Grebble, Krebble & Roll kuchen:
Volga German Fried‑Dough Traditions
A Little Background
🌾 Background: Krebble, Grebble & Roll kuchen
in Volga German Life
When the Volga Germans left their villages along the Rhine in the 1760s and resettled on the Russian steppe, they carried with them a whole constellation of humble fried‑dough traditions. Over generations, those recipes adapted to frontier life: simple doughs, hot fat, and whatever ingredients were on hand.
Krebble (also spelled Grebble, Krepple, or Krebbel) became the winter treat — little folded or twisted pieces of dough fried golden and dusted with sugar. They were made for Christmas, for Fastnacht, or simply for the joy of having something warm and sweet on a cold day. These pastries weren’t fancy, but they were deeply loved, and every family had its own shape, its own fold, its own memory attached to them.
Rollkuchen, on the other hand, grew into a summertime ritual once Volga Germans migrated again — this time to the American and Canadian prairies. Wheat was plentiful, cream was fresh, and hot oil was always ready during threshing season. Families rolled the dough thin, cut it into strips, and fried it until blistered and crisp.
And somewhere along the way, a magical pairing emerged: Rollkuchen with cold watermelon. No one knows exactly who first set the two on the table together, but the contrast — hot and crisp, cold and sweet — was irresistible.
It became a prairie tradition so strong that for many Volga German descendants, summer doesn’t feel complete without that plate of fried dough and a chilled slice of melon. It’s one of those beautiful food moments where necessity, season, and pure pleasure come together to create a tradition that feels timeless.
Prep
Step 1
Get oil ready in pan for frying. It will take 10 minutes or so to heat up.
1. Mix All dry ingredients in a bowl.
2. Mix the egg, milk, and sour cream together in a bowl till smooth
and then mix in the dry ingredients a little at a time. Let the dough sit for half an hour or overnight.
Or
Go here to make some basic Fastnacht dough or Berliner Dough
Step 2
Roll out the dough to about 1/4 inch thick. dividing the dough into smaller chunks makes
it easier for some.
Cut a rectangle about 3 inchs long and make a slit in the center the long way about an inch long.
Step 3
Bring one end and pull it through the center and pull it all the way through
Step 4
Give it a twist.
Step 5
Heat the oil to about 350 degrees F. If you don’t have a thermometer you can use a small piece of
dough and place in the oil to see if it bubbles and begins browning.
When hot add the Grebbles and brown on one side and flip to brown the other.
Step 6
When browned on both sides remove to a paper towel
Step 7
A very similar technique of pulling the dough through itself only a different shape.
These are called Angel Wings
You can use this pattern on the dough to cut out diamonds
Here is the diamond shape, make a slit in the center
like you did with the bow tie.
Make a slit and pull it through like the Grebble
Fry like you do the Grebble
Grebble Krepple, Bow Ties or Roll Kuchen: Volga German Fried‑Dough Traditions
Equipment
- Large pot for deep frying and 4-cups Canila or Vegetable oil
- or
- Large Frying pan for shallow frying
- Use 1 inch of Canola or vegetable oil in it.
Ingredients
Baking Powder Dough
- Ingredients:
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoon milk
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 / 4 cup sour cream
Yeast Dough
- Fastnacht or Berliner Dough https://staging.kitchenproject.com/recipes/berliners-berliner-pfankuchen/
Instructions
- Mix All dry ingredients in a bowl.
- Mix the egg, milk, and sour cream together in a bowl till smooth and then mix in the dry ingredients a little at a time. Let the dough sit for half an hour or overnight.
- I cut 1 and 1/2 inc by 4 inch rectangle of dough. You can make them any size. Cut a slit in the center either vertical or horizontal, whatever your fancy is.
- Bring one end to the center and pull it through. If using a yeast dough, let these rise to get fluffy.
- Heat the oil to 350 degrees. I use about 3 inches of Canola oil
- in a large heavy soup pot. Test a nub of dough first to see if it is
- the right heat. If not it will get too dark.
- Fry the dough in the deep fat turn over carefully with a metal spatula, tongs or skimmer or something that you can lift them out with.
- I didn’t powder sugar the bow ties, but you certainly can.
- You can also shallow fry these in an inch of oil. If doing large quantites you may need to
- change the oil as it gets brown and smells bad.
- These keep well in a tin can and even improve with age.
Final Thoughts
One of the ways that the Volga German’s in Canada enjoyed this pastry was to serve it
with watermelon on a hot summer day.
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