Runzas Bierocks Recipes

BIEROCKS OR RUNZAS

Steps:

• Bloom the yeast in the warm water for 10 minutes, then mix all the remaining dough incredient together in a bowl. Knead on a floured surface for 5 minutes, then cover and let rest 1 hour.
• Make the filling. Heat the butter in a large pan and cook the cabbage, sauerkraut and onions over medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Stir in the thyme, mustard, vinegar and beer and simmer until the liquid is all gone. Turn off the heat, and, when this is cool, mix well with the uncooked meat. Set in the fridge.
• After the first hour has elapsed, punch down the dough, knead a few more times, then roll into a ball, cover and let sit another hour.
• When the dough has about 30 minutes to go, take the filling out of the fridge. It is important that it goes into the bierock at room temperature. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a baking sheet well.
• Cut the dough into eight pieces. Set the pieces you are not working on under plastic wrap or a damp towel. Divide the filling into eight parts, too.
• Roll a piece of dough into a ball, then flatten it to about 1/3 of an inch thick. Roll the outer inch of the dough thinner, to about ¼ inch thick or even thinner if you can - this makes what will become the bottom of the pastry match better with the top. Add some filling and bring the dough up all around it to seal. Set the dough seam side down on a floured surface and gently shape it into a flattened ball with your hands. Set on the greased baking sheet and repeat with the other pieces of dough.
• When all your bierocks are made and on the sheet, paint them all with egg and sprinkle with the seeds, plus a little more salt.
• Bake for 25 minutes, and cool a bit before serving. These are excellent at room temperature, too.

RUNZAS (BIEROCKS)

Steps:

• Thaw out frozen bread dough; cut each roll into 3 pieces and set aside. Brown beef and cabbage in a large skillet, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Roll out bread dough and cut into squares. Place a spoonful of the beef/cabbage mixture onto the center of each dough square. Sprinkle cheese on top, fold over and pinch sides to seal. Rub a bit of oil on the outside of each pastry.
• Place in a 9x13 inch baking dish and bake in the preheated oven for 45 to 60 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.

HOW TO MAKE CABBAGE BUNS (AKA BIEROCKS OR RUNZAS)

Steps:

• To make the filling: Brown the ground beef and onions in a large skillet
• Add in the additional oil, peppers and garlic and sauté until tender
• Add cabbage and allow to soften and turn golden brown
• Season to taste with salt and pepper, then set the filling aside to cool- you can even prepare it ahead of time and refrigerate until dough is ready
• To make dough: In mixing bowl, combine the yeast and 2 cups flour
• In medium saucepan, heat milk, sucanat, butter, and salt to about 110-115 degrees until butter is just melted (too hot will kill yeast)
• Add warm liquid mixture to flour and yeast, add eggs
• Beat on low speed 30 seconds, beat on high 3 minutes
• Stir in rest of flour and knead 6-8 minutes until smooth and elastic
• Allow dough to rise for an hour in a warm place
• Punch down and roll out on a clean counter top to create a rectangle shape that's about 1/4 inch thick
• Cut dough into 4″x4″ squares
• Add large spoonful of filling to each square (I flatten the individual squares a bit more before adding filling)
• Bring up the four corners of wrapper and pinch together
• Place balls seam-side down on a baking stone or tray and allow to rise 30 minutes
• Bake at 375 F degrees 30 minutes or until golden brown
• Serve warm with a generous dollop of sour cream on the side

TRADITIONAL GERMAN BIEROCKS (AKA RUNZAS) - MADE FROM SCRATCH: RECIPE BY INDIANA MOMMY - COOKING FROM THE HEART LAND

Steps:

• For the filling: I make the filling the day before I want to make the bierocks and cool it overnight in the refrigerator. Start by warming 1 tablespoon of the butter & avocado oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the shredded cabbage, the onion, the ground beef and the salt and pepper. Break up the beef. Add the water and cover and cook over medium low heat for 30-40 minutes stirring occasionally. The cabbage should be wilted and the beef fully cooked through. Drain the mixture when it finishes cooking.
• For the dough: Heat the milk, water & butter over low heat on the stovetop until the butter is almost melted (between 120-130 degrees Fahrenheit.) In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook add 4 cups of the flour with the salt, sugar and yeast and stir together. Slowly add the milk mixture while the dough hook is mixing. Scrape the bottom and the sides a few times to make sure there aren't any pockets of flour in this mixture. Once all the flour is mixed in, add the eggs 1 at a time and mix for 3-5 minutes until all those ingredients are fully incorporated. Then while the dough hook is going add 1 cup of flour at a time until your dough comes together. It will pull away from the sides of the bowl and no longer be sticky. You need to knead the dough for 10 minutes. Grease a large bowl and put the dough into that bowl, rubbing the top and bottom in the grease that is in the bowl. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a slightly warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size. Punch it down and let it rise again for 1 hour or until doubled in size. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 4. Roll each of these 1/4ths into a rectangle and cut into 6 pieces. Take about ½ cup of the filling mixture and put it into each of the 1/6ths. Pull up the diagonal corners to meet in the middle and close all 4 seams by pinching them shut. Put all the bierocks on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes or until nicely browned on top. I rotated mine halfway through cooking to ensure even browning. You can put them seam side up or down. Down is the more popular method because it holds the seams closed better, but that's up to you. I brushed them all with butter when they came out of the oven but that is not required.
• These freeze so well and are really great dipped in ketchup, bbq sauce, ranch, blue cheese....I love my dips haha!

STUFFED HAMBURGER-CABBAGE BUNS (RUNZAS OR BIEROCKS)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In 10 inch skillet, brown beef over medium heat.
• Drain fat and add cabbage, onions, parsley, garlic, salt and pepper.
• Cook until cabbage is crisp/tender (5 minutes).
• Add cheese and ketchup.
• Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
• Divide each bread loaf into 4 equal pieces.
• Roll dough out on lightly floured surface into a 6 inch circle.
• Place 1/2 C of beef mixture into center of each circle.
• Pinch the edges of the dough together to enclose beef and form into bun shape.
• Seam side down, place filled bun on greased cookie sheet.
• In small bowl, mix egg and milk.
• Brush top of bun with egg mixture.
• Sprinkle top with a bit of kosher salt and cracked pepper if desired.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes or until browned.
• Serve with ketchup, mustard, barbecue sauce and relish if desired.
• TIP-buns can be frozen after cooking.
• To prepare frozen buns, remove from freezer-wrap in foil and place on cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 55-60 minutes or until heated through.

EASY GERMAN BIEROCKS (RUNZA)

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Stir in ground beef, and cook until crumbly and no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Stir in chopped onion, and cook until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes more. Add the chopped cabbage; cook and stir until the cabbage has softened, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then spread the mixture onto a baking sheet to cool until cool enough to handle.
• Once the mixture has cooled, flatten a dinner roll, and place several tablespoons of the cabbage mixture in the center. Pull the edges of the dough over the filling and pinch to seal. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.
• Heat the oil in a deep-fryer or electric skillet to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Fry bierocks a few at a time in the preheated oil on both sides until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes; drain on paper towels.

RHODES RUNZAS (BIEROCKS)

Steps:

• Saute cabbage and onion in oil. Cover and steam for 40 minutes. Brown ground beef in a large pan and drain well. Add cabbage, onion, sugar, vinegar, salt and pepper and cook for an additional 20 minutes. Flatten each Texas roll or 2 dinner rolls into a 6-inch circle. Divide filling among 12 circles (about 1/3 cup). Place 1 tablespoon mozzarella cheese on top of filling. Pull edges around filling and pinch to close. Place on a large sprayed baking sheet, pinched side down. Brush tops with melted butter. Bake at 350 degrees F. 30-35 minutes.