Swiss

Homemade Spätzli

Name: Homemade Spätzli
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4 people
Cuisine: Swiss
Ingredients: 300 g flour; 3 fresh eggs; 1.5 dl water (or half water, half milk); 1 tsp salt; butter for serving

The famous Swiss soft egg noodles, perfect alongside game, meats in sauce, or simply pan-fried in butter.

Prep: 40 min
Cook: 15 min
Total: 55 min
Level: Easy

A plate of golden butter-fried spätzli sprinkled with parsley

Tips

The dough should shine and bubble when you beat it. That's the sign it's ready.
10 g of salt per litre of water → otherwise the spätzli will taste bland.
For a Käsespätzli version, top with grated cheese and fried onions and bake until golden.
Better to make too many → keep them in the fridge and turn them into a spätzli gratin the next day.

Method

Put the flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre and crack the eggs into it.
Pour in the water little by little while beating with a wooden spoon or mixer. The dough should shine and bubble — a sign that it's elastic.
Cover and let rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (10 g of salt per litre).
Set the spätzli press over the pot. Pour in a portion of dough and scrape with a spatula to let it fall into the water in small strands.
The spätzli are cooked as soon as they rise to the surface — about 1 minute. Lift them out with a slotted spoon and drain.
Work in batches until all the dough is used up.
To serve, sauté the spätzli in butter for a few minutes for a golden, crisp finish. Season with salt and pepper.