Equipment
Ingredients
Matzo Ball Dough
- 4 eggs, room temperature
- 60 ml schmaltz, melted but slightly cooled
- 60 ml seltzer water, cold
- 5 g kosher salt
- 1 g black pepper, freshly ground
- 5 g fresh dill, finely chopped
- 120 g whole-wheat matzo meal
Cooking Liquid
- 3000 ml chicken broth
- 15 g kosher salt
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 122 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbohydrates
- 9 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fiber
- 0 g
- Sugar
- 1 g
- Sodium
- 1598 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 2 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 3 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 71 mg
- Potassium
- 81 mg
- Calcium
- 22 mg
- Iron
- 0.7 mg
- Magnesium
- 7 mg
- Phosphorus
- 52 mg
- Zinc
- 0.4 mg
- Vitamin A
- 28 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 0 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.6 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.4 mg
- Vitamin K
- 0 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.0 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.2 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.06 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.23 mg
- Niacin
- 0.6 mg
- Folate
- 8 mcg
- Water
- 263 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
In a medium mixing bowl, vigorously whisk the eggs, melted schmaltz, cold seltzer water, salt, black pepper, and fresh dill until completely uniform and slightly frothy.
Sprinkle the whole-wheat matzo meal over the wet ingredients. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the mixture until the dry ingredients are just moistened. Do not overmix, as this will develop a tough texture.
Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate. The chilling phase is critical for the matzo meal to fully hydrate and for the fat to solidify, making the dough manageable to shape.
While the dough is resting, pour the chicken broth into a large pot and bring to a rolling boil at 100°C/212°F over high heat.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator. With wet hands, gently scoop and roll the mixture into 12 balls, each about the size of a ping-pong ball. Use a very light touch; rolling them tightly will yield dense matzo balls.
Carefully drop the formed balls into the boiling liquid. Immediately reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, cover the pot tightly, and cook undisturbed. Do not remove the lid during cooking.
Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked matzo balls directly into serving bowls containing hot chicken soup, or cool them in their cooking liquid to store.
Chef's Notes
- Whole-wheat matzo meal absorbs slightly more liquid than standard white matzo meal. If the chilled dough seems overly crumbly and impossible to shape, stir in an additional teaspoon of seltzer and let sit for 5 minutes.
- Using cold seltzer water introduces tiny air bubbles into the dough, acting as a mild leavening agent that counteracts the density of the whole-wheat flour.
- Cooking matzo balls directly in chicken broth imparts immense flavor, but be aware it will make the broth cloudy. If a crystal-clear soup is required, boil the matzo balls in heavily salted water instead.
- Schmaltz is traditional and provides unparalleled flavor, but a high-quality olive oil works beautifully and highlights the nutty notes of the whole-wheat.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store fully submerged in cooking broth to prevent drying out and absorbing refrigerator odors.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze in an airtight container completely submerged in broth.
Reheating: Simmer gently in broth over medium-low heat until heated completely through.
Troubleshooting
Matzo balls are exceptionally dense and heavy
Cause: The dough was overmixed, rolled too tightly, or the lid was lifted during cooking.
Fix: Cannot be fixed once cooked. Repurpose by slicing thinly into the soup.
Prevention: Fold the dry ingredients gently, use a feather-light touch when shaping, and keep the pot covered for the entire cooking duration.
Matzo balls fall apart in the boiling broth
Cause: The cooking liquid was at a violent rolling boil, or the dough did not chill long enough to hydrate.
Fix: Cannot be fixed. Strain the broth if a clear soup is desired.
Prevention: Ensure the liquid is reduced to a gentle simmer before covering, and do not skip the 30-minute chilling step.
Cultural Context
Matzo balls, or kneidlach in Yiddish, are Ashkenazi Jewish dumplings traditionally served in chicken soup during the Passover seder when leavened bread is forbidden. Evolving from simple, resource-conscious cooking, they have become an iconic symbol of comfort food. Using whole-wheat matzo meal nods to historical iterations of the dish before refined white flours became commonplace.
