Cabbage Burgers, AKA Runzas

I did not invent this recipe, but it is my version of what was given to me. :) Tweaked with the advice of my dear German Grandma, Lydia. The smell of onion cooking takes me right back to her kitchen. Next month would have been her 98th birthday. It's been 2 years since she left us, and I miss her lots. How else would I have learned to love sauerkraut enough to brave trying it on apples? ;) The following recipe has nothing to do with that.

Cabbage Burgers

Dough:
   9 cups flour
   2 tsp salt
   1/2 cup sugar
mix well and add 3/4 cup shortening or oil, cut in well.
   4Tbs yeast
mix well and slowly add 3 and 1/2 cups warm water, until a good dough forms. Knead and add flour as needed (until not sticky) for about 5 minutes and put aside in a warm place to rise (I use a greased bowl in a warm place with plastic wrap over it)

Filling:
   1 and 1/2 lbs ground beef, browned with
   1 onion diced
season with salt and pepper to taste
   add 6 to 7 cups finely chopped cabbage (1/2 a large head, or one small head)
mix with meat and onion mixture and let cook until only slightly wilted. The cabbage will finish cooking in the oven.

Divide dough in quarters, each rolls out to make 6 squares (make a rectangle and cut). Spoon cabbage mixture in the middle of each square, and pull in the corners of each to make a square pocket. Turn over and let rise in a greased pan until double, then bake at 350 until golden brown.

A variation my husband loves, is to omit the meat and cook the cabbage with lots of black pepper, until it is completely caramelized. Then wrap with dough and bake as above. Very yummy, very spicy. Something akin to Hungarian Cabbage Strudel, which I also plan to try sometime in the future. But that is another post all-together. :)