German bierocks (or Runzas) recipe
Bierocks are a classic german meal that consists of cabbage, onion, and beef all inside of a sweet roll. If you have never had homemade bierocks, you have never lived!
That might be a bit much, but seriously they are THAT good.
Now, they are time-consuming to make, but don't let that stop you! I have easy to follow instructions to help you step by step.
What can you add to bierocks?
- cheese
- sauerkraut
What you need to make Bierocks:
Ingredients:
bierocks dough
- 1 package active dry yeast
- 2 ½ cups warm water
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup salted butter (melted)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 10 cups all-purpose flour
bierocks filling
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 large onion
- 4 cups cabbage
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
How to make Bierocks
Bierocks dough
The first thing you will do is add yeast to your large mixing bowl. Then you will add in your warm water. Whisk these together for about 10 seconds and then let it set for 10 minutes until it looks frothy.
You will want to microwave the milk for 20-30 seconds or until it feels warm. Also, you will want to melt your butter and then let it set. The key to a dough that rises properly is using warm temperatures of liquid ingredients. If it's too hot, it won't rise.
When the water and yeast are frothy, you will add in the warm milk and melted butter. Mix this for about a minute.
Then, add in your sugar and eggs.
After this has been mixed well, you will begin adding flour.
Start by adding in 1 cup at a time. When the bierock dough starts getting thicker, switch to your dough hook. Keep adding in all the flour until you have used up the 10 cups.
Then, you will want to scoop this dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 2 minutes.
Kneading is when you grab the edge of the dough and fold in towards the center, pressing down. You then keep rotating the dough ball until it looks more uniform.
Form it into a ball and place it in a well-oiled bowl.
Cover the dough, and let it rise in a warm location of your house for about 1 hour.
You can then work on the bierocks filling.
Bierocks Filling
Start by chopping up your onion and cabbage. You will want to place butter into a large frying pan and then add in the shredded onion and cabbage. Let this cook for 6-7 minutes stirring often.
Next, you will want to cook your hamburger and then drain the grease.
In a large mixing bowl, you will combine the hamburger, cabbage, onion, and salt and pepper. This will make a traditional bierock filling.
What I like to do is also add in some shredded cheddard cheese! This step is certainly optional, but if you like cheese, I definitely recommend it.
You will mix all of this together.
Assembling the Bierocks
When the dough has risen for the full 1 hour, you will then separate out the dough into 18 balls of dough. Roll them each out on a floured surface.
Then you should pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
The next step is to scoop approximately ½ cup of the bierocks filling into the dough.
Then fold the dough around the filling, pinching it closed.
Then place it on a cookie sheet with parchment paper, seam side down.
You will then bake these bierocks for 30 minutes. Make sure to rotate the pan half-way through cooking time.
Another optional, but equally tasty thing you can do is brush the tops with melted butter!
This recipe make approximately 18 bierocks.
Homemade Bierocks Recipe
Bierocks are a famous German dish consisting of ground hamburger, cabbage, and onion all encased in a sweet bread roll. The combination is amazing!
Ingredients
Ingredients:
Bierocks Dough
- 1 package active dry yeast
- 2 ½ cups warm water
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup salted butter melted
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 10 cups all-purpose flour
Bierocks Filling
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1 onion
- 4 cups shredded cabbage
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon pepper
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese optional
Instructions
Directions:
Bierocks Dough
-
The first thing you will do is add yeast to your large mixing bowl. Then you will add in your warm water. Whisk these together for about 10 seconds and then let it sit for 10 minutes until it looks frothy.
-
Then you will want to microwave the milk for 20-30 seconds or until it feels warm. Also, you will want to melt your butter and then let it set.
-
When the water and yeast are frothy, you will add in the warm milk and melted butter. Mix this for about a minute.
-
Then, add in your sugar and eggs. After this has been mixed well, you will begin adding flour.
-
Start by adding in 1 cup at a time. When the bierock dough starts getting thicker, switch to your dough hook. Keep adding in all the flour until you have used up the 10 cups.
-
Then, you will want to scoop this dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 2 minutes. Form it into a ball and place it in a well-oiled bowl.
-
Cover the dough, and let it rise in a warm location of your house for about 1 hour.
You can then work on the bierocks filling.
Bierocks Filling
-
Start by chopping up your onion and cabbage. You will want to place butter into a large frying pan and then add in the shredded onion and cabbage. Let this cook for 6-7 minutes stirring often.
-
Next, you will want to cook your hamburger and then drain the grease.
-
In a large mixing bowl, you will combine the hamburger, cabbage, onion, and salt and pepper. This will make a traditional bierock filling.
-
What I like to do is also add in some shredded cheddar cheese! This step is certainly optional, but if you like cheese, I definitely recommend it. You will mix all of this together.
Assembling the Bierocks
-
When the dough has risen for the full 1 hour, you will then separate out the dough into 18 balls of dough. Roll them each out on a floured surface.
-
Then, pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Next, scoop approximately ½ cup of the bierocks filling into the dough. Then fold the dough around the filling, pinching it closed.
-
Then place it on a cookie sheet with parchment paper, seam side down. You will then bake these bierocks for 30 minutes. Make sure to rotate the pan half-way through cooking time.
-
Another optional, but equally tasty thing you can do is brush the tops with melted butter!
Linda Gaddis
I have not made bierocks in a long time. I am a 67 yr old woman and I just quit doing a lot of stuff. But my hubby loves these, so I have my first batch baking right now. I have made a pre New Year’s resolution to start doing more. I can’t believe the dough was as easy as it was. I was worried it wouldn’t rise, but it did. I am soooo proud of myself. Thank you for this great recipe. I am sure they will taste great.
Melissa Gold
Mom would wrap in foil and off to the
drive-in we would go in the station wagon.
Gail Bernard
First time making these. I loved them!!! Filling batch didn’t match the dough batch though. I have enough lift over for half a dough batch so just froze it until next time. My girlfriends and I share recIpies so this is going out there. I don’t like a lot of bread dough so made 16. With about 1.4 oz dough.
Krissy
The recipe was honestly simple and delicious!
Only one thing I would change next time bc and that is adding a little salt to the bread maybe. But I absolutely loved how it turned out texture wise. Thank you!
Amy
Beyond stoked to find this recipe! My grandma has been gone since 2004 and my mom makes a quicker version that just doesn’t cut it. Trying this tomorrow. So glad you shared! Grandma and mom are from Hays, Ks. 🙂
Toby Halfhill
I'm so glad you developed this recipe. Minus the cheese its exactly the same as the one my mom made for 65 years, minus the cheese. You must photo shop because you don't look that old. This is the standard German recipe that my great Gramma brought with her from Germany in the 1800's. I hope you keep developing these. So did you develop the recipe for kolaches too.
Joanna Stephens
Glad to hear it Toby! The cheese is my modern addition because my family like it with it. I haven't added kolaches yet, just because I test and retest until I find the right ratio of everything. I'm sure in time I will have a recipe for it though! 🙂
Katina
Thank you so much for this easy to follow recipe! I LOVE Bierocks—but can’t find them very often! I have been very hesitant to work with anything that requires yeast—but this recipe was perfect!!!!! Thank you so much!!
Bryan
It’s a perfectly simple recipe and absolutely Perfect!!
Caitlin
My family loved these! I didn't realize how much it made at first, so we froze what we didn't initally eat and they warmed up wonderfully. We are now trying variation fillings to freeze and take on camping trips to warm up! Thanks so much!
Debi Snyder
I grew up in Fresno, CA and had my first Bierock as a young child on a cold winter day at the local flea market. I thought I'd gone to heaven. Holding that warm pillow of deliciousness in my cold little fingers and tasting the yummy bread and filling Is one of my favorite childhood memories. I made some a few weeks ago, my filling recipe is very similar to yours;. I'll have to give your bread recipe a try.
Krissy
Shout out to Fresno!! 🙂
(My home!)
Kristy Hess
I grew up having non traditional variations of this from fried to bake to all kinds of fillings. Your dough recipe is great, but it made sooo much. Can it be frozen and at what point if so? I could make half this amount, but would be too little for kitchen aid. I did my own stuffing. A variation of shepards pie filling. Big hit!!
Joanna Stephens
I'm so glad you enjoyed my bierock dough recipe! You can definitely freeze this dough. Right after the dough rises for 1 hour, I divide them into equal sized balls. Then, any dough balls you don't use place in a freezer bag. When you are ready to use them again, let them thaw at room temperature before rolling them out. Love the idea of using a shepherds pie filling, sounds delicious!