Recipe making runzas using beef broth
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What’s a runza? Good question. A Runza is originally a German dish made with either beef or pork, sauerkraut, and onion stuffed inside a bread pocket. The dish made its way to America via German and Czech immigrants who settled in the Midwest, specifically Nebraska. There are many regional variations of the dish, but the most common is the Nebraska Runza, which is what we’ll be focusing on today.
The dough for a Nebraska Runza is fairly simple and only requires flour, water, salt, and yeast. The key to a good runza is in the filling. The most common filling is ground beef, onion, and cabbage, but you could also use pork, lamb, chicken, or even vegetables like carrots or potatoes. No matter what you choose to put in your runza, the key is to have a good balance of flavors.
Making the dough is simple. Just combine the flour, water, salt, and yeast in a bowl and mix until it forms a sticky dough. Then, turn it out onto a floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes. Once it’s smooth and elastic, place it in a greased bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and let it rise in a warm place for about an hour.
While the dough is rising, you can start on the filling. If you’re using ground beef, brown it in a skillet over medium heat. Once it’s cooked through, add in the chopped onion and cabbage and cook until the cabbage is wilted. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then set it aside to cool.
Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and turn it out onto a floured surface again. Roll it out into a big rectangle, then cut it into 12-16 smaller rectangles. Place a spoonful of filling in the center of each rectangle, then fold up the sides and pinch them together to form a pocket.
Place the pockets on a greased baking sheet and let them rise for another 30 minutes. While they’re rising, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Bake the pockets for 20-25 minutes, until they’re golden brown. Serve warm with ketchup or mustard for dipping
