I always try and recreate the recipe after one delicious bite we had in a local resturant.
These baked little stuffed loaves and my filling recipe are as close as I am going to get until I can find a restaurant close by to try an original one.
For now, these German-Russian beef sandwiches quickly became a family favorite and I make them often, we just love them.
I have now experimented with many versions and fillings and they are all a favorite hot pocket and different every time I make them.
Check out my many ideas, tips, and filling suggestions below.
Our family has always been a big fan of stuffed dough like stromboli, antipasto rolls, and stuffed panzerotti pizza so these are a nice change for sure to the Italian style.
Scroll down to the printable recipe card for instructions and photos to make these delicious soft filled stuffed loaves called runza.
Where Did Runza Come From?
This sandwich is originated in Nebraska that was started in 1949 by a brother and sister Sarah (Sally) and Alex Brening.
They opened the first Runza drive-Inn in Lincoln, Nebraska and the state now has over 78 locations.
The Runza Sandwich is also called Bierocks, this delicious dough bundle has German-Russian roots going back to the 18th century.
They are a yeast dough (a bread hot pocket) with a filling of beef, cabbage or sauerkraut, onions, and seasonings.
Filling and Sealing
I did overstuff my first batch of runza and learned quickly the sealing process is so important.
The dough must not be rolled too thin or the stuffing will bleed through.
Always make a thin layered of egg wash before pinching together so they don't burst open.
I still overstuff mine and use around 1/2 cup of the suggested fillings inside!
Actually, the filling is so delicious I could eat that as a side dish!
Molding the Dough
The dough is soft and easy to mold you do not have to use my bowl method, it's just what I prefer to do.
Whenever we made this kind of stuffed dough, to keep the filling in place, I use a bowl for molding the runza.
This makes it so much easier and keeps them uniform in shape also.
The bowl is around 3 inches high, and 6 inches in diameter, very much the size of a small cereal bowl.
The circle is around 6 to 8-inch rounds.
If you're in a big hurry one other tip I have is to use frozen white bread dough thawed.
The dough is on the sweeter side and soft not like Italian or No-Knead French bread.
Optional Filling Ideas:
(all meats and vegetables should be sauteed firstbelow are options for filling suggestions)
- Steak thinly sliced, mushrooms, bacon, and cheese
- Cheddar cheese, sauerkraut, diced kielbasa
- Sauteed loose hamburger, onions, hot peppers, jack cheese
- Cabbage, corned beef, swiss
- Ham, cheddar, chopped pineapple
- Ham, swiss and cabbage
- Sausage, cabbage, peppers, mozzarella
- Peppers, artichoke hearts minced, cabbage, provolone cheese
- Loose hamburger, bacon, cheddar, tomato, spinach
- Swiss, mushroom, loose hamburger, cheese
- Black bean, loose hamburger, cheese, cooked rice
- Barbecued loose meat, crispy bacon, cheddar
Tools You Will Need
- Mixing bowls
- Frying pan
- Spoon
- Fork
- Pastry brush
- Cookie sheet
- Parchment paper
- Measuring spoons and cups
- Cutting board or floured board
- Cereal bowl is optional
- Knife
Ingredients to Make This Recipe
Scroll down to the recipe card for exact measurements
Dough- flour
- sugar
- active dry yeast
- salt
- lukewarm water
- lukewarm milk
- shortening
- eggs at room temperature
For the Filling:
- ground sirloin
- canola oil
- sliced onion
- shredded cabbage
- salt and pepper to taste
- granulated garlic powder
- assorted dry herbs, parsley, oregano, basil or more to taste
Tips That Make These Easier
- Always cooked the filling with the exception of adding cheese that's last
- I bake the Runza seam side down with a seal of egg wash inside and brushed on top
- Slicing the cabbage thin as possible to cook quickly with the meat for best results
- All vegetables should be julienne style for easy filling or chopped fine
- Keep the dough covered while assembling
- Always drain the juices from the fried meat first before filling to prevent soggy dough
- The bowl method makes it easy to form the loaves all the same size
- Use a half slice of cheese when filling and it goes on last
- Be sure to tuck all dough edges in pinching together tightly
- Always use an egg wash to seal inside and out
- If you are in a hurry use thawed frozen white bread dough
- These freeze well up to 6 months, thaw and reheat in foil
- Cut the dough in 12 equal pieces
For More Copycat Recipes Check out my Recipe Copycat Roundup
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Inspiration
Hopefully, with my step by step photos on how to make this delicious runza sandwich, I will have inspired you to try them.
If you have your own white bread recipe, you can use whatever you like, get creative with your own style sandwich.
Let me know in the comments if you ever try this recipe, we just love them!
Runza Copycat
Yield: 12
Prep time: 1 hourCook time: 35 MTotal time: 1 H & 35 M
These are a copycat of baked famous meat, cabbage, onion stuffed dough, and very well known in Nebraska. A soft white dough baked until golden brown stuffed with several meat filling options in their local restaurant locations. These sandwiches are also called Bierocks.
Ingredients:
- For the Dough
- 4 1/2 cups flour
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 2 packages of active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup lukewarm water
- 3/4 cup lukewarm milk
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- For the Filling:
- 2 pounds ground sirloin
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 small sliced onion
- 4 cups shredded cabbage
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon combined assorted dry herbs, parsley, oregano, basil or more to taste
- Optional Filling Suggestions: sliced mushrooms, sliced peppers, minced garlic
- slices of American, Swiss or cheddar cheese, ground pork, ground turkey, ground lamb, thinly sliced steak.
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the sugar and yeast in a small measuring cup with the warm water. Let sit for 5 minutes.
- In a medium saucepan warm the milk with shortening until melted.
- Do not pour in the flour until it's cooled down to lukewarm to the touch.
- Once cooled to lukewarm make a well in the center of a bowl with flour, put the eggs, yeast mixture, and milk mixture in the center of the flour and mix until combined all together.
- Let rise until double in size about 1 hour in a warm place covered away from drafts.
- In the meantime make the filling.
- In a large deep frying pan, add the oil and fry the meat with the onion, cabbage, granulated garlic, salt, pepper to taste cook until the cabbage is wilted herbs using and any other desired vegetables for the filling suggestions.
- Divide the dough into 12 pieces and cover as you work each of the dough balls.
- Roll into a circle around 6 inches not too thin leave the dough a little thick so they won't break open and place the rolled dough into a 6 inch round cereal bowl style dish to hold the shape of the dough.
- Brush the edges with egg wash, fill then pinch to seal edges.
- Set on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheets until you've completed all the runza loaves ( seam side down).
- Brush the tops with beaten egg.
- Bake at 350 degrees hot oven until browned around 35 minutes or until golden brown.
Calories
530
530
Fat (grams)
20
20
Sat. Fat (grams)
7
7
Sugar (grams)
10
10
Protein (grams)
20
20
Sodium (milligrams)
1370
1370
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Other Copycat Recipes To Try:
Longhorns Parmesan Crusted Chicken
Arby's Beef and Cheddar
Homemade Eggrolls