The flavorful combination of beef and cabbage stuffed in a fluffy roll makes German Bierocks the perfect hand-held food to go along with your Oktoberfest beer.
Oktoberfest in Munich
How we wish we were back in Munich right now.
Saturday marked the start of a huge, two week long celebration of German culture, heritage, and tradition.
Oktoberfest!
Some of you may be thinking, “Wait. I thought Oktoberfest was all about the beer?”
Ok, fine.
People from around the world have gathered in Munich to celebrate these things through one, much more specific thing.
BEER.
Oktoberfest: The World’s Largest Fair
This 16-day festival, held each year in Munich, Germany is considered the world’s largest fair, bringing over 6 million people to that Bavarian city each year.
To the locals the festival is known as “die Wiesn” after the name of the festival area “Theresienwiese” (literally “meadow of Therese“).
The history of this festival goes all the way back to 1810, but we’ll go into the rich history later this week.
Of the attendees, almost 3/4 are from the surrounding Bavarian region, with the last 1/4 being made up of visitors from all over the world.
These visitors consume liters upon millions of liters of Oktoberfest beer, which must meet special purity requirements.
Basically, it’s one HUGE festival!
German Bierocks: The Perfect All-In-One Meal
We thought these bierocks would be a great way to kick off the next two weeks, since, what goes better with beer, than a hand-held all-in-one meal?
Bierocks (pronounced BROCK) are yeast-raised rolls that are filled with a savory filling.
They originated in Eastern Europe and are very common among German immigrants to the US.
(You can find a similar hand-held meal from Eastern Europe in the Russian piroshki.)
The bread that surrounds the cabbage, beef, and onion filling in these bierocks is dense, eggy, and so delicious that it could be a meal in itself.
But it is also a perfect complement to the savory filling.
It’s sturdy enough to stand up to the filling, but soft enough that you’d swear you were eating your favorite, fluffy dinner roll.
How To Make Bierocks
For what looks like it could be a complicated dish, bierocks are quite simple to make. The most time consuming part is the time it takes for the bread dough to rise, and that’s all hands-off time.
We make use of this time to make the filling, which is just a simple sauteed mixture of beef, cabbage, and seasonings.
Once your dough is risen and ready, you simply divide it into eight portions and roll each into a ball. These balls get flattened a bit, so you can add the filling and create a pocket.
The important part is making sure the dough gets pinched tightly closed around the filling.
You don’t want any filling to spill out before you take a bite!
How To Reheat Bierocks
We like to make a double batch of these rolls whenever we make them, because they freeze SO well.
We freeze them after baking, so they just need to be thawed on the counter for a few hours. Then a quick stint in the microwave is really all you need to get them nice a warm!
It’s so handy to be able to pull a couple frozen rolls out of the freezer and reheat them for a quick meal!
The flavorful beef and cabbage stuffed in a fluffy roll makes German Bierocks the perfect hand-held food to go along with your Oktoberfest beer.
Yield: 8 stuffed rolls
- 1 c milk
- 2 Tbsp salted butter
- ¼ c white sugar
- 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast (1 package)
- 4 c unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 egg, beaten
- ¾ tsp salt
- ½ lb ground beef (85-90% lean)
- ½ onion, diced
- 3 c shredded cabbage (about ¼ of a medium head)
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 Tbsp milk
- Place milk and butter in a large bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds at a time until butter has melted.
Add sugar and whisk to dissolve. Whisk the mixture until it has cooled to 100F. (Liquid over 110F may kill the yeast.)
- Sprinkle yeast over the milk mixture and let set 5-10 minutes, until yeast softens and starts to foam. Whisk mixture to combine and whisk in 2 c of flour.
- Add egg and salt. Whisk to incorporate.
- Stir in remaining flour ¼ c at a time until the dough comes together. Turn dough onto your counter and knead, 10-15 min, until a soft, smooth dough forms, adding flour as needed. (Your finished dough should be tacky, but not stick to your hand or your kneading surface.)
- Shape dough into a round; place it in a greased bowl, turning to coat the dough. Cover the dough loosely with plastic wrap or a damp towel and place in a warm, draft-free place to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
- While the dough rises, make your filling. In a large non-stick frying pan, brown meat over medium high until mostly cooked, 5-7 min.
- Drain as much of the grease from the pan as you can, while not losing the meat from the pan. Return the pan to the heat and add onions. Cook 2-3 min, until they begin to soften.
- Add cabbage and cook 7-10 minutes, until cabbage is tender.
- Remove filling from heat and season with salt and pepper.
- Knock back the risen dough and turn onto your work surface.
- Divide dough into 8 balls (roughly 3 oz each). Flatten each ball to a circle 4-5” in diameter. (If the dough springs back, flatten as much as you can, cover, and let the dough rest for 3-5 min before attempting to flatten further.)
- Spoon 2 large tablespoons of filling onto the center of each circle, leaving the edges clear. Bring the edges together and pinch them to seal the dough completely. Continue until all the dough and filling has been used.
- Place the shaped bierocks on a greased baking sheet and let rise, covered 30-45 min, until roughly 1.5x their original size.
- During the last 10 minutes of rising time preheat your oven to 375F.
- Brush the bierocks lightly with milk and bake for 20-25 min, until golden brown and hollow sounding when tapped.
- Remove from oven and let cook on a wire rack.
These rolls freeze well after baking. To eat, just take them out of the freezer in the morning and they will be thaw by lunchtime. Warm them in the microwave for 1-2 minutes in 30 second increments to heat through.
Delicious! My mother’s family calls them “Runza” and my father’s side refers to them as “Mau Tosche” … No matter what you call them, they rock!! 🙂
They sure do! It’s so fun how they’re known by so many different names. But everyone loves them!
Really wanted to try baking something new today, thanks for the recipe!
Followed the dough recipe strictly. Didn’t have any cabbage on hand, so I did ground beef, onion, carrot, garlic, red pepper, zucchini. Great instructions, great results!
Can’t wait to try with cabbage (the *real* way)–sounds delicious!
So glad you enjoyed them! Your filling sounds tasty!
When I was a young boy in elementary school, back in the 70’s, these were served for school lunch as “German Hamburgers” and they were a favorite! A friend of mine just sent me this recipe. Can’t wait to try them.
How fun! Thanks for sharing your memories! We hope you enjoy them!
Growing up on Laurel Montana in October we had a festival that lasted all weekend called Herbsfest. Complete with a beer garden, music and dance. It was thrown in the High School and you bought commemorative buttons that were your entrance for the weekend. Crafts, food, oh the food! My Favorite was the ladies who sold Cabbage rolls(bierocks). It was the best festival all around. Sadly 15 years ago they moved it to another location and it fizzled and died. My Grandmother’s made these regularly and frozen them for yearly use. After the passing of both beloved Grandmother’s I have kept the tradition alive. I am making these today for the winter.
I will have a bag frozen and ready to send for Christmas for my brother’s.
I didn’t actually have a recipe since growing up making them, this recipe I will pass to my sister in laws. Thank you!
What a fun memory Brooke! We’re so glad this recipe will help you keep the tradition alive!
I too love these I had never had them before until about 3 weeks ago I ran across this recipe and fell in love my better half whom mind you hates cabbage loves them so if I can get him to eat a vegetable by making these I am so game. and I don’t even mind the few hours of work that goes into them . I have made these 3 times in a 3 week period and I do not have a kitchen aide mixer YET . I bet he buys me one rea l soon though anyway thank you so much Curious Cuisine for this amazing new family recipe that I I’ll be making many times in the years to come, I can not wait to try another one of your delicious recipes any one have a suggestion on my next German recipe. Thank you again Sincerely Sondra in Seattle
So glad you enjoy these Sondra! They are one of our favorites!
These are amazing!!! A big hit with my family!! My 89 year old German uncle said they tasted just like his mom use to make.
Wonderful! We’re so glad you and your family enjoyed them!
My family makes these and we are very much so not german…. And they call them grunions…. I have no clue why, because a grunion is a small fish… Haha
How fun! Thanks for sharing Lourie!
I fondly remember my aunts and grandmother preparing these little bits of heaven, but as I remember, the dough was thinly rolled and cut into
squares about 3-4 inches. The filling seems the same, and each square had a tablespoon or so of filling, and a second square of dough, pinching the perimeter to form a pouch. which was then deep fried. Our ancestry was Bavarian/White Russian, and we were taught the pronounciation sounded more like beer-rocks, (2 syllables).
I apologize if my memory has gone astray. It seems to do that more and of late. It is to be expected at 75 years. I would definitely like to follow the progress of your cookbook. Thanks, and God Bless. Be well, Yogi
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your memories Yogi! It’s so fun how these foods bring back such fond memories, and it is always interesting to learn how different families (and regions) make the dishes their own! Cheers!
I will be making these this Sunday for my parents. Thank you for the cool recipe!
We hope you enjoy them!
Aw, thank you Sarah, you make me feel really welcome and proud to be here.
We’re so glad to have you join us!!
When my parents were hosting a 50th anniversary celebration and a family reunion at their house on the same weekend, a friend brought 2 dozen bierocks to help the family get through the days of preparation and the aftermath. The grandkids loved them, and they were the perfect solution for grown ups who were too busy to stop and make lunch for the hungry hoards. The grandkids perfected nuking a bierocks when they were hungry, and bierocks became a tradition when our families were together.
When our son and his wife were expecting their first child, my son made and froze several dozen bierocks and calzone to get them through the first few weeks with a newborn. The second generation of cousins now expect bierocks to be a part of any family celebration. Thanks for sharing.
What a fun family tradition! Thanks for sharing Carol!
Made these and my kids loved them and turned out just like my great grandma use to make.
Thanks Valerie! We’re so glad to hear your family loved them! Isn’t it great when we can share a bit of our own history with our kids?
From the fridge, how do you suggest reheating these?
Hi Kristina. We simple put ours in the microwave for 2-3 spurts of 15-20 seconds, letting them rest for a minute in between the sets to let the temperature even out. Enjoy!
Can you make the dough the night before and store in the fridge?
Of course! Just make sure your dough comes to room temperature and starts to rise again before filling the rolls and letting them rise the final time before baking. Enjoy!
Thanks for the recipe. My friend made them the other night. We loved them.
We’re so glad you enjoyed the bierocks Linda!
Is there a store bought roll dough that would work as a substitute?
Hi Kristina. We’re not particularly familiar with working with store bought dough, but any white roll dough should work. The flavor will be a bit different, because the dough for these rolls uses milk, butter, and eggs, which makes them rich and fluffy. But, the concept would be the same as long as you had a basic white dinner roll dough.
absolutely, I use the frozen bread dough and it comes out just great saves a lot of time enjoy.
Thanks for sharing Tammy!
Pillsbury hot roll mix is what I use, it’s very good, nearly as good as homemade
What a great way to make these super quick! Thanks for sharing!
My great grandma would save any left over meat in the freezer then ground it all together to make these. I remember using that big grinder that attached to the counter top to help her. She would make over a hundred at a time and everyone would get to take them home and freeze them. I have not made them in so long, but going to make them this month, great way for all my cousins to come out of the woodwork to get these after I post them on FB! Just saw these on DDD, so googled up the recipe, yours looks about perfect! Can’t wait!
What a fun memory Sherry! Food has such a wonderful way of bringing people together! We hope you enjoy making the bierocks!
Hi I am new to this site. do you post german cuisine at this site and if so is there a recipe book?
Hi Patti! We do share German recipes. We not not have a recipe book for German recipes yet, but you can find our complete collection of German dishes here: https://www.curiouscuisiniere.com/around-the-world/german/ . If there are any particular dishes you are looking for, do let us know, and we’ll take a look into them. Enjoy!
Does anyone have the reciepe for Schwankbraten. It is pork that is marinated in some type of marinade made up of I think onions, vinger, seasonings. We were able to buy it at the meat shop in Ramstein Village or Kaiserslauten town. It was wonderful and we use to cook it on the grill whenever we had friends or for special meals. If anyone has the reciepe I would greatly appreciate it. Thank You. Karen
Hi Karen. Thanks for your request! We did some looking for you, and now have a recipe for Schwenkbraten on our site! You can find it here: https://www.curiouscuisiniere.com/schwenker/. Enjoy!
Hi, at our annual Oktoberfest in Hays, Kansas we have Cub Scout group that sells Schwanbraten . I don’t have the recipe but I can get it. You can also call the Ellis County Historical Society that sell Volga German Cook books…
Bierocks were a staple of 1960’s California elementary school lunch programs. I think we tolerated them them but now sound really good.
How interesting John! This version definitely doesn’t taste like cafeteria food! 🙂
I was in elementary school in ca same time only got these at home. Always loved them. I am making these tonight.
What a fun memory! We hope you enjoy them!
My husbands Aunt Chris was German. She made cabbage rolls ( a very rare treat) when word got out that Aunt Chris was making Cabbage Biscuits, we all gravitated to her house.
Note: She made hers with very tender beef roast (chopped into small pieces lightly shredded) instead of hamburger meat, so good.
Thanks so much for sharing your memory with us Linda! We’ll have to try making these rolls with shredded beef. That sounds very tasty!
When my German-Russian Grandma made Bierock, she used ground beef tongue, onion and cabbage. Oh, so delicious! I can still smell the aroma of them baking, in her kitchen. Oma, thank you for the memories!
Thank you so much for sharing your memories with us Sandra! We hope you enjoy these bierocks!
I had the joys of tasting these. My grandma and her friend made them the other day.. I had one and couldn’t stop so good. But they used sauerkraut instead of cabbage. It wormed my heart trying these because I’m German on my biological father side an I think since he didn’t know his culture he couldn’t pass it on to my brother and I. Thank you for the recipe:)
You are so welcome Kalyn! Thank you for sharing your story with us. This really is why we write and share the recipes we do: to hopefully connect people with their heritage and other cultures that they may not have a chance to experience otherwise. We’re so glad you enjoyed the bierocks. (These really are one of our most favorite things that we have shared!)
Thanks for the recipe. They take me back to when I was in high school, My friend’s german mother used to make them, I always enjoyed the rare treat. It is wonderful to be able to have them whenever I want now 🙂
You’re welcome! Thanks for stopping by and sharing your memories with us!
We add chopped garlic and on occasion have added american cheese as well- delicious!
Those sound like two tasty additions!
Thank you! I love the recipe and the Oktoberfest info! I’m looking forward to your upcoming posts and hope you’ll share some more delicious Deutsches Essen for our Oktoberfest celebration at La Belle Cuisine! 🙂
Servus! This looks lovely and delicious. A good idea!
These look fantastic! Good job with the dough.
These remind me of my beloved Chinese roast pork buns.