Makes 12 sandwiches
RUNZAS (A.K.A. BIEROCKS OR KRAUTBURGERS, AMONG OTHER NAMES) ARE A POCKET sandwich, a puffy, yeasted dough baked around a savory meat filling. They likely originated in Russia in the 1800s, and came to the Midwest with the Volga Germans, a population of German people who lived along the Volga River in southeastern Russia in the 18th century and settled in Nebraska, Kansas, and the Dakotas in the early 20th century.
In Nebraska, you’ll find runzas with a longer, rectangular shape; whereas in Kansas, they tend to be shaped more like circular buns. Either way, they’re traditionally filled with a simple combination of onions, ground beef, and cabbage, and that’s perfectly delicious. But one day while shopping for the cabbage, my eyes fell on a packet of “superfood” slaw mixture of green and red cabbage, shredded broccoli stems, kale, carrots, Brussels sprouts, and more. Trying to ignore the shouts of midwesterners past with this admittedly hippie twist on the classic, I decided upon tasting that I loved the pop of texture and color this new combination of vegetables gave the sandwiches, as well as the reduced prep time, and now it’s what I use all the time.
2¼ teaspoons instant yeast
3 tablespoons/42 g warm water (110° to 115°F/43° to 46°C)
5 cups/640 g unbleached bread flour, spooned and leveled, plus more for dusting
6 tablespoons/75 g granulated sugar
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1½ cups/337 g warm whole milk (110° to 115°F/43° to 46°C)
½ cup/1 stick/113 g unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs, at room temperature
Oil for bowl
2 tablespoons/28 g vegetable oil
1 medium-size onion, finely diced (about 2 cups/320 g)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound/450 g ground beef (85% lean)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
4 cups/400 g shredded cabbage or cruciferous combination of your choice (see headnote)
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1½ cups/170 g coarsely grated extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons/28 g unsalted butter, melted, for serving
Position racks to the upper and lower thirds of the oven, and preheat it to 350°F/180°C. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Prepare the dough: In a small cup, whisk together the yeast and warm water.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the flour, sugar, and salt.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the warm milk, melted butter, eggs, and dissolved yeast mixture. Whisk until smooth. Pour into the flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon to form a shaggy dough. Set the mixer to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, 5 to 6 minutes. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover tightly, and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes. Punch the dough down, cover, and let rise for another 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the filling: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until soft and just beginning to turn golden, about 5 minutes. Add the ground beef and cook until browned, 5 minutes more. Add the Worcestershire sauce and cabbage and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the filling to cool. Once cooled, stir in the cheese.
Assemble the sandwiches: Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface, and divide into 12 equal portions. Roll each portion into a ball, then use a rolling pin to form the dough balls into rough 6-inch/15 cm circles (if the dough fights you as you’re trying to roll it out, let it rest for 5 minutes and start again). Place a generous ⅓ cup/about 100 g of filling in the center of each circle. Fold half of the dough over the filling, and pinch the edges to seal, rolling them up slightly all around the edge. Place the runzas, seam-side down, on the prepared baking sheets.
Bake until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool on the sheets for 10 minutes. Brush lightly with the melted butter just before serving. Any leftovers reheat well the next day.