Nebraskan Runzas Recipes

EASY HOMEMADE RUNZAS

Steps:

• Put warm water, yeast, sugar, salt, and butter in the mixer bowl and add a cup of flour. Using the whip attachment, mix thoroughly, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally.
• Hint: grab a clean dish towel and wrap it around the bowl. That is unless you enjoy cleaning up flour. (I don't.)
• Add 2 cups of flour, one at a time, and beat well. Keep the mixer draped for the next step.
• Switch to a dough hook and keep adding flour gradually until the hook starts pulling the dough away from the sides of the bowl.
• Stop the mixer and feel the dough. If it's still sticky, add a tablespoon or so of flour at a time and resume kneading with the dough hook.
• Stop adding flour when it's soft but handles without sticking to your fingers. Great bread dough should feel satiny and elastic.
• Remove the dough hook and gather the dough into a ball.
• Spray the bowl generously with non-stick spray and return the dough to the bowl. It's not necessary to wash it before you do.
• Smooth a little cooking oil or olive oil over the dough, cover the bowl with a dishtowel and set it in a nice warm place to rise for about an hour. (In the summer, I've found my car makes a great proofing box!!)
• When the dough has doubled in size, divide it into 16 pieces and roll out into a thin oval about 6" by 8". Heavens, this is no time for exactitude. Think rustic and handmade. I like my runzas a little on the small side with thin, crisp dough wrappers. You may like yours chubby.
• Brown the ground beef until it begins to lose its pink.
• Next, add the butter, olive oil, onion, and cabbage and cook until the cabbage and onion wilts and the ground beef gets a little brown. Finally, break up the meat into pretty fine crumbles.
• Add salt, pepper, and garlic.
• Set it aside to cool until the bread is ready and rolled out.
• Put about 1/2- 2/3 cup of filling on each dough oval and fold over, sealing edges of the bread dough.
• You may water to wet the dough with your finger dipped in warm water for a better seal.
• Place each runza seam side down on a baking sheet. Leave a bit of space between each one to allow the bread to rise.
• Let them rise about 20-30 minutes.
• Bake in a 375-degree oven for about 20 minutes or until nicely browned. Brush with melted butter when they come out of the oven to give them a soft, beautiful color and tasty crust.
• These keep well in the fridge for a few days. Or, wrap individually in foil and freeze. They freeze well, so make a bunch when you do.
• REHEAT: Heat frozen wrapped runzas in 400* oven for 20-25 min. Remove foil last 5 min.

RUNZAS

Steps:

• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat; cook and stir ground beef and onion until beef is crumbly, evenly browned, and no longer pink. Drain and discard any excess grease. Stir in cabbage and season with 1 teaspoon salt. Continue to cook and stir until cabbage is tender, about 20 more minutes. Set mixture aside to cool.
• Mix warm water and butter in a large bowl. Combine dry milk powder, sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and yeast in another bowl; stir into butter mixture. Add egg and gradually stir in flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until dough is smooth.
• Roll dough out to 1/4-inch thick on a lightly floured surface; cut into 4-inch squares. Scoop beef mixture into each dough square. Bring corners of a dough square together at the top and pinch corners together to seal. Place on a baking sheet, seam side down. Repeat with remaining beef mixture and dough. Cover rolls with a damp cloth and allow to rise for 20 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

RUNZAS

Steps:

• First, make the filling: Chop onions and garlic and sauté in a large frying pan with a little butter or olive oil until tender.
• Add ground beef along with generous amounts of salt and pepper and cook through, then drain well, if needed. (This will depend on how fatty the beef is.)
• Put browned ground beef into a large pot (I like to use my Crock pot). Stir in cabbage and kraut and simmer 3-4 hours, stirring often, and seasoning and tasting. (If using a Crock pot, cook on "low" for 5 to 6 hours.)
• Now to make dough: Stir the yeast into the warm water.
• In a large bowl, mix together sugar, salt, and eggs. Beat in eggs, then stir in yeast mixture.
• Add flours quickly one cup at a time, stirring well after each cup. (I use my Bosch mixer for this step.)
• When the dough begins to pull away from the side of the mixing bowl, turn out onto a lightly-floured countertop and incorporate remaining flour by kneading. Knead 100 strokes until the dough is elastic and smooth. (Kneading can be omitted but this will make the dough nicer to handle, and with an improved texture.)
• Let rest in a covered bowl one hour or until doubled in size.
• Cut off golf ball sized pieces. Lightly flour countertop and roll out each piece.
• Fill each circle of dough with approximately 1/2 cup of filling, and optional cheese if desired. Pull edges of dough around the filling and pinch tightly. Place on a sheet of parchment on a sheet pan, or a 9x13" pan. Or any pan that you like, actually.
• Preheat oven to 375 while allowing runzas to rest for 30 minutes. Bake for approximately 30 minutes, until approaching golden.
• Swash with melted butter and bake for 10 more minutes or until golden. Serve while hot. Urge caution! The filling will be very hot.

NEBRASKA'S HOMEMADE RUNZA

Steps:

• Start by placing 1 1/2 cups flour, sugar, yeast, and salt into a large mixing bowl.
• Either in a small saucepan over medium heat or a microwave safe bowl, heat the milk, water, and butter to 120-130 degrees F.
• Pour heated wet ingredients into flour mixture. Stir slightly before adding beaten eggs.
• Continue by adding the remaining flour, one cup at a time, until when kneaded the dough comes together and is smooth and elastic.
• Place dough in a greased bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour.
• While dough is rising, cook beef and onion over medium-high heat until meat is no longer pink. Drain.
• Stir in the chopped cabbage, seasoned salt, and pepper. Stir gently until cabbage is cooked and filling combined.
• Punch dough down, and divide into 12 equal portions.
• Working with one piece of dough, roll into a rectangle (approx 6 inches x 8 inches in size).
• Place a heaping 1/2 cup of filling into the center of each dough piece.
• Fold dough over filling. Seal and tuck edges.
• Place onto a greased baking sheet (edges can touch).
• Bake at 350 degrees F for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown.

HOMEMADE RUNZAS

Steps:

• Place frozen dinner roll dough on a sheet pan and rise according to package instructions. It will use 2 rolls for each sandwich.
• While dough rises, begin browning your ground beef and onion in a large skillet. When the meat is about halfway done, add in the shredded cabbage and cover with a lid. Cook until meat and cabbage are done. Drain off any excess grease or liquid. Set aside.
• When rolls have risen completely, lightly flour your surface. Remove two rolls and form a ball. Roll the ball out into a rectangle approximately 5"x7".
• Place approximately 1/3 cup of the filling in the center of the dough and spread out from top to bottom.
• Fold the bottom up and the top of the dough down and press to seal. Fold the left side over, pinching to seal. Then do the right side, gently stretching to cover the left. Pinch closed.
• Place each sandwich on a greased cookie sheet, seam side down.
• Let rise again for another 30-45 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Brush the tops with melted butter.
• Bake in a preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until bread dough is golden brown.
• Serve hot.

EASY HOMEMADE RUNZA RECIPE

Steps:

• This is by far easier when you use a large stand mixer with a dough hook. Put warm water, yeast, sugar, salt and butter in bowl and add a cup of flour. Using whip beater attachment, mix thoroughly, scraping down sides of bowl. HInt: grab a clean dish towel and wrap it around the bowl, see photo. That is unless you really enjoy cleaning up flour. (I don't.) Add 2 cups of flour, one at a time, and beat well. You'll still want to keep your mixer modestly draped for the next step. Switch to dough hook and keep adding flour gradually until the dough hook starts pulling the dough away from the sides of the bowl. Stop the mixer and feel the dough. If it's still sticky, add a tablespoon or so of flour at a time and resume kneading with the dough hook. Stop adding flour when it's soft but handles without sticking to your fingers.Great bread dough should feel satiny and elastic.At this point I simply remove the dough hook and gather the dough into a ball. I spray the bowl generously with Pam or similar, return the dough to the bowl (not necessary to wash it first) smooth a little cooking oil or olive oil over the dough, cover with dish towel and set in a nice warm place. (In the summer, I've found my car makes a great proofing box!!)When the dough has doubled in size, divide into 16 pieces and roll out into a thin oval about 6" by 8". Heavens, this is no time for exactitude. Think rustic and handmade. I like my runzas a little on the small side with thin, crisp dough wrappers. You may like yours chubby.(Sometimes I make 8 runzas with half the dough and cinnamon rolls with the other half.)

NEBRASKA RUNZAS

Steps:

• Brown hamburger and onion, drain and add kraut and caraway seed.
• Cook about 5 minutes.
• Remove from heat.
• Divide dough into 8 parts.
• Roll out each and fill Pinch dough together.
• Place seam side down on lightly greased baking sheet.
• Let raise 20 minutes.
• Bake 15 mins at 350.
• Brush with soften butter.

NEBRASKAN RUNZAS

Steps:

• Make the dough: Combine 3/4 cup warm water (approximately 110 degrees F),the yeast and a pinch of sugar in a large mixing bowl and let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes.
• Add 3 eggs and whisk to combine. Add half of the bread flour and beat with a wooden spoon until good and thready, about 3 minutes. Add the butter, the remaining 3 tablespoons sugar, the remaining flour and the salt and mix well. The dough will be a little sticky. Let rest 15 minutes.
• Knead the dough to develop the gluten until it feels tight and smooth, about 5 minutes. Transfer the dough to a lightly buttered bowl, cover and let it rise for 1 hour at room temperature. Then chill in the refrigerator,1 to 2 hours or overnight.
• Remove the dough from the refrigerator and divide it into 8 even portions. Roll each one into a ball and leave on the counter, covered loosely, to warm up, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the filling: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef, season with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook, breaking up the beef, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer it to a bowl.
• Drain and discard all but a film of the fat from the skillet. Add the butter; when it has melted, add the onion. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until light golden brown, about 15 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme and rosemary and cook 3 minutes. Add the mixture to the bowl containing the beef.
• Without cleaning the skillet, add 1 tablespoon canola oil. Saute the spinach over high heat until wilted and the excess liquid has evaporated, about 1 minute. Chop the spinach, then add it to the beef mixture and set aside to cool.
• Roll out the dough: Flatten a dough ball on a heavily floured surface and roll out into a 3-by-5-inch rectangle. Then make wrapping flaps from the four corners of the rectangle by rolling out each corner thinly so you have a thick rectangle with four thinner triangular wings at the corners.
• Fill the runzas: Spoon 1/2 cup of the beef filling into the center of the dough rectangle and wrap the flaps over it, pinching to close. Flip the bundle over in your hands, gently forming the runza into a fat football shape. Set the runza seam-side down on an oiled baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining filling and dough balls, arranging them on 2 oiled baking sheets. Let the runzas rise about an inch, uncovered, about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Whisk the remaining egg and 2 tablespoons water to make an egg wash and brush it thinly over the tops of the runzas. Bake until golden brown, 25 minutes. Serve hot.