Recipe: Bladl

Whether savory or sweet, we've kept this classic of Pinzgau cuisine from you for far too long: the Bladl! These are empty or filled baked dough pockets, which are served either savory with sauerkraut or sweet with lingonberry jam. Today, we're going to delve into the world of Bladln with you.

Bladl were rather rare at my home, which is a shame because they taste really, really good! I'm even more delighted that I can now ensure a steady supply of Bladl myself. So that you can also enjoy them, I'm sharing my recipe with you here!

Tips for Preparation:

Traditionally, Bladl are made from rye flour. However, if you use only rye flour, the Bladl can turn out a bit tough, meaning they won't be very crispy. Since a bit of crispiness is always welcome, we use a mixture of rye and wheat flour. Like many dishes from the Pinzgau region, Bladl can be enjoyed savory or sweet. Today, we'll be making both "empty" and "filled" Bladl. For the filled Bladl, we'll prepare a potato-bacon filling and serve them with sauerkraut. For dessert, we'll serve the empty Bladl with lingonberry jam. Of course, you can also enjoy the empty Bladl with sauerkraut. ;-)

Ingredients for 4 servings:

  • 330 g wheat flour
  • 170 g rye flour
  • 1/4 liter water
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 4-5 cooked floury potatoes
  • 200 g diced bacon
  • 1 medium onion, finely diced
  • some salt
  • some nutmeg
  • some pepper
  • some marjoram
  • Sauerkraut
  • Lingonberries
  • Powdered sugar
  • Canola oil for frying

Preparation:

  1. For the savory filling, sauté the onion and bacon in some canola oil.
  2. Finely grate the potatoes, mix with the onion-bacon mixture, and season with salt, pepper, marjoram, and a bit of nutmeg.
  3. For the Bladl, mix the rye flour and wheat flour together, and bring the water with the butter to a boil.
  4. Pour the boiling butter water over the flour and quickly knead into a dough.
  1. Divide the dough into four parts and roll each into a log.
  2. Cut the log into 2 cm thick slices and roll each slice into a disc using some wheat flour, then stack them.
  3. Meanwhile, heat the canola oil for frying in a pot or deep frying pan. The deeper the oil, the nicer the Bladl will turn out.
  4. Fill a portion of the raw Bladl with the potato mixture. Ensure that the edges are well sealed. You can moisten the edges with some water, fold them together, and press the edges with a dough roller.
  1. Once the oil is hot enough (you'll know when bubbles form around a wooden cooking spoon inserted into the oil), gently slide the Bladl into the oil.
  2. Fry them until golden brown on both sides. You should see air bubbles forming, called "Blodan," which are responsible for the name of the Bladl.
  3. Allow the finished Bladl to drain on some kitchen paper towels and serve warm with sauerkraut and/or lingonberries, sprinkled with powdered sugar.
  4. Enjoy your meal!

If you're craving Bladl but don't feel like cooking them yourself, head over to Stöcklalm in Leogang. They have them on the menu every Tuesday!

Kristina