Nebraska Runza (Savory Beef & Cabbage Stuffed Bread Rolls)
intro
Iconic Nebraska portable stuffed bread rolls, filled with savory seasoned ground beef, cabbage, and onion, baked to a crisp golden crust for hearty, handheld eating.
Ingredients
Steps
In a large mixing bowl, combine warm 43°C/110°F whole milk, granulated sugar, and active dry yeast. Let rest 5 minutes until foamy to confirm yeast is active. Stir in melted cooled butter, 1 tsp (6g) of the sea salt, then gradually add all-purpose flour, mixing until a shaggy dough forms. Knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 7 minutes until smooth and elastic, then place in a greased bowl, cover with a damp towel, and let rise in a warm 24°C/75°F spot for 1 hour until doubled in volume.
While the dough rises, heat a large skillet over medium heat (175°C/350°F surface temperature). Add ground beef, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon as it cooks for 5 minutes until fully browned. Drain excess rendered grease, then add diced onion, cooking for 3 minutes until soft and translucent. Stir in shredded cabbage, remaining 1/2 tsp (3g) sea salt, garlic powder, black pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Cook 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cabbage is fully wilted and tender, then transfer filling to a plate to cool completely to room temperature (about 20 minutes).
Once dough has doubled in size, punch it down firmly to release all trapped air, then turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough evenly into 8 equal pieces (each ~95g), rolling each piece into a 15cm (6 inch) square that is 0.5cm (1/4 inch) thick, ensuring the edges are not thinner than the center to prevent filling leaks during baking.
Scoop a level 1/3 cup (~70g) of the fully cooled beef and cabbage filling into the center of each dough square. Fold the four corners of the dough up to meet at the center over the filling, pinching all seams tightly closed to fully encase the filling, ensuring no gaps are present. Place each sealed runza seam-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving 5cm (2 inches) of space between each roll to allow for expansion.
Cover the assembled runzas on the baking sheet with a damp kitchen towel and let them rest for 20 minutes in a warm spot until slightly puffed. While they rest, preheat your oven to 190°C/375°F, with a rack positioned in the middle of the oven. After the 20 minute rest, brush the top and sides of each runza evenly with the prepared egg wash to create a shiny, golden crust.
Place the baking sheet on the middle oven rack and bake for 22-25 minutes at 190°C/375°F, until the runzas are deep golden brown all over, with an internal bread temperature of 93°C/200°F. Rotate the baking sheet 180 degrees halfway through baking (at the 12 minute mark) to ensure even browning across all rolls.
Remove baked runzas from the oven and transfer them to a wire cooling rack to rest for 5 minutes before serving, to allow the filling to set and prevent burns from hot trapped steam inside the rolls.
Tips
2.Pinch all dough seams extra tightly when sealing the runzas; even a tiny gap will open as the dough rises and steam builds in the oven, causing filling to leak out onto the baking sheet.
3.For an authentic Nebraska diner variation, add 30g (1/4 cup) shredded sharp cheddar to each filling portion before sealing, or serve baked runzas with crispy crinkle-cut fries and yellow mustard for dipping.
OMG these taste exactly like the runzas I grew up eating at high school football games in Lincoln! I was so nervous the bread would be too fussy since I’m not a confident bread baker, but the step-by-step instructions were so easy to follow. My husband ate three straight out of the oven, my kids asked for seconds before they even finished their first. Total game changer for our weeknight dinner rotation!
Brought these to our neighborhood potluck last weekend and people were begging me for the recipe before the first tray was even gone! I added a little extra shredded cheddar to the filling like my grandma used to, and it was chef’s kiss. SO good, will absolutely be making these again for our next tailgate.
Made these for dinner last night and they were incredible! Has anyone tried freezing these after baking? I do meal prep every Sunday for my work lunches and these look perfect for that, but I don’t want the bread to get soggy or the cabbage to get mushy when I reheat them.
First time ever making yeast bread from scratch and I was panicking the whole time, but these turned out so tasty! I think I let my dough rise a little too long the first go around so it was super sticky, but I added a dusting of extra flour and it worked out. Definitely worth the 2.5 hour time commitment, don’t let the medium difficulty scare you off!
I made these vegetarian by swapping the ground beef for plant-based crumbles and they were still SO good! My meat-loving roommate didn’t even notice the difference until I told him. Only note is I wish the seasoning was a little more specific— I added a pinch of paprika and extra garlic powder on top of what the recipe called for and it hit perfectly.
Made these for our college football watch party this past Saturday and they were gone in 10 minutes flat! I served them with a side of spicy mustard for dipping and it was the perfect combo. Way better than the frozen runzas I used to buy at the grocery store, worth every minute of prep.
Pro tip: add a handful of shredded sharp cheddar right on top of the beef filling before you seal the dough up. The melted cheese oozes out a little when you bite into it and it takes these to a whole new level. My whole family is obsessed, this is our third time making the recipe in a month!
Wait, I *hate* cooked cabbage but I saw these going viral on TikTok and decided to give them a shot and… I’m a convert? The cabbage gets all soft and sweet mixed in with the ground beef and onion, you barely even notice it’s there! My jaw is on the floor how good these are.
Full transparency: I am terrible at crimping dough sealed, so half of my runzas split open while baking and a little bit of the filling oozed out onto the baking sheet. You know what? They still tasted absolutely amazing. I even ate the crispy little bits of filling that baked onto the sheet, no shame. 10/10, will make again and practice my crimping.
I was so excited to make these but my homemade dough totally flopped (I think my yeast was dead, oops). Has anyone tried using store-bought frozen bread dough for these instead? I have a ton of it in my freezer from my last grocery run and I’d love to use it up instead of running to the store for more yeast. I’m giving 4 stars because the filling I tested while it was simmering was delicious, I just messed up the dough batch!
I moved from Omaha to Seattle 5 years ago and there is not a single runza spot within 3 hours of me. I’ve been craving one so bad I decided to make this recipe on a rainy Sunday, and I swear I almost cried when I took the first bite. It tastes exactly like home. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
Made a double batch of these on Sunday to take for lunches this week, and they’re even better reheated than they were fresh out of the oven! I popped one in the microwave for 45 seconds at work and it was perfect, no soggy bread, no weird mushy texture. Already got two coworkers asking me to send them the recipe.
I sautéed a cup of chopped cremini mushrooms in with the beef and onion to add a little extra umami, and it was such a good call! The mushrooms blended right in with the meat and added such a nice depth of flavor. My husband said these are the best thing I’ve made all year.
Just pulled my first batch out of the oven and my whole kitchen smells insane! The dough is perfectly soft and fluffy, the filling is so savory and cozy. I can already tell this is going to be a staple in our house for cold winter nights. 10/10, no notes!