Evening before you prepare the dough:

About 8-14 hours before you plan to prepare the dough, take your sourdough starter out of the refrigerator and let it rest at warm room temperature until it becomes very active.  If it isn’t active after 14 hours, feed it and let it rest until it becomes active.

The starter I used had been resting in the refrigerator for two weeks since the previous feeding.  When I removed the starter from the refrigerator, I let it rest (without feeding it) for about 11 hours before using it in the dough.  I fed the starter after I removed the amount needed for the dough, thus eliminating the need to discard (or throw away) any sourdough.

Day 1: Prepare the dough

Start by placing the flour, sugar, and salt into a large mixing bowl.

Gently heat the milk 115º F. Hold the butter.

Pour warmed milk and sourdough into the flour mixture. Stir slightly before adding beaten egg. Add 1-2 tablespoons if the dough is too dry.

Knead the dough until it comes together and is smooth and elastic.

Cover and let it rest for 30 minutes. Work in the butter thoroughly and knead the dough until it is smooth.

Cover and let rise in a warm place for about 2 – 4 hours.  I let mine proof for 2 hours in a proofer at about 80 degrees F., and performed a stretch and fold after the first hour.

After the second hour, I wrapped the bowl tightly with plastic and placed it in the refrigerator to cold ferment.  I left it in the refrigerator for 2 days. I hadn’t planned to let it cold ferment that long, but I wasn’t ready to bake until the 3rd day.

Day 2: Prepare the filling for the Bierocks Runzas

Chop the onions and garlic and sauté in a large frying pan with a little butter or olive oil until tender.  Add ground meat along with generous amounts of salt and pepper.  Cook until the beef is cooked through and drain well.

Put browned ground meat into a large pot or crockpot. Stir in cabbage and kraut (if using).  Simmer 3-4 hours, stirring often, and seasoning and tasting.  If using a crockpot, cook on “low” for 5 to 6 hours.

Day 3: Bake the Bierocks Runzas

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it warm up in a warm place to keep the butter from getting hard.  I used a proofer.

Punch dough down, and divide into 6 equal portions.  I had 542 grams of dough. When divided, it was about 90 grams per piece.

Working with one piece of dough, roll out a circle of dough approximately 1/4″ thick.  It shouldn’t be so thin that it breaks up into holes when you handle it.  To help with the shaping, you can place the round into a bowl.

Dump the filling (~½ cup) on top of the dough, and then pull the dough around the filling and pinch the sides together to seal.  Flip the runza out, seam side down.

Place onto a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Let the buns rise while the oven preheats.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Optionally, brush tops with melted butter during the last 10 minutes of baking for color and flavor!