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Sourdough Hamburger Bun Recipe

Hamburger Bun Recipe: Sourdough Buns

I’ve been making hamburger buns for years but, recently I created a hamburger bun recipe using sourdough that makes normal hamburger buns hard to go back to!

Course Lunch or Dinner
Cuisine American
Prep Time 45 minutes
Active Time 20 minutes
Rise Time 4 hours
Total Time 5 hours 5 minutes
Servings 10 (4oz) buns
Calories 221 kcal
Author Sarah Ozimek

Ingredients

  • 1 cup sourdough starter (*see note below)
  • 1 cup filtered water find the best water filtration systems here
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 Tablespoons butter melted and cooled
  • 2 Tablespoons honey (or another sweetener)
  • 2 ½ cups whole wheat flour divided (find organic whole wheat flour here)
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 cups organic unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1 egg yolk beaten with 1 teaspoon water (for the egg wash)
  • optional (sesame seeds for topping)

Instructions

  1. In a medium bowl, mix the sourdough starter, water, eggs, melted butter, and honey.
  2. Add the whole wheat flour and salt. Mix well.
  3. Add the all-purpose flour ¼ cup at a time, until your dough comes together.
  4. Knead the dough for 10-15 minutes by hand. (This dough can also be made in your stand mixer or in your bread machine on the dough setting.) Once kneaded, the dough should be soft and slightly sticky.
  5. Place kneaded dough in a clean, greased bowl and cover it with a damp tea towel. Place the bread in a warm, draft-free place to rise for 4 hours. (If you want a more sour bun, you can let the dough rise for 6-8 hours.)
  6. After dough has risen, punch it down and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 10 roughly equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and flatten the ball to about 1-inch thick. Place the rounds on a greased baking sheet.
  7. Cover the shaped buns with your tea towel and let them rise for another 1-2 hours, until nearly doubled and puffy.
  8. Near the end of the rising time, preheat your oven to 400°F.
  9. Once risen, gently brush the buns with with the egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds (if desired).
  10. Bake the buns in your preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, until golden and firm when tapped.
  11. Transfer the buns to a wire rack and let them cool completely before using or storing. Slice before using.

Notes

*My sourdough starter is about the consistency of a very thick pancake batter. If your starter is thinner, you will most likely need to add more flour to your dough. If your starter is thicker (closer to a sticky dough consistency), you will probably need to add a splash more water to the bread recipe, and you will want to add your flour a little at a time, to make sure you don’t end up with a dough that is too dry. You want your bread dough to be soft and slightly tacky, but not overly sticky.