Kansas Bierocks Recipe

Three Kansas Bierocks on a plate
Freshly Baked Kansas Bierocks

If you’ve never had a bierock (we pronounce it BEER-OCK in Kansas where I grew up), you are really missing a treat. This authentic Kansas Bierocks Recipe using ground beef comes from Ellis, Kansas, center of the Germans-from-Russia (Volga-Deutsch) settlements that sprung up all over Kansas and Nebraska in the 1870s.

Map of Volga Deutsch Region Russia
Volga-Deutsch Region

The Volga-Deutsch Heritage

I am very proud of my Volga-Deutsch heritage. Frankly, it distresses me when I run into people from Kansas or Nebraska who have lost all connection with this history. My family migrated to America in 1876 from a small village near Saratov, Russia, on the Volga river, having lived there for over 100 years. The Germans were invited to Russia by Catherine the Great – a German herself – who knew that there were plenty of landless second-sons in Germany who would jump at the chance to start a new life with their own land. Unfortunately, as Russia was still struggling throwing off the yoke of feudalism, the Germans found themselves far away from home in a land that insisted on treating them like serfs.


Maybe you’re interested in learning more about your own Volga Deutsch ancestry.  If so, here a good book to start:

In the mid-to-late 1800s, the Volga-Deutsch began migrating to America.  The Protestant branches settled mostly in Nebraska and places north, while the Catholics favored Kansas.  While they brought many local customs to the region (many of which are still visible today), they also brought hard, red winter wheat.  This variety was perfected on the cold steppes of the Russian heartland, and it changed everything about agriculture in Kansas.  Suddenly, where you had only one harvest, you could now have two!  (Today’s farmers rotate fall-planted wheat with soybeans to rebuild the nitrogen content in the soil.)  This wheat has made Kansas the breadbasket of the world, to this day.

I mentioned the customs brought from Russia – and bierocks are one of these.  A bierock is a soft, slightly sweet bread roll, filled with ground beef (or sausage, or whatever-you-have), onion and cabbage or sauerkraut.  You can also add cheese, as I have.  In fact, you can pretty much add whatever you want – this is the kind of meal a family would prepare out of anything they had on hand.  The only must-haves are the cabbage and sweet dough.

Back in the 80s, I lived in Lincoln, Nebraska for about eight years, and there they have a fast-food place called Runza.  A Runza is simply a different version of this – made fast-food style. I recommend them, too.  If you happen to come across one, give them a try!

Why Use This Kansas Bierocks Recipe?

You can find easy bierock recipes on the internet that call for frozen Rhodes bread dough, or canned crescent roll dough.  Don’t fool yourself: Those are poor imitations of the real thing.  And frankly, with all the thawing and rolling and messing with super-sticky frozen dough, you’re better off just making your own dough the way you like it.  Further, my recipe calls for whole wheat flour.  This gives the bierocks a slightly nutty flavor that I find a bit heartier than all-purpose flour versions.

If you’re planning on adding cheese, I recommend using something that will melt well, without separating into fat and protein.  You may love the flavor of an aged cheese, but the older a cheese is, the more likely you’re going to get separation and a big oil slick on your baking sheet.  I tend to stick with good, young  monterey jack or colby cheese – but try a gruyere or provolone sometime!

Bierocks recipe
Print Recipe
5 from 4 votes

Whole Wheat Bierocks with Cheese

You can find “easy” bierock recipes on the internet that call for frozen bread dough, or canned crescent roll dough. Don’t fool yourself: Those are poor imitations of the real thing. And frankly, with all the thawing and rolling and messing with super-sticky frozen dough, you’re better off just making your own dough the way you like it.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Rising time1 hour
Total Time55 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: German
Keyword: Authentic German Bierocks, Bierocks recipe, Homemade Hot Pockets
Servings: 24 Bierocks
Author: Don Herman

Ingredients

  • 4 1/2 tsp Active Dry Yeast 2 packs
  • 3/4 cup Sugar plus 1 tbsp for yeast
  • 1 cup Warm Water 110F
  • 1 tbsp Salt
  • 2 cups Warm Milk
  • 8 cups Flour I used 1/2 whole wheat and 1/2 unbleached organic all-purpose flour
  • 8 tbsp Melted Butter
  • 2 lg Eggs plus one extra if you’d like to add a shiny egg-wash to the rolls
  • 2 lbs Ground Beef I used 1 lb beef and 1 lb spicy sausage
  • 2 Yellow Onions chopped
  • 2 lbs Cabbage about 1/2 a large head
  • 2 cups Grated Cheese your choice (I usually use a mild cheddar)
  • Salt and pepper I used 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper.
  • 1 tsp Caraway seeds the original calls for 1 tbsp, but I only use 1 tsp in mine.

Instructions

  • In a small bowl, combine yeast and 1 tbsp sugar.  Whisk in 1 cup warm water.  In another bowl, combine salt, warm milk and 3/4 cup sugar.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine 4 cups of flour, melted butter and eggs.  Mix with paddle or spoon, then add yeast mixture and the milk mixture.  Mix to combine.  Add remaining flour, 1 cup at a time.  Switch to a dough hook when the dough gets too tough for the paddle – around 6 cups.  Using the dough hook knead the dough for about 8 minutes.  Or, turn the dough out on a floured surface and knead until dough is smooth and elastic.  Return to a large, greased bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
    Sponge stage of dough

Filling

  • In a large pot (you’ll need ALL the room!) brown the hamburger or sausage, leaving the fat.  Add the chopped onions and cook until translucent.  Add the cabbage and caraway, salt and pepper to taste.  Cook the cabbage al dente – not to mush, but still firm enough to resist your teeth a bit when you bite.
    Cabbage roll filling
  • Add caraway.  It’s a heavy-duty spice, so I cut it back from the original 1 tablespoon, but you can give it a taste before you use it and see if it’s good for you.  You can also try some red pepper flakes for a little punch.
  • When the dough has risen, turn it out again onto a heavily floured board or surface.  You’ll need to cut it into 24 somewhat even pieces.  I cut the big lump in 1/4, then stretched those pieces out and cut them into 6 pieces.  A little variation is fine.  Cover your pieces with plastic wrap while you work rolling them out. (I find rolling it all out and cutting round circles just doesn’t work as well.)
    Bierock dough ready to be rolled
  • Roll a piece of dough into a ball, then with a rolling pin roll it out to about 1/8″ to 1/4″ thick. Even at 1/8″ you’ll have plenty of bread, so don’t worry about making them too thin.  You should have a circle about 6″ in diameter.
    Bierock dough ready to be cut
  • Place 1/2 cup filling in the center, then top with 1 tbsp of cheese.  Pull up opposite sides of the circle and pinch them together.  Pull the OTHER sides together and do the same.  Pinch up the sides to seal all the way, fold all this under the roll and place that side down onto a greased sheet or baking pan.  (If you like, you can brush each roll with the egg wash – just beat one egg with a little water until it’s a light yellow, then use a pastry brush to coat the top of each roll).
    1/2 cup filling per bierock
  • Bake the rolls at 350 for 25 minutes, until the rolls are golden brown.
    Bierocks recipe

Notes

Why whole wheat?  I enjoy the nuttier flavor as well as the added fiber.  It goes perfectly with recipes calling for stronger spices like caraway.  If you’re looking for different fillings, check out my new post with spicy sausage or pizza stuffing!
If adding cheese, stick with the younger, softer varieties. Harder cheese can separate during baking, making your rolls really greasy.
You can serve immediately, or let them cool, store in plastic freezer bags and reheat them anytime. They keep very well in the freezer.

You can change up the ingredients to make your own favorite “Hot Pockets” at home.  I find about 2 minutes in the microwave heats them up perfectly for lunch.  See some variations in my post More Whole Wheat Bierocks!

Questions or comments? Please leave a note below and I’ll respond right away.

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23 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    These are easy and delicious!

  2. 5 stars
    A friend shared your recipe a couple months ago and I just made it for my family last night – it was a huge hit! It really reminds me of home growing up in Western KS where bierocks were a staple. I’m excited to use the dough recipe to make ham and cheese pockets (also a Western KS staple), not to mention pizza pockets and cheesesteak pockets and breakfast pockets. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe, it’s going to be a regular in our meal rotation. I can’t wait to try more of your recipes!

  3. 5 stars
    Thanks for this awesome recipe Don! I didn’t discover bierocks until I lived in Kansas for a couple years. I have made them a few times before with frozen dough and other dough recipes, but these are so much better. I love the way the dough turned out. I made mine with grated swiss cheese and sauerkraut. I ran out of filling towards the end so I had two pieces of dough left – they made delicious rolls!

    1. Yay! I’m so glad you liked them. Yes sauerkraut is a really popular filling – gives a bit more “zing” than just the plain cabbage.

  4. Hi Tim, I’m making your bierocks tonight. I’m from Ellis and I loved growing up eating them. I hope they turn out!

    1. I meant hi Don! you can delete and I’ll repost!

    2. I hope you enjoy them! No worries, I have a cousin Tim in Ellis – or at least I did back in the day. I grew up in Wamego. Cheers!

  5. Is it possible without eggs

    1. Yes, but increase the milk by 3 tablespoons per egg. You’ll need the extra liquid.

  6. Thanks for the recipe. I have been trying the different recipes to prepare a meal for my family during this time where all have to stay home due to Coranavirus lockdown.

    Minced beef or chicken is our favorite. This recipe is just perfect for us. I have to try this recipe even though I am not good at baking 🙂

    1. You’re very welcome! Yes, it’s great for kids because it’s handheld and one roll is really filling. They stay fresh in the freezer for months.

  7. I know one person who would enjoy this in the whole world, my dad really loves whole wheat bread and I think he is even an addict to cheese. When mum isn’t around I’m the one who does all those preparations and will try out these bierocks some time and see how he likes them, I think they are better saved with a cup of coffee. 

    1. Cheese and bread is a staple the world over, so he’ll enjoy these! 

  8. 5 stars
    Love the narrative and recipe. We enjoyed these at school lunch in Salina Kansas. They are special to our family too.

    1. My family is from Ellis, so cool for you to bring the recipe “home” so to speak. Enjoy!

  9. Hello and thanks for sharing, this is the first time that I have heard about this and the amazing thing is that this whole wheat bierocks looks so delicious.
    also this is made of whole wheat and that is another added benefit. From what I see it seem to be very healthy. Thanks for a well written post with awesome information.

    1. Thank you Norman.  I’ve made them dozens of times and they always turn out great.  A nice quick meal to have in the freezer.

  10. Hi. I have just tried doing the beirocks recipe but for some reason it didn’t rise well and i followed the step by step instructions, what am I doing wrong? I left the dough for about 1hr 45 mins to rise aswel.
    Could you also tell me what sauerkraut is?
    I have never heard of that before.
    Some other great recipies I would like to try out aswel which I am looking forward to.
    Cheers
    Matthew

    1. Well, there are a number of reasons. Your yeast might have been too old, or the place you put it to rise may have been too cold, or the yeast was dissolved in water that was too hot. That’s the thing with baking – there are a lot of moving parts! But I’ll review the recipe and make sure I didn’t miss something crucial!

      Sauerkraut is just a form of fermented cabbage. You find it in the canned goods aisle, or for a fresher version, you can find it in the chilled section near the Klaussen pickles. If I had a specific recipe for using sauerkraut, I would skip any additional salt.

  11. Hey great dough recipe turns out perfect . I sauted red and sweet onion and shiitake mushrooms with butter and balmasmic viniger then carmelized them with brown sugar and garlic . these bierocks game out great thanks again !

    1. Sounds delicious! Do you mind if I add that variation to my post? I’m sure others would love it.

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