Bierockscooks Country Food

BIEROCKS

Steps:

• For dough, in a large bowl, combine 4 cups of flour, yeast, sugar and salt; mix well and set aside. , In a saucepan, heat water, milk and butter just until butter melts. Remove from heat and cool to 120°-130°. Combine with flour mixture; add eggs. Using an electric mixer, blend at low speed until moistened then beat at medium speed for 3 minutes. By hand, gradually stir in enough remaining flour to make a firm dough. , Knead on a floured surface about 10 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch dough down; let rise again until almost doubled. , Meanwhile, for the filling, brown beef with onion, salt and pepper; drain. Mix together with cabbage; set aside. Divide the dough into fourths. Roll each piece into a 15x10-in. rectangle. Cut into 5-inch squares. Spoon 1/3 to 1/2 cup filling onto each square. Bring the four corners up over the filling; pinch together to seal. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Place on greased baking sheets. , Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until brown.

BIEROCKS OR RUNZAS

Steps:

• Bloom the yeast in the warm water for 10 minutes, then mix all the remaining dough incredient together in a bowl. Knead on a floured surface for 5 minutes, then cover and let rest 1 hour.
• Make the filling. Heat the butter in a large pan and cook the cabbage, sauerkraut and onions over medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Stir in the thyme, mustard, vinegar and beer and simmer until the liquid is all gone. Turn off the heat, and, when this is cool, mix well with the uncooked meat. Set in the fridge.
• After the first hour has elapsed, punch down the dough, knead a few more times, then roll into a ball, cover and let sit another hour.
• When the dough has about 30 minutes to go, take the filling out of the fridge. It is important that it goes into the bierock at room temperature. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a baking sheet well.
• Cut the dough into eight pieces. Set the pieces you are not working on under plastic wrap or a damp towel. Divide the filling into eight parts, too.
• Roll a piece of dough into a ball, then flatten it to about 1/3 of an inch thick. Roll the outer inch of the dough thinner, to about ¼ inch thick or even thinner if you can - this makes what will become the bottom of the pastry match better with the top. Add some filling and bring the dough up all around it to seal. Set the dough seam side down on a floured surface and gently shape it into a flattened ball with your hands. Set on the greased baking sheet and repeat with the other pieces of dough.
• When all your bierocks are made and on the sheet, paint them all with egg and sprinkle with the seeds, plus a little more salt.
• Bake for 25 minutes, and cool a bit before serving. These are excellent at room temperature, too.

BIEROCKS(COOK'S COUNTRY)

Steps:

• 1. FOR THE FILLING: Heat 2 teaspoons oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add beef, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and cook, breaking up pieces with spoon, until liquid evaporates and meat begins to sizzle, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain meat in colander and set aside.
• 2. Add remaining 2 teaspoons oil to now-empty Dutch oven and heat over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until just beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Stir in drained beef, cabbage, and chicken broth. Bring to simmer, cover, and cook until cabbage is tender, about 5 minutes. Uncover and continue to cook until liquid evaporates and mixture begins to sizzle, 5 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to bowl and let cool 15 minutes. Stir in Colby Jack and let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate until ready to assemble bierocks.
• 3. FOR THE DOUGH: Meanwhile, grease large bowl. Combine milk, water, butter, and sugar in 2-cup liquid measuring cup. Microwave until temperature registers 110 degrees, 1 to 2 minutes. Using stand mixer fitted with dough hook, mix 3½ cups flour, yeast, and salt on low speed until combined, about 30 seconds. With mixer running, slowly add milk mixture and single beaten egg until incorporated and dough comes together, about 3 minutes. Increase speed to medium-low and continue to mix until dough is smooth and pulls away from sides of bowl, about 8 minutes. If after 4 minutes dough looks wet, add remaining ¼ cup flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until dough clears sides of bowl but sticks to bottom. Transfer dough to greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in warm place until doubled in size, 50 to 60 minutes.
• 4. Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Transfer dough to lightly floured counter and divide into 12 equal (2¾-ounce) portions. Form dough pieces into balls, cover with plastic, and let rest for 5 minutes.
• 5. Working with 1 dough ball at a time (keep remaining balls covered with plastic), roll out into 5½-inch round with rolling pin. Transfer ½ cup lightly packed filling (3 ounces) to center of round. Use hands to press filling into compact mound. Stretch edges of dough over filling and pinch together to form bun. Arrange 6 bierocks, seam side down, on each prepared baking sheet, 2 inches apart. Cover with plastic and let rise until doubled in size, 45 to 60 minutes.
• 6. Discard plastic, brush bierocks with egg wash, and bake until golden brown, 22 to 25 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking. Transfer sheets to wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes. Serve.
• TO MAKE AHEAD: Baked, cooled bierocks can be tightly wrapped in aluminum foil, placed in zipper-lock bag, and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month. To reheat, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Place foil-wrapped bierocks directly on oven rack until heated through, about 10 minutes if refrigerated or 60 minutes if frozen.