Instant Pot Runza Filling Plus Homemade Dough

[Toe]

Per request from @krc1995 and @lo country, here's how I make homemade runzas with my Instant Pot. You could also make this without a pressure cooker, just omit the baking soda and brown the hamburger and onion in a dutch oven and then add the cabbage and simmer for a few minutes. For that matter, you could also use the saute function on the Instant Pot, but I think it's nice to be able to just push a button and let it go. I use a homemade white dough recipe for the bread, but you can use Rhodes frozen Texas Rolls dough if you'd like.

 

1 batch white bread dough (recipe below) -OR- 12-16 pieces Rhodes frozen Texas Rolls dough, thawed but still cold
1.25 lbs ground chuck
1 large yellow onion
1 small head of cabbage
12-16 slices American, Provolone, Mozzarella, or Pepperjack cheese
1.5 T garlic powder
1.5 T pepper
1.5 T salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp baking soda
3 T melted butter (optional)

 

If you're making homemade dough, mix that first and let the dough rise for 1 to 1.5 hours. Preheat oven to 350F. Dice onions and add to pot with ground beef. Mix garlic powder, pepper, salt, sugar, and baking soda together and stir into onion and hamburger, chopping up the raw hamburger a bit. (The baking soda helps things brown in the pressure cooker. It doesn't really affect the flavor, but it might smell a little funny when you open the lid.) Set cooker to pressure cook for 20 minutes.

 

While that's cooking, prepare the dough pieces. If using homemade dough, tear off about a 3" ball of dough for each runza. Stretch and flatten each piece of dough into about a 6" circle, making sure there's no thin spots, and place on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. (If the dough feels like it's going to tear when you're stretching it, let it sit for a few minutes and stretch it again.) Place a slice of cheese on top of each. Quarter the cabbage, cut out the core from each section, and chop into pieces.

 

When the timer goes off on the pressure cooker, do a fast release (open release valve immediately). Stir the cabbage into the mixture. Set to slow cook and cook for 5 minutes, then turn off. The cabbage should be softened, but doesn't need to be completely cooked - it'll finish in the oven. Drain mixture in a strainer or colander. (I usually drain it into a bowl and drink the 'broth' - tastes pretty good!)

 

Taste the filling and season more if necessary. Maybe the most important thing for making good runzas is to season generously! You have to remember that the bread will soak up some of the seasoning. If the filling by itself tastes perfectly seasoned, the finished product will end up tasting bland. So don't be afraid to use a heavy hand, the filling by itself should taste a little over-seasoned.

 

Double check that you didn't forget to put the cheese on the dough. Scoop 1/3 to 1/2 cup of filling onto each piece of dough. You might find it easier to place the dough in a bowl when you load it with filling. Pinch the seam shut, and place seam side down on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Optionally, brush the top of each Runza with melted butter. Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown.

 

 

Homemade runza dough, based on white bread variation 2 from The Bread Baker's Apprentice:

 

28 oz bread flour (about 6.25 cups, but it's much better to weigh it)
2 1/4 tsp salt
1/4 c sugar
1 T instant yeast
2 eggs, slightly beaten, at room temperature
1/3 c butter, at room temperature
2 1/4 c buttermilk or whole milk, at room temperature

 

Mix the flour, salt, sugar, and yeast together in a large bowl. Pour in eggs, butter, and milk or buttermilk and mix until all the flour is moistened and it starts to form a ball. If the dough seems dry, add just a little more milk. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes. The dough should be soft and a bit tacky, but not sticky. If using an electric mixer, it should be just barely sticking to the bottom of the bowl.