Homemade Runza

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There were a few years, way back in the seventies, when my mom had a once a week baking day. She’d try out new recipes, make family favorites, or make a special dessert for that night’s dinner. Every Thursday we could hardly wait to get off the school bus, eager to guess what kind of wonderful treat that delicious aroma could be. Almost always, it was cookies, and one hundred percent of the time there would be a loaf of bread. But sometimes, it would be something a little bit different, like the recipe I have for you this week.

Occasionally my mom would join forces with another mom, usually the parent of one of our classmates. We’d have an after school play date and the two moms would bake together. One mom, who was Greek, and an excellent cook, taught my mom how to make savory spanakopita, flaky sweet baklava, and buttery braided, sesame seed topped koulourakia. She also taught my mom how to make these wonderful little beef, cabbage and onion-filled rolls that she called German Buns, aka Runza.

Runza, also known as Bierocks are a staple recipe among US regions with strong Eastern European and German heritage and you can find many variations of this recipe in local church cookbooks. Runza are so beloved that there’s even an eponymously named chain of restaurants in the midwest, most of them located in Nebraska. There you can order one of these delectable sandwiches, or try one of their different versions like Cheese, Swiss Mushroom, Cheeseburger, BBQ Bacon, BLT, Spicy Jack, etc. Or, you can try making them at home. 

This was my first attempt at making these without mom, who made so many over the years that she really had it down to a science. Based on how many I made with this recipe, I am pretty sure she was making at least 2 or maybe 3 batches, because she would always give us some for the freezer. They are an awesome fast lunch or dinner, and they’d be great for game day, too. 

I was surprised at how easy it was to make the dough – no special equipment required – just a bowl and a spoon. While the dough rises, you make the filling and before you know it, you’re rolling. This part was easy, too. The dough handled very well, but if you don’t want to make the dough you can use thawed bread dough as a shortcut. I hope I can nudge you into trying the dough, though. It’s soft and tender and has a unique flavor and texture that I think is what makes a Runza a Runza. 

The recipe below has you forming the dough into rectangles and yields 12 Runza that are shaped like submarine sandwiches. I wanted to make them round, like my mom used to make them, so I guesstimated and divided the dough into 18 portions. The dough was too thin on the first few I made and the filling came peeking out as they sat waiting to bake. I was careful to roll the next ones a bit thicker and they came out beautiful.  

Mom never used seasoned salt, just plain salt and pepper when we made these. You can add a slice of Cheddar or American cheese before you wrap the dough around the filling if you want to try making a few this way. After baking, freeze your Runza on a large sheetpan before transferring them to a resealable bag. You can reheat Runza in the oven or the microwave following the directions below.

Runza are easy to make and they freeze beautifully. They’re are so delicious, why not go ahead and make 2 batches while you’re at it? Enjoy! 

Homemade Runza

dough:

• 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 packages (1/4 ounce) yeast
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 eggs

filling:

• 2 lbs. ground beef
• 1 small onion, diced
• 4 cups cabbage, chopped
• 2 teaspoons seasoned salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper

For the dough: 

Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, sugar, yeast and salt in a large mixing bowl. Either in a small saucepan set over medium heat, or a microwave safe bowl, heat the milk, water and butter to 120º-130º F. 

Pour heated wet ingredients into the flour mixture. Stir slightly before adding beaten eggs. Continue by adding the remaining flour, one cup at a time, until the dough comes together and is smooth and elastic when kneaded. Place dough in a greased bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour. 

For the filling:

While dough is rising, cook beef and onion over medium-high heat until meat is no longer pink. Drain. Stir in chopped cabbage, seasoned salt and pepper. Gently stir until cabbage is cooked and filling is thoroughly combined. 

Assembly:

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, or grease. Punch dough down, then divide into 12 equal portions. Working with one piece of dough, roll into a rectangle approximately 6- by 8-inches in size. Place a heaping 1/2 cup of filling into the center of dough piece. Fold dough over filling. Seal and tuck edges. Place onto prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, placing rolls on sheet as you go (edges can touch). Bake at 350º F for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown.  

Reheating from frozen: Preheat oven to 325º F. Wrap each frozen sandwich in aluminum foil or place in a pan with a cover. Bake for approximately 30-40 minutes. Or microwave, wrap each sandwich in wax paper. Heat for 2 minutes on high (time may vary depending on the individual microwave). Adjust heating time as needed. 

-myfarmhousetable.com