• Terminology
  • Name and Etymology
• Ingredients and Preparation
  • Dough
  • Filling
  • Preparation
  • Cooking Methods
• Geography and Migration
  • Origin
  • Spread
  • Date
• Cultural Association
  • Holidays
  • Then to Now
• Bibliography

Dough

Mim Sheraton writes that the Maultaschen dough is prepared in the same way as the German Nudeln, or egg noodle, and rolled out to a thickness of about one-eight inch. The following is a recipe taken from Sheraton's The German Cookbook:

3 eggs
4 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups flour

Beat egg well with water and a dash or two of salt. Sift 1 cup flour onto floured pastry board and make a well in center. Pour beaten egg into well and gradually work in flour until dough holds together. If it remains sticky, add flour until smooth enough to handle. Knead dough 5 or 10 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. Rub a little flour onto your hands, shape dough lightly into a ball and let stand, uncovered, 10 minutes so that it will dry out. Cut dough into thirds, and with floured rolling pin, roll each section to tissue thinness. Cut into 3" squares with a knife, or into 3" circles with a scalloped cookie cutter or glass.

Speculation of Dough History

In the 9th century, the three-field system of rotating crops became popular so that the production of flour rose steeply, allowing for the ready production of dough. In the 16th century, buckwheat was introduced from Russia and its production soon became mainstream, and continued to be cultivated until the 20th century. Buckwheat noodles had been popular in Italy, as well, suggesting that the Maultaschen’s dough, through its migration from Italy, may have been comprised of buckwheat flour. Famines in 1771-1772 caused by poor grain harvests called for the rapid production of potatoes. The German Food Guide writes that the famines “soon convinved people of the viability of potatoes as an important food source” (http://www.germanfoodguide.com/kartoffel.cfm). It can be suggested that during this time, potato flour was used to continue the dumpling making- though northern regions like Franconia and Thuringia are more commonly known to have dumplings made from either a combination of flour and potatoes or just potatoes (Heinzelmann, 2008). Interestingly today, grain is Germany’s most common crop.  The type of flour used for the Maultaschen can vary, but nowadays plain wheat flour is the most common. The use of flour for dumpling dough came naturally, as it was (and still is) an accessible and generally cheap ingredient.