Beef and Cabbage Runzas

Soft yeasted dough wraps a savory, fairly dry beef, cabbage, and onion filling, then bakes into six portable Nebraska-style Runzas.

120 min

6 runzas

Ingredients

1 cup warm water (105–110 F)

2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast

2 tbsp granulated sugar

1 large egg, at room temperature

4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus up to 1/4 cup for kneading

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, divided

1 lb 85% lean ground beef

1 small yellow onion, finely diced (about 3/4 cup)

4 cups finely sliced green cabbage (about 8 oz)

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Large mixing bowl · Large skillet · Rolling pin · Rimmed baking sheet · Parchment paper · Instant-read thermometer

Keep seams secure

Cool the filling until no longer steaming and keep it off the dough border; pinch the seam and ends firmly before setting each roll seam-side down.

Cool before assembling

The filling can be cooked while the dough rises; spreading it out helps it cool quickly enough to keep the bread from turning gummy.

01. Stir warm water, yeast, and sugar; after 5 minutes, look for creamy foam before continuing.

02. Mix in egg, butter, salt, and flour, then knead until smooth and softly tacky.

03. Cover and rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled, about 40 minutes.

04. Brown crumbled beef over medium-high heat until no pink remains and it reaches 160 F.

05. Add onion and cabbage; cook until tender and most moisture has evaporated, season, then spread on a plate to cool at least 15 minutes.

06. Heat oven to 375 F, line a baking sheet, and roll 6 dough pieces into 7-by-6-inch ovals.

07. Place cooled filling in the center, leave a border, pinch the edges firmly closed, and rest seam-side down for 10 minutes.

08. Bake 20–24 minutes, rotating once, until tops and bottoms are deeply golden and the filling center reaches 160 F.

09. Rest on a rack for 5 minutes so the filling settles before serving hot.