Griessbrei
A German semolina porridge cooked in milk with sugar and vanilla, served with cinnamon sugar and stewed fruit.
Photograph credit: Griessbrei 002 (50237915086) by Tauralbus · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Don't Make These Mistakes
Pour the semolina in slowly while whisking.
Stir often so the base does not catch.
Add milk if the porridge gets too thick.
Top with stewed apples or plums for a fruit version.
How to Make Griessbrei
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Heat the milk, first measure of sugar, vanilla and salt in a pan until it begins to steam.
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Pour in the semolina in a thin stream, whisking constantly for 1 minute.
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Lower the heat and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often, until thick and creamy. Stir in the butter.
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Mix the cinnamon with the second measure of sugar. Serve the porridge hot with the cinnamon sugar on top.
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What's Going On Here
A cold morning, a pan of milk and a handful of semolina: this is a breakfast for a small household, and it is ready in about 20 minutes. Grießbrei is the German name for semolina porridge, and it is eaten by children and adults alike.
The key is how the semolina goes in. Pour it into the hot milk in a thin stream while stirring, not all at once. Stir constantly for the first minute. Semolina clumps the instant it hits hot liquid, and a whisk smooths out lumps before they set.
Once it thickens, lower the heat and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring often. It sticks easily, and the base of the pan scorches if you leave it alone.
Serve it hot with a spoonful of cinnamon sugar or some stewed fruit in the middle. Both are classic. Fruit compote, grated apple or a spoonful of jam all work well on top. Warm milk loosens the porridge if it thickens before you serve it.
Leftovers, Reheating and Keeping
Best eaten straight away. It thickens as it cools, so loosen with milk when reheating.
Serving Griessbrei
- Stewed apples
- Plum compote
- Fresh berries
- Cinnamon sugar
Griessbrei Nutrition Facts
Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. How the figures are worked out.
Your notes on this recipe
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Compiled by Turab
Checked by script for timings, diet labels and nutrition arithmetic. How the recipes are checked. Found a mistake? Tell us.
First published ; last changed .
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