Whole Wheat Sourdough Bierocks (Runzas)

A sliced open runza on white plate dipped in beer cheese fondue.

5 from 1 vote

These sourdough bierocks are easy and can be made in one day! Fresh whole wheat flour, grassfed beef, and crisp cabbage and onion make the perfect savory meat pocket that goes great with a beer cheese dip.

Prep Time45

Cook Time20

Bulk Fermentation4

Total Time5 5

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, German, Russian

Servings: bierocks

Calories: 303kcal

Author: Holly Lee

Cost: $10

Equipment

Mixer optional--can also mix & knead by hand
2 large baking sheets
kitchen scale optional but recommended

Ingredients

Sourdough Bierock Dough

500 grams whole wheat flour about 3 7/8 cups flour. Fresh milled flour works great!
180 grams milk 3/4 cup - whole or 2%
120 grams water 1/2 cup
200 grams sourdough starter about 2/3 cup
2 tablespoon honey
4 tablespoon olive oil
1 egg beaten
10 grams sea salt

Filling

1 pound lean ground beef or bison
1 medium onion diced
1 heaping tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon white pepper or more black pepper if you don't have white pepper
6 cups green cabbage chopped

For Serving

Beer Cheese Dip Get Beer Cheese Dip Recipe Here

Instructions

Sourdough Bierock Dough

Mix all ingredients together. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
Knead the dough until it comes together in a smooth, supple ball.
Cover the dough and let it bulk ferment for 3 to 5 hours at room temperature, or until it has risen at least 50%.
Move the covered dough to the fridge until ready to start making dinner. It will continue to slowly ferment in the fridge a little bit more, but not too much.

Filling

Brown the meat in a skillet on the stove over medium heat. Add the diced onion when the meat is about halfway done.
Once cooked, drain any grease and add the chopped cabbage. Stir and cook until cabbage is soft.
Add the chili powder, salt, black pepper, and white pepper to the beef & cabbage mixture. Stir to evenly distribute the seasonings. Remove from heat.

Assembling the Bierocks

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide the dough into 12 equal portions.
Use a rolling pin to flatten a dough ball until it is about 1/4 inch thick. Add a scoop of the beef/cabbage filling, then pull the edges together and pinch the seams. Set the bierock seam-side down on the baking sheet.
Continue this process until all 12 bierocks are made. Make sure they are evenly spaced on the baking sheet. Let these rest 30-45 minutes. Preheat the oven during this time.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. After the bierocks finish their rest, bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Serve with optional beer cheese fondue dip.

Video

Notes

The dough can easily be mixed early in the morning, left to ferment until a 50-60% rise, then put in the fridge until you're ready to make them.

You can also mix the dough the night before, put it in the fridge before you go to bed, and pull the dough out in the morning to finish fermenting if needed.

I use cold starter from the fridge (what some call discard) to make these, but if you know your starter is sluggish right out of the fridge, you may wish to use active starter or make sure you have ample time for the dough to ferment.

Nutrition