Bierocks A Kansas Treasure
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Servings
8
Prep Time
90 minutes
Cook Time
60 minutes
My partner Heather is from Kansas and Bierocks are a required snack every time we go home. They have pretty much become synonymous with Kansas for me, so when the Chiefs made it into the super bowl there was no question that we would be celebrating over Bierocks.
What is a Bierock you may be asking?
Bierocks are a delicious, portable, handheld beef and sauteed cabbage stuffed pockets of dough. I’ve thrown a few small flourishes in my recipe but for the most part I have remained true to the classic.
Bierocks made their way to the United States way back in the 1860’s by German Russian Mennonite immigrants who settled in Kansas. Since Bierocks have got Eastern European roots its easy to see that they are the cousin to the meat pie, which was developed around the turn of the 19th century as a hearty portable lunch that wives made for their husbands to take out to the farming fields with them. You can find Bierocks these days all over Kansas in Diners and in little cafes and restaurants. Today you will find them in my kitchen because it is about it be Bierock time! Yum!
Ingredients
- 1 C Warm Water
- 1pkt Active Dry Yeast
- ¼ C Granulated Sugar
- 1 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1 Egg, lightly beaten
- ¼ C Butter, room temp
- 3 1/2 C Bread Flour, plus more for dusting
- 2 Eggs, beaten with a splash of water
- 1 C Shiner Bock or beer of your choice
- Seeds of your choice for dusting
- 2 T Olive Oil
- 1 # 93/7 Ground Beef
- 2 Tbsp Butter
- ½ Small Head Green Cabbage, sliced thin
- 1 C Sauerkraut, rinsed and drained
- 1 Yellow Onion, small dice
- 3 cloves garlic, sliced thin
- 1 tsp Dried Thyme
- 1 tsp Celery Seed
- 8 oz gruyere, shredded
- Salt& Pepper to taste
For the Dough
For the Filling
Directions
Prepare the dough first and then start your filling as your dough rises.
- For the Dough: Combine the sugar and yeast with warm water (about 95 degrees) and set aside for 10 minutes while the yeast blooms.
Add the egg to the yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until combined.
Add the salt, and then the flour in cups as you mix with your bread hook. As soon as you have added your last cup of flour add in the softened butter.
Run the bread hook until your dough comes together and it kneads for about 5 minutes.
Oil a bowl and place your dough in it, in a warm moist space and let rise for about an hour or until your dough doubles in size.
While your dough rises make your filling (do not put your filling in the dough cold. It must be room temp). Sauté onion, garlic, and cabbage together, covering to wilt the cabbage, about 10 minutes. Add the sauerkraut, celery seeds and dried thyme and season aggressively with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.
Sauté up your ground beef until cooked through a browned. Season with salt and pepper. Add to the Cabbage mixture and stir to combine. When the mix is completely cool stir in the cheese. Set aside until your dough is ready to fill. This is a good time to preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
When your dough has doubled in size punch it down and then separate into 8 equal parts, keeping them covered with a towel or plastic wrap as your work. Roll each part into a tight ball by moving the dough in a tight circular motion.
Once you have made 8 equal balls let them sit covered until they proof for a total of about 20 minutes. I find that once ive got them all rolled I can take a quick break and then its time for me to start filling the first one I rolled.
Roll each dough ball out into a 6- 7 inch circle. Separate your filling into 8 equal parts. Add filling to your dough ball and pinch to create a seam. Roll the Bierock up over the seam and back into a clean ball. Place on baking sheet. And press gently to flatten.
Brush dough balls with the egg wash and then dust with the seeds of your choice. I used sesame and carraway
Bake for 23 minutes or until golden and fluffy, rotating the sheet tray half way through the bake.
- Enjoy, Yum!
