Homemade Bierocks Recipe (Hamburger and Cabbage filled rolls)

Name: Homemade Bierocks Recipe
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 1 package active dry yeast; 2 1/2 cups warm water; 1 cup milk; 1/2 cup salted butter (melted); 1/2 cup granulated sugar; 2 eggs; 10 cups all-purpose flour; 2 Tbsp butter; 1 onion; 4 cups shredded cabbage; 2 pounds ground beef; 2 tsp salt; 2 tsp pepper; 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

by Joanna Stephens Published: Feb 1, 2019 · Updated: Dec 7, 2021 · This post may contain affiliate links. We earn commission from purchases made. ·

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

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.

German bierocks sliced open to show the beef and cabbage filling

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.

Chopped onions and cabbage in a frying pan.

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.

Mix the meat, cabbage and onion together in a large mixing bowl

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.

The bierocks being assembled. Pinching the dough as you bring it to the center.

Then place it on a cookie sheet with parchment paper, seam side down.

Bierocks on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper ready to be baked.

You will then bake these bierocks for 30 minutes. Make sure to rotate the pan half-way through cooking time.

Delicious homemade bierocks with cheese on a plate.

Another optional, but equally tasty thing you can do is brush the tops with melted butter!

This recipe make approximately 18 bierocks.

close up image of the bierock that was cut open

4.86 from 14 votes