Why It Works
- Enriching the dough with milk, sugar, and butter helps it keep delicate and fluffy after baking.
- Cooking the onion with the meat provides steam to the pan, which retains the meat tender and moist.
- Including water to the pan with the cabbage steams it from beneath and helps evenly distribute the spices.
- Pleating the perimeters collectively creates an excellent bread layer alongside the underside of the bun.
No dish jogs my memory of my house state of Kansas—and the Midwest basically—greater than a bierock (pronounced BEER-ock). Like so many Midwestern meals, it’s undoubtedly modest fare: a spherical bread roll (often fist-sized or a bit of bigger) made with tender, enriched bread and crammed with beef, onions, and cabbage. “However wait,” I hear you say, “That’s a runza!” In fact, “bierock” is the extra frequent designation in Kansas, whereas “runza” is often attributed to Nebraska, however these buns go by many names, together with krautburgers, pirozhki, and fleischbrok (with numerous spelling variations and pronunciations for every variation). They will all be traced again to an expansive ethnoreligious neighborhood of Volga German Mennonites who’ve been sharing and mixing their traditions within the American Heartland for over a century and a half. As a Kansan and descendant of that group, I’d prefer to current my case for the common-or-garden bierock.
Critical Eats / Debbie Wee
A Transient Historical past of Bierocks
Runzas are equivalent to bierocks besides in form; they are usually rectangular, whereas bierocks are round. We are able to owe the recognition of the “runza” moniker to a Nebraska-based quick meals chain of the identical identify. Runza eating places have reached a cult favourite standing in Nebraska (with a number of areas in surrounding states), to the purpose of warranting a marketing campaign cease from vice presidential candidate Tim Walz earlier this 12 months. Though Walz asserted, “Don’t name it the rest apart from runza,” the time period is definitely a genericization. Runza’s founder, Sally Everett, coined the time period, and her household trademarked it shortly after opening the chain’s first location in Lincoln, Nebraska, in 1949.*
“Bierock,” then again, seemingly advanced from the Russian phrase “pirog” (actually: pie), which encompasses a class of baked yeast breads or pastries filled with candy or savory fillings. It in all probability entered the Mennonite lexicon within the 18th century, when a bunch from Polish Prussia settled alongside the banks of the Volga River in Russia and present-day Ukraine. They lived there together with different German immigrants, which led to the area’s inhabitants being categorised as Volga Germans.
Critical Eats / Debbie Wee
In accordance with Norma Jost Voth’s Mennonite Meals & Folkways From South Russia, Quantity II, these newly Russian Mennonites had been expert agriculturalists in addition to pacifists, and Catherine the Nice’s authorities had put out an interesting provide: farm the land in trade for spiritual freedom and dispensation from army service. They lived there till that promise was revoked within the 1870s, triggering a wave of Volga German immigration to america. They primarily settled on the plains of Kansas, Nebraska, and North and South Dakota, the place many proceed to farm wheat, corn, and cattle at the moment.
I grew up in one in all these farming communities in Southwestern Kansas, consuming the dishes that Mennonites had assimilated and advanced throughout their migrations all through Europe, like kommst borscht (no beets concerned), peppernuts (much like German pfeffernüsse flavored with anise oil), and, after all, bierocks. In case you look, you’ll be able to pinpoint a number of of the explanations behind bierocks’ longevity in Mennonites’ (and different Midwesterners’) diets. First, bierocks are comparatively cheap to make, because the cabbage dietary supplements a number of the meat, which could be dear. Second, a big amount of them could be made with a comparatively small batch of bread. Lastly, as a result of they’re self-contained, they’re straightforward to pack for lengthy days throughout harvest season. In our occasions, in addition they have the additional advantage of freezing and reheating extremely nicely.
Critical Eats / Debbie Wee
*Observe: It’s rumored that Everett used her household’s nickname for the buns, which was based mostly on the phrase for “stomach,” referring to the buns’ rounded form, in a blended dialect referred to as Low German. Many Mennonites nonetheless converse Low German (often known as Plautdietsch), however fewer write with it, and I couldn’t discover robust proof to confirm the interpretation. As an alternative, a Low German-speaking Mennonite good friend confirmed that it sounded much like “rund,” or the Low German phrase for spherical.
The Key Methods for Making Wonderful Bierocks
Some sects of spiritual Mennonites restrict their use of contemporary applied sciences—together with the web—which I believe has contributed to the shortage of consistency round how we speak about conventional bierocks, their variations, and make them. For that motive, the recipe I’m sharing right here is my good model of the Kansan Mennonite bierocks I ate rising up. It began from a way I developed as a teen after I offered selfmade bierocks in my small city to earn pocket cash throughout highschool. I additionally went to the supply and consulted neighborhood cookbooks with recipes aggregated from Mennonites in my hometown and throughout the nation.
Most of their recipes name for simple fillings made solely of floor beef, onion, and cabbage (typically sauerkraut), seasoned with salt and pepper. I recreated a seasoning salt and added paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder for further taste whereas staying near custom. Many merely name for “bread dough” to wrap the filling, and nowadays, it’s frequent to make use of a thaw-and-bake white bread dough from the grocery retailer, like Rhodes model, for a weeknight shortcut.
Critical Eats / Debbie Wee
I vastly want the style and consistency of selfmade white bread, completely enriched with sugar, milk, butter, and eggs. Not solely do these elements add sweetness and richness to the flavour of the bread, however they create a extra tender, delicate crumb. The sugar holds onto moisture within the dough and delays the event of gluten. The fats from the dairy and eggs additional inhibits gluten growth by coating the protein molecules, which prevents them from linking collectively. I additionally particularly developed this dough to be delicate however not cheesy, making it straightforward to work with whereas rolling and forming. Listed here are three extra suggestions I’ve discovered for making the most effective bierocks.
The Greatest Approach to Form Bierocks
The most effective bierocks have a bread-to-filling ratio that appears roughly equal when sliced in half after baking. They’ve meat and cabbage in each chew and are wrapped with sufficient dough to make a uniform layer of sweetened, fluffy bread. Even essentially the most completely proportioned bierock can fall flat (metaphorically and actually) if it’s not formed nicely, although. At this level, most Mennonite recipes direct the reader to easily roll the dough out and fill it with out extraneous particulars concerning measurements or do it. I’ve, due to this fact, labored by means of a decade of misshapen, deflated, and holey bierocks to search out my favourite technique to type them.
Critical Eats / Debbie Wee
The primary important shaping step is rolling. The commonest downside I’ve encountered (each in my very own kitchen and with bierocks others have made) is a troublesome, bready knot within the backside of the roll. This occurs when the dough is hand-pressed or not rolled out sufficient, yielding a dense seam the place the thick edges are pressed collectively. Stretching the dough too skinny, then again, makes it susceptible to ripping and causes a lumpy, unpleasant high when pulled over the filling. The most effective methodology I’ve discovered is a compromise between the 2: hold the middle of every dough spherical about as thick as a storebought flour tortilla, then barely enhance the strain as you roll out towards its edges. The gradual tapering across the diameter helps create an excellent backside seam whereas preserving sufficient dough within the heart for a {smooth}, rounded high after it’s sealed and flipped. Loads of filling (nearly a cup per roll) additionally helps help the bun from the within to maintain it from collapsing.
As for closing up the buns, it might be tempting to attempt to smush all the perimeters collectively over the filling—it’s even how I used to be taught to do it—however this strategy could be hit-or-miss. A crammed-together seal is more likely to trigger the powerful, doughy bottoms I discussed above. For higher, extra constant outcomes,I like to recommend taking the time to pleat the perimeters one after the other, a way impressed by the identical one used to seal Chinese language dumplings like xiao long bao. This methodology lets you add just a bit dough to the seam with every pinch and yields a uniform backside after baking. Resist the urge to poke holes to launch any air you would possibly really feel contained in the closed bierocks—it received’t be noticeable when the bun proves and expands whereas cooking. The ultimate egg wash step on the raw rolls provides a shiny, deep golden end.
Critical Eats / Debbie Wee
Prepare dinner Out the Moisture
Make certain to prepare dinner out any extra liquid when making ready the filling, notably in case you’re altering it up with moisture-rich elements like mushrooms or sauerkraut. You need to use a pan with a large floor space to facilitate evaporation. Although a 12-inch sauté pan or cast iron skillet will work particularly nicely, you could possibly additionally use a braiser or massive Dutch oven. This recipe makes use of water to assist shortly tenderize the cabbage, however you need to prepare dinner and stir till the cabbage is wilted and tender and there’s no seen liquid within the backside of the pan. Extreme moisture could make the delicate bread soggy, particularly when reheating.
Experiment With Your Filling
This recipe is for a Mennonite-style of bierocks, and it is the model you’ll sometimes discover in small cities all through Kansas at the moment. Upon getting the approach down, although, be happy to modify it up! Bierocks are nice canvases for artistic fillings. Cheese is a typical however nontraditional addition (I didn’t encounter it till I heard about Runza eating places as an grownup), however you’ll be able to stir your selection of shredded or cubed cheese into the cooled filling or add a bit of into every bun earlier than you form it. You may also change up the kind of meat. Attempt swapping in floor turkey or thinly sliced steak, and changing some (or all) of the cabbage with sauerkraut or different greens like sliced peppers or broccoli. Including spices like taco seasoning and cotija for a Tex-Mex model, or use Italian herbs, an enormous spoonful of tomato paste, and shredded mozzarella for pizza-inspired bierocks. There’s no proper or incorrect means—simply essentially the most scrumptious means for you. Simply make sure you intention for six cups of cooked filling to go well with this recipe’s batch of bread.
Critical Eats / Debbie Wee
Methods to Serve Bierocks
I like my bierocks with an enormous swipe of yellow mustard on every chew, however they’re additionally incredible with entire grain, spicy brown, or Dijon mustard. Ketchup is one other frequent dipper, however you could possibly additionally department out with barbecue sauce, steak sauce, and even brown gravy. Or, simply eat them as-is!
Is It a Bierock or a Runza? These Savory Midwestern Buns Are Scrumptious Both Method
Prepare dinner Mode
(Preserve display screen awake)
For the Dough:
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1/2 cup (120ml) entire milk, room temperature
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1/2 cup (120ml) heat water, plus extra as wanted (see notes)
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52g granulated sugar (about 1 3/4 ounces; 1/4 cup)
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28g unsalted butter (about 1 ounce; 2 tablespoons), melted and cooled barely
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1 massive egg, room temperature
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496g all-purpose flour (17 1/2 ounces; about 3 1/2 cups), plus extra for shaping
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7g (2 1/4 teaspoons) instantaneous yeast
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2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for desk salt, use half as a lot by quantity or identical amount by weight
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Nonstick spray
For the Filling:
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1 tablespoon (15ml) impartial oil, like canola or vegetable
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1 pound floor beef (16 ounces; 454g), 85% lean
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1 massive yellow onion, diced (10 ounces; about 2 cups)
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2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for desk salt, begin with half as a lot by quantity, plus extra to style
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1 teaspoon freshly floor black pepper
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1 teaspoon paprika
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1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
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1/2 teaspoon onion powder
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1/2 medium inexperienced cabbage (20 ounces; 567g), cored, quartered, and thinly sliced (about 6 cups)
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1/2 cup (120ml) water or low-sodium beef broth
To Assemble:
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1 massive egg
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1 teaspoon water
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Mustard or different condiments of selection, for serving (elective)
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For the Dough: In a 4-cup liquid measuring cup or medium bowl, whisk milk, water, sugar, butter, and egg till {smooth} and sugar is dissolved.
Critical Eats / Debbie Wee
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Within the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment, mix flour, yeast, and salt and blend on low velocity till mixed, about 20 seconds. With the mixer operating on low velocity, pour liquid combination into the flour in a gradual, regular stream. Proceed mixing till a shaggy dough types, stopping to scrape the perimeters of the bowl with a versatile spatula or dough scraper as wanted, 2 to three minutes. If dough is excessively dry and dry flour stays, add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing for 30 seconds to 1 minute after every addition, till all flour is hydrated and included. As soon as no seen flour stays and dough is pretty cohesive, enhance mixer velocity to medium and knead till dough is {smooth}, elastic, and pulls away from sides of bowl, about 8 minutes.
Critical Eats / Debbie Wee
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Switch dough onto a calmly floured floor and knead by hand to type a {smooth} ball, about 1 minute. Evenly grease a big bowl with nonstick cooking spray. Place dough seam-side down into bowl and canopy tightly with plastic wrap. Let rise at room temperature till dough is doubled in dimension, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Critical Eats / Debbie Wee
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For the Filling: Whereas dough proofs, warmth oil in a 12-inch forged iron skillet or straight-sided chrome steel sauté pan over medium-high warmth. Add beef and onion and prepare dinner, breaking apart meat and stirring usually with a wood spoon, till beef is browned, onion is simply tender, and any moisture within the pan has cooked off, 12 to fifteen minutes. Cut back warmth to medium and stir in salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder till nicely included.
Critical Eats / Debbie Wee
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Add cabbage to pan a handful at a time, stirring between additions to mix. When all cabbage has been added, pour in water and stir to scrape up any browning on backside of skillet. Proceed cooking, stirring usually, till liquid is evaporated and cabbage is wilted and tender with a slight chew, about 10 minutes. Take away from warmth, season to style, and let filling cool at room temperature, at the very least 20 minutes or as much as 1 hour.
Critical Eats / Debbie Wee
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For the Bierocks: As soon as dough is proofed, regulate oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and preheat to 350°F (175ºC). Line two 13- by 18-inch rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Utilizing your fingers, gently press dough to deflate it and switch to a calmly floured work floor. Utilizing a bench scraper or sharp knife, quarter the dough, then lower every quarter in half so you have got 8 items of dough weighing about 105g every. (See notes.) Form each bit roughly right into a ball and put aside. Cowl loosely with a clear kitchen towel or plastic wrap to maintain dough from drying on high.
Critical Eats / Debbie Wee
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Working with 1 dough ball at a time, use a rolling pin to form into an 8-inch spherical, rolling from the middle outward and calmly rising strain towards the perimeters so edges are barely thinner than the center. (Dough ought to be delicate and pliant; if it recoils whereas rolling, let it relaxation for five minutes earlier than persevering with.) Place 3/4 cup of cooled filling in a rounded mound in heart, leaving a border of at the very least 1 inch round edges.
Critical Eats / Debbie Wee
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Gently deliver edges of dough over filling; pleat edges of dough repeatedly, pinching the sting closed after every pleat till all the bierock is sealed in a cinched purse form. Pinch and twist high to seal, gently urgent down on the highest to flatten barely.
Critical Eats / Debbie Wee
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Place bierock, smooth-side down, into the cupped palm of your hand and, utilizing your different hand, rotate bierock, placing light strain on its sides as you flip, to form right into a rounded bun. Flip bierock over and place it seam-side down on parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, inserting 4 evenly spaced bierocks on every pan.
Critical Eats / Debbie Wee
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Enable bierocks to relaxation till puffy and dough bounces again barely when touched, about quarter-hour. In the meantime, in a small bowl, whisk egg and water till {smooth}. Utilizing a pastry brush, calmly brush high and sides of every bierock with egg wash.
Critical Eats / Debbie Wee
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Bake till tops are deep golden brown, 25 to 27 minutes, rotating the trays top-to-bottom and back-to-front midway by means of baking. Switch to a wire rack to chill for five minutes, then serve with mustard or different condiments of selection.
Critical Eats / Debbie Wee
Particular Tools
Stand mixer with dough hook attachment, 12-inch cast iron skillet or straight-sided sauté pan, 2 rimmed half-sheet pans, rolling pin, pastry brush, wire rack
Notes
In case you reside in a very dry local weather, it’s possible you’ll want further water to hydrate the bread dough. If a shaggy dough doesn’t type and visual dry flour stays after the preliminary 3-minute combine, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time and blend for 30 seconds to 1 minute between additions till a ragged dough types.
If you need smaller, snack-sized bierocks, cut up dough into 12 items (about 70g or 2 ounces every), roll to 7-inch rounds, and use 1/2 cup filling per spherical. Bake them 6 to a pan, evenly spaced, for 20 to 25 minutes.
For log-shaped runzas, roll every dough portion into a protracted oval (about 8 inches lengthy and 6 inches huge). Distribute beef and cabbage combination alongside heart of oval and seal by pinching edges into a protracted seam above filling.
Make-Forward and Storage
The filling could be made as much as 2 days forward of time and refrigerated in an hermetic container. Baked bierocks could be saved in an hermetic container or zip-top bag for as much as 5 days within the fridge. They will also be individually wrapped in aluminum foil, positioned in a zip-top bag, and frozen for as much as 3 months.
To reheat, place a foil-wrapped bierock, with the foil opened barely to permit steam to flee, on a baking sheet and bake in a 325°F (165ºC) oven or toaster oven till heated by means of, about 10 to fifteen minutes from refrigerated or 40 to 45 minutes from frozen.
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