Besides, it’s worth the work!
When it comes to the consistency of the dough, you need to know that the ingredients need to come together. If you have kneaded for quite a while but the dough still crumbles and falls apart, you need to add more water! But adding water to a kneading dough is a little difficult, so here is how I do it: I make a little puddle of water on the kneading board and then work the dough on that puddle until it has soaked all the water. The dough will be sticky for a while until it has mixed that liquid into the entire dough ball but this is how it works for me. Keep in mind that the dough must be rolled out later, so it has to be smooth and workable.
Tips for Great Krautkrapfen
- Drain the sauerkraut before spreading it on the dough.
- Leave some space on one side of the dough to close it there.
- Brush a little water on the seam end where you close the roll.
- Make all slices the same length so all will be cooked through at the same time.
- Use a caserole with the right size so the Krautkrapfen will stand close next to each other.
- If your Kraut Crullers need a little more color, use the broil function of the oven for the last couple of minutes.
Pin Kraut Crullers with this Picture
Kraut Crullers / Kraut Rolls / Krautkrapfen
Ingredients
- 300 g Flour All purpose
- ½ tsp Salt
- 80 ml Water
- 5 tbsp Oil i.e. sunflower oil
- 200 g Bacon
- 1 Onion medium size
- 500 g Sauerkraut
- 500 ml Beef Broth maybe more
- 1 Clove
- 1 Bay Leaf
- ½ tsp Caraway Seeds
- 1 tsp Butter soft
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt.300 g Flour, ½ tsp Salt
- Add the water and the oil and start mixing with your hands, kneading and creating a firm but workable dough.80 ml Water, 5 tbsp Oil
- Wrap the dough and let rest for at least 30 minutes.
- Cut the bacon and onion into smaller pieces.200 g Bacon, 1 Onion
- Heat a pot, add the bacon and fry for a couple of minutes, then also add the onion and fry for another couple of minutes.
- Add the Sauerkraut to the pot, also add the bay leaf, clove, and caraway seeds. Then add about half of the beef broth.Cook for 30 to 60 minutes, let the liquid evaporate until only little is left.500 g Sauerkraut, 1 Clove, 1 Bay Leaf, ½ tsp Caraway Seeds, 500 ml Beef Broth
- Strain the sauerkraut, catch the remaining liquid for later. Let the sauerkraut cool.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F (convection oven) or 200°C / 400°F (other ovens).
- Cut the dough in halves and roll out each half into a large, thin rectangle.
- Add half of the cooled sauerkraut to the dough, leaving some space on one long side.
- Start to wrap the dough around the sauerkraut from one long end towards the end with the gap. Roll it tightly!
- When the dough has almost completely rolled, brush some water on the dough where the gap is, this will help to close the roll.
- Cut the rolls into slices of 3 cm / 1½ inches.
- Brush the butter onto the bottom of a casserole and set the slices (cut side up) into it. The slices should be close next to each other.1 tsp Butter
- Now, add the liquid that you still have from cooking the sauerkraut. Additionally, add enough beef broth to cover the Kraut Crullers ⅔ of their height.
- Cover with an oven-safe lid or aluminum foil, then put the casserole into the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, remove the lid/foil and bake for another 15 minutes. If you want, you can use the broil function of the oven for the last 2-3 minutes.
- Serve with a salad.
