What happens when you have plenty of time at home to experiment with the power of tiny yeast fungi feasting on sugar and starch to create pockets of air in dough? In this case, the happy result of this type of boredom is these Sourdough Hamburger Buns.
The sourdough craze happening right now is unreal! I think the current crisis has made us all lean a little harder into our somewhat suppressed human need to be self-sufficient. I’m finding myself fascinated with doing things the long way, the old fashioned way… there’s something a little more satisfying and romantic about it all. Maybe you are too?
The idea of being able to make these beautiful Sourdough Hamburger Buns any day of the week with pantry staples is so wonderful to me. They definitely brought our weekly burger night to the next level! They do require a lot of time, but most of it is just letting the dough do its thing while it sits on the counter. There’s really very little hands-on time here.
This Sourdough Hamburger Bun recipe does contain both active, bubbly sourdough starter and a small amount of active dry yeast. This allows you to make them the same day that you start the dough. I’ve included a possible timeline at the end of this post for making the buns in order to have them ready for dinner. If you are interested in keeping a sourdough starter (it is a little like keeping a pet), King Arthur Flour is a wonderful resource.
You may have success making your own sourdough starter from flour and water, but it is easier to start your own from the discard of a friend who has an established starter. It can even be dehydrated and sent by mail!
The boys and I have been making all things sourdough, including waffles, pizza, pretzels, and cinnamon rolls. The Clever Carrot has been such a great resource for us. All of Emilie’s recipes have turned out perfectly. It’s so fun for the boys to watch the sourdough starter bubble up and learn the science behind it. It definitely counts as school around here!
This Sourdough Hamburger Bun recipe is adapted from my Butterhorn Rolls recipe. It is an enriched dough, meaning that it has milk, eggs, and butter. The glossy top comes from brushing an egg whisked with water over the surface of the risen bun just before baking.
I used my KitchenAid mixer with the dough hook attachment to mix and knead the dough. It can also be done by hand but will take longer. It is also very helpful to have a kitchen scale to measure your ingredients (especially the starter and flour) precisely. I also love using a bench scraper for portioning out the dough and for cleaning up my work surface.
I think the most difficult part of baking with sourdough is just being patient enough. You can’t rush the rise! If you try to bake your buns before they are ready, you’ll get a heavy, dense bun. The more you experiment and practice, the more you’ll be able to rely on the feel of the dough and your intuition to know when it’s ready for the next step.
Possible Timeline
7am (or night before) – feed sourdough starter
10:30am – Mix dough together.
11:00am – Dough rests.
11:30am – Knead dough.
11:45am – Bulk rise.
2:15pm – Shape buns.
2:30pm – Buns rise.
3:45pm – Brush egg wash on buns and preheat oven.
4:00pm – Bake for 20 minutes.
4:20pm – Cool, then slice.
5pm – Grill those burgers, these buns are ready!
Did you make this recipe?
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Sourdough Hamburger Buns
- Prep Time: 5 hours
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 5 hours 20 minutes
- Yield: 8 buns 1x
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup (60 grams) bubbly, active sourdough starter
- 1 cup (240 grams) whole milk, warm
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon (2.85 grams) active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon (6 grams) salt
- 2 tablespoons (12 grams) granulated sugar
- 3 1/2 cups (430 grams) all-purpose flour, divided
- 3 tablespoons (42 grams) butter, soft
- 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water for egg wash
- 2 teaspoons (6 grams) sesame seeds
Instructions
- In the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, mix sourdough starter, milk, 1 egg, yeast, salt, sugar and 300 grams of flour on medium speed until a loose, shaggy dough is formed. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let rest in the bowl for 30 minutes.
- With the dough hook, knead the dough for 7-8 minutes, gradually adding an additional 130 grams (or more) flour and 3 tablespoons of softened butter in small cubes. The dough should be soft and slightly sticky, but pulling away from the edges of the bowl as it kneads.
- Pour the dough, scraping the bowl to release, onto a floured work surface. Clean the bowl, then grease, and place the dough back into the bowl. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and place it in a warm, draft free place. I like to keep it in the oven with the light on, but the heat off.
- After 2-3 hours, the dough should double in size. Remove it from the bowl and place it on a floured work surface. Divide the dough into eight equal portions (about 100 grams each). To shape the dough into buns, pull the edges of the dough balls into the center, then cup your hand around the dough and roll into a tight ball (see video). Place the shaped buns onto a parchment lined baking sheet a good inch apart. Cover with a damp kitchen towel, and let the buns rise.
- After about 1 hour and 15 minutes, the buns should be doubled in size and touching each other on the baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Whisk 1 tablespoon of water and one egg in a small bowl, and brush onto the surface of the risen buns. Sprinkle each bun with sesame seeds.
- Bake the buns at 375 degrees for 20-22 minutes or until deep golden brown. The internal temperature should be about 190 degrees. Allow to cool a bit, then transfer to a cooling rack. Wait about 30 minutes before slicing and serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Bun
- Calories: 301
- Sugar: 4.9g
- Sodium: 331mg
- Fat: 7.4g
- Saturated Fat: 3.8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2.8g
- Trans Fat: 0.2g
- Carbohydrates: 49g
- Fiber: 1.9g
- Protein: 8.9g
- Cholesterol: 61mg
Colleen says
Good morning! I do have a question! How are the buns to slice? I have made 3 sourdough loaves now, and each one’s crust is so tough to cut through. I am thinking maybe your buns would be soft due to the butter and milk added to the dough? Are your bread loaves hard to slice? Anyways..I am frustrated with it as I’m not knowledgable enough in the sourdough making process to know and have never saw it addressed on any sourdough sites.
Julie says
Hello Colleen, thanks for your question. These buns are very easy to slice. The crust is shiny and golden, but it is not at all tough. I have also made a sourdough round loaf that had a tough crust – quite the workout for my jaw! I hope you get the chance to make these. Please let me know how they work out for you if you do!
Pattie says
Hi Julie
I had such high hopes for these. After the second raise ,took the damp towel off and they all deflated.
What did I do wrong? I did bake them but they were only 1/2 inch thick.
Will try again if you have some good tips to keep them from deflating.
Julie says
I’m so sorry that happened, Pattie! I wonder if they had too much time to proof for that second rise, or did not have enough gluten develop in the kneading process. I know bread can be so picky. This article may be helpful. I hope it goes better next time, but thanks for letting me know how they turned out. https://thebreadguide.com/why-does-my-bread-collapse-or-flatten/
Pattie says
Thanks so much for the link. My problem was, starter was made with spelt flour ( very low protein and gluten ) . Will regrow starter with bread flour and see how that works.
Thank you for the great information.
Brett says
As a long time baker of sourdough bread, I’ve been looking for other things to make with my starter. I tried baking these tonight and they came out great! We loved the flavor, texture, and body. Perfect for hamburger buns! The only modification I made was to omit the yeast (and added instead a bit more starter, compensating with less flour/milk to maintain volume). They rise was fine although it is a hot day today which probably helped. Everything bagel seasoning is also nice on top 🙂
★★★★★
Julie says
Thanks so much for the great review! Love the bagel seasoning idea for the top, too.
Becky says
Brett, I wondered about making these without the yeast, how much more starter did you add? Did you just subtract that same amount from your flour and milk? I’m still learning sourdough baking. Thanks
Leo says
I was curious of the amounts and rising times of making this without active yeast.
Julie says
The rise time will depend on how active your starter is and the temperature of your kitchen. If I made these without yeast, I would mix the dough the night before and let rise overnight. Then mid-morning, shape the buns and allow to rise until they are just about touching on the baking sheet. Hope this is helpful!
Katie says
I’m glad I read this before I finish making these! I doubled the recipe and now I’m going to make half with sesame and half with bagel seasoning. I can’t wait!
Katie says
Hello! Can you freeze these? If so, at what stage do you recommend freezing them? Thank you!
Julie says
Hi! I have heard that sourdough baked goods freeze really well, but haven’t tried freezing these hamburger buns. If I did, I would bake, cool, wrap well, and freeze. I think they should be just fine, especially if you plan on toasting them a bit for burgers! Enjoy!
Ron says
Can I omit the sugar? I can’t stand most grocery store buns anymore as they all add sugar to their buns and breads and make them taste like a donut.
Julie says
Hi Ron, yes I think it would be fine to leave sugar out if you prefer.
Katie says
It’s me again! Have you ever doubled the batch? I can’t seem to make these fast enough for my family! 🙂 Thanks for your help!
★★★★★
Julie says
Hi Katie! So glad your family loves them so much. I haven’t made a double batch yet, but I think it should be fine – as long as your mixing bowl can hold everything. Let me know how it works if you try!
Katie says
Thanks! I’m going to try doubling the next batch and I’ll report back to you. 🙂
Emma says
I made these at the weekend and they were perfect! Thank you so much for sharing your recipe 🙂
★★★★★
Julie says
Emma, yay, I’m so glad! Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know how they turned out!
Ann says
I made these today to go with the grilled hamburgers I cooked for supper. They were wonderful. I will never buy buns again. Thank you for sharing.
Julie says
Oh that’s wonderful! So glad to hear this recipe worked out well for you!
MATT WODZIAK says
Made these today and mine didn’t rise at all in the oven. I’m guessing I overproofed them. I gave them more like 2-3 hours before I baked them. I wondering if a higher initial temp in the oven like 425 would help them rise as well.
Julie says
Hi Matt, did you find your rolls were too dense? I’m finding that the sourdough recipes I’m making don’t rise as much in the oven as I would expect – as compared to recipes with active dry yeast from a packet. Perhaps, they did overproof, and then fell in the oven? I’m also finding that the kneading and reshaping process is really important for building up the gluten structure, so that the rise doesn’t collapse. Thanks for your feedback. Happy baking!
Sarah says
These turned out absolutely perfect! My quarantine sourdough adventure just keeps getting better and better. Thank you so very much!!!
★★★★★
Julie says
Thank you so much Sarah! Happy baking!
Steph says
Is it possible to make them with a lower fat-content milk? I only have 1% in the fridge 🙁
Nick says
I just made them with 1% and they look mighty fine!
Susan E Storch says
I have only low fat, lactose free milk on hand. Will that make any difference?
Frances Viviani says
Hi, I’m Frances. I added a little cream to my milk because we use low fat milk too. Worked out just fine.
Julie says
Good to know, Frances. Thank you!
Anita says
Wow buns looks so nice but one thing I didn’t get is Why are you using dry yeast with the good sourdough starter?i am a beginner in sourdough baking experts says sourdough starter is the replacement of commercial yeast?thank you
Julie says
Anita, great question! The reason I wanted to add just a little bit of dry yeast is so that I could make the buns all in one day. If I just use the sourdough starter as my rising agent, I would need to make the dough the night before, let it rise overnight, then do the shaping and second rise the following day. You could definitely do it this way. I just liked how the combination of the two gave such a great flavor and a little bit of the convenience of timing. Happy baking!
Kate says
This was the first time I’ve ever made an enriched dough and they came out brilliantly. I did a little happy dance round the kitchen when I saw they’d risen beautifully.
★★★★★
Jacqueline says
These buns wer great! The only trouble I had was after you shaped the buns into round balls and covered them with a damp cloth to rise, when they were done rising the buns stuck to the towel! So they deflated some and I baked them still but I’m making another batch and afraid to do that again.
So I’ll see how they turn out this second time. Thank you though a small they are delicious!
Julie says
So glad you liked them! Maybe try some plastic wrap with nonstick spray on the side that will touch the rising dough. Some towels are stickier than others.
Mariam says
These buns were excellent! I didn’t have sesame seeds so I used a mix of chia seeds and flax seeds and it tasted great!
★★★★★
Paul says
Great recipe! I’ve been making sourdough for months but this is my first effort at rolls and they came out great. Your instructions were very clear. My rolls looked just like your picture! Had burgers last night and will use the rolls for a sous vide pulled pork tonight. Thanks!
★★★★★
Ceri Y says
These buns I keep coming back to and making regularly. They’re perfect.
★★★★★
Hazel Tan says
Excellent recipe. I omitted the yeast and did 4hours BF.
★★★★★
Patricia says
I tweaked your recipe a little ( subbing in 1 cup of rolled oats, honey for sugar, olive oil for butter, adding 1T ground flax) and had great results! Thanks for the recipe!
★★★★★
Diana H says
These are wonderful!
Our didn’t rise as much as yours before baking- mostly likely bc we use half spelt half AP, but they certainly finished in the oven! We also only used starter with a 3 day refrigeration! This is going to be a repeat in our home! Thanks for sharing! I’m so grateful to have found an amazing and easy roll recipe!
★★★★★
Darren says
Amazing and texture is wonderful. Thank you. So easy too.
★★★★★
Dorothy Carvell says
Just out of the oven! Looking marvelous. Soft and springy. Great recipe and easy to follow. I’ve been baking sour dough since Covid started. Usually the round artisan bread. I found my rising times were about 1/2 the times in the recipe. I use the Bakers instant dry yeast. Also I had them rising in an oven kept warm with a small bowl of hot water. Perhaps this contributed to the faster rising times.
I do have to work on dividing the dough more equally and the shaping. LOL i made 4 hamburger and 4 hot dog buns. Can’t wait for dinner!
★★★★★
Julie says
Thank you for letting me know how they turned out, Dorothy. You’ll get better at the shaping as you make them more! Appreciate your comment very much.
Patricia K Fairchild says
I doubled your recipe, tweaked it a bit, had a little extra starter, used it anyway, like 20 grams, 2% milk, 2 T honey instead of sugar, 2 T ground flax, 1/4 EVOO instead of 6 T butter, 1 cup old fashioned oats and my starter is 1/3 each rye, whole wheat and KA unbleached flour. I just can’t seem to make a recipe as written, lol, anyway, they look great! Thanks for the recipe!👍😊💖
★★★★★
Julie says
I know the feeling! I always think a little tweak here and there with be just the thing. So glad you enjoyed!
Marlo Knight says
My dough is proofing right now. It’s just about time to shape my buns and I have to leave home unexpectedly. I’m thinking I can shape my buns and allow them to cold retard in the fridge until tomorrow. I think if I do that I’ll need them to sit out at room temperature for a couple of hours before baking. Am I correct?
Julie says
Hi Marlo, without having tested this recipe in that exact way, I think it sounds like a good plan! Let me know how it goes!
Diana Mestre says
I made it and success, good result , beautiful and yummy, my husband like it.
For this recipe I add 2.5 grams Baker’s Bonus, so the result become softer and fluffy. Thanks for the recipe.
★★★★★
Tessa says
Oh my gosh – these are perfect! SO delicious and a perfect texture!! I used a strong bread flour and I needed closer to 2.5-3 cups instead of 3.5. These were so easy and amazingly delicious!! Definitely making again.
★★★★★
Liz says
these are fantastic – perfect recipe and will definitely make again.
★★★★★
Viv says
Made these today with 1%milk. They came out great! Definitely will be my go to hamburger bun. My husband and I both loved the texture.
★★★★★
Julie says
Great, thanks for letting me know how they turned out, Viv.
Chris says
I live at a high altitude so I added an extra tablespoon of milk. I also used only whole wheat flour. They came out perfect! Great recipe!
★★★★★
Jessica R says
I don’t usually leave comments, but I’ve made these buns like four or five times in the last few months, and they always turn out perfectly… so I just wanted to say thanks for a great recipe.
I always follow exactly, except sometimes if I don’t have whole milk I’ll sub with what I have on hand. Tonight it was 2% with a bit of whipping cream.
We’ve eaten these as hamburgers, all kinds of sandwiches, even made smaller buns once & treated them more as dinner rolls.
Thanks!
★★★★★
Robin says
Hi, I’m excited to make these today. I don’t have a mixer tho and will be doing it all by hand. Any advice?