German meat and cabbage buns

I have a very soft spot for German baking, growing up on it, but I had never heard of “Beirocks” until I saw them being made on TV.  They do have very typical ingredients (meat, cabbage, carbs, fennel and caraway seeds), which is right up my alley, so I decided to give them a try.

They are a little time-consuming, as they have to rise twice, but aside from that they’re very easy to make (the filling can be made the day before) and they are an absolute crowd pleaser.  I made these for a group of friends and we consumed way too many each, sitting outside in the sun (so I obviously made these the first time a few weeks ago, now that the weather has turned!) drinking beer.  They aren’t called Beirocks for nothing.

The men of the group were particularly taken by them and my fiance has requested them again, on more than one occasion.   I even overheard him telling his mates how great they were – which is a true sign of a great recipe discovery!

Makes 20

Filling:

2 tablespoons oil

500 gr minced beef

2 onions, finely chopped

1 small white cabbage, shredded finely (discard the hard core)

1 tablespoon salt

1/2 tablespoon white pepper

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon caraway seeds

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

1 teaspoon ground cumin

100 ml water

50 gr melted butter

 

Buns:

1 tablespoon caster sugar

300 ml warm water

1 x 7 gr sachet of dried yeast

500 gr strong white flour, extra for dusting

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sunflower oil

 

I made the filling first.  This can be done the day before – which is more convenient, as the filling is then cold when you want to assemble the buns.

Heat the oil in a frying pan (that has a lid) and brown the beef and onions over a medium heat, uncovered.  Make sure that the beef doesn’t stick together in large clumps.  Add the cabbage and all the spices.  Fry for another 5 minutes.  Add the water and cover with the lid.  Simmer for 5 minutes or more – until the cabbage is cooked through and very soft.  Remove from the heat and leave to cool.

To make the buns, stir the sugar and warm water into a small bowl.  Sprinkle over the yeast and stir lightly with a wooden spoon (not a metal spoon).  Leave for 10 minutes – this will foam on the surface.  In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt together.  Make a well in the middle.  Pour in the oil and yeast mixture.  Mix together with a wooden spoon and then your hands.  Knead this dough for 10 minutes until smooth.  Oil the mixing bowl, add the dough, cover with cling film and leave to rise in a warm place for 30-45 minutes.

Pour the dough back onto the work bench and divide it into 20 even balls.

Line 2 large baking trays with good quality non-stick baking paper, or with a lot of oil.  I found that the paper stuck to the bottom of the buns and if I greased the trays very well, I could remove the buns from the tray with an egg flip.  Turn the oven on to 180 C / 350 F.

Roll out the dough balls into large rounds – roughly the size of a saucer.  Place 2 tablespoons of the cold filling in the centre.  Brush the edges with water and then bring the edges of the dough to the centre and pinch together.  Place on the baking tray with the sealed edges at the bottom.  Leave to rise for another 20 minutes.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown.  Brush with melted butter and serve with German mustard, pickles and beer.  Enjoy!