When German-Russian immigrants settled on the Kansas plains in the 1870s they brought the bierock — a stuffed bread roll filled with beef and cabbage — and it became one of the most beloved foods in Kansas history Every Kansas grandmother has a bierock recipe and every Kansas family claims theirs is the best. I got this recipe from a woman in Wichita who has been making them for sixty years and they are the most satisfying and most portable meal in the Midwest
The Lineup:
For the dough:
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 packet rapid rise yeast
1 cup warm whole milk
4 tbsp melted butter
2 tbsp sugar
1 egg
1 tsp salt
For the filling:
1 lb ground beef
2 cups green cabbage, very finely shredded
1 small yellow onion, finely diced
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
Salt and generous black pepper
The Move:
Make dough — combine warm milk, yeast, and sugar and wait 5 minutes. Add butter, egg, and salt. Add flour and knead 8 minutes until smooth. Cover and rise 1 hour. Make filling — brown ground beef with diced onion, drain fat. Add very finely shredded cabbage and cook over medium heat 8-10 minutes until cabbage is completely wilted and soft. Season very generously with black pepper and salt — the filling needs bold seasoning. Cool filling completely before using. Divide risen dough into 12 equal portions. Roll each into a 5-inch circle on a floured surface. Place 3-4 tablespoons of filling in the center and add a little Swiss cheese. Bring the dough edges up and over the filling pinching firmly to completely seal — no gaps. Place seam-side-down on a parchment baking sheet. Rest 20 minutes. Bake at 375°F for 18-22 minu