Sourdough hamburger buns are a soft, chewy delicious dinnertime staple. Made with sourdough starter, these sourdough burger buns can be made with discard or active starter and long fermented for a natural rise.
Sourdough hamburger buns are a soft, chewy delicious dinnertime staple. Made with sourdough starter, these sourdough burger buns can be made with discard or active starter and long fermented for a natural rise.
Why We Love Sourdough Burger Buns
After eating store-bought hamburger buns and then switching to homemade sourdough, the difference doesn’t even compare! The homemade sourdough hamburger buns are rich and part of the meal on their own. Whereas with store-bought buns, they’re more of just something you put on top of your burger and don’t think about after that.
Sourdough burger buns are soft and chewy, and provide delicious flavor for a summer BBQ night. When I think of sunny evenings on the patio, I think of homemade burger patties and grilled corn on the cob. While it’s winter right now as I write this, these homemade burger buns sure bring the warmth of summer to a cold day!
Sourdough hamburger buns are a leavened bread. Meaning, the dough rises during the baking process without the use of instant yeast. The wild yeast in sourdough works with lactic acid bacteria to rise the burger buns, so you’re getting benefits of the good bacteria which is similar to that found in yogurt, sauerkraut, kefir, etc.
Read more about how healthy sourdough is for you here.
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More Sourdough Recipes from the Homestead
Einkorn Sourdough French Bread
Einkorn Sourdough Cinnamon Raisin Bread
Tips for Making Sourdough Hamburger Buns
If you’re making the buns over a two-day period, you can keep your dough on your countertop or even in the fridge over night. But if you’re trying to get these made all in one day, you’ll want to start by making the dough in the morning, and keeping it in a warm location (like the stove) all day to help it ferment faster.
If you have used your starter within the last 3-5 days or so, you can go ahead and use your discard to make this sourdough hamburger bun recipe. But if the start is runny and flat (like you haven’t used it in weeks), you’ll want to feed it first and let it become active. I feed my sourdough starter with 1 cup flour and 3/4 cup filtered water.
The dough paste at the beginning is similar to a “leaven” that is commonly made with homemade sourdough brioche. A leaven is a small mixture of flour and liquid, turned into a thick dough or paste, and is then added to the rest of the dough ingredients to create a doughy, moist, soft final product.
Dress your sourdough burger buns with whatever toppings you like: sesame seeds, bagel seasoning, or just a drizzle of garlic salt would do the trick!
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New to Sourdough?
You can learn how to make your own sourdough starter from scratch to make homemade bread, sourdough pizza, bagels, and more.
Put all your sourdough recipes in one spot!
Download and print off this NEW sourdough recipes ebook and keep your favorite sourdough recipes on your counter for easy, every day cooking.
Tools Needed
Small stovetop pot
Fork or whisk
Stand up mixer with dough hook (you can also knead with your hands)
Tea towel or plastic wrap
Baking tray with parchment paper
Sourdough Hamburger Buns Ingredients
Makes 6 buns
Dough paste:
1/4 cup milk
2 tbsp flour
Dough:
1/2 cup milk, warmed
1/4 cup starter
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar or honey
2 1/2 cup flour
The paste from earlier
1 egg + 1 egg yolk room temp
3 tbsp softened butter
Other:
1 egg (for egg wash)
How to Make Sourdough Burger Buns
Make the Dough
Heat a small saucepan on medium heat. Add the dough paste ingredients and whisk together with a fork until a thick paste has formed. Remove and let cool slightly.
Meanwhile, add the rest of the milk, starter, salt, and honey or sugar to a stand up mixer and whisk to combine.
Then add the flour, the paste from earlier, eggs, and butter and combine on medium speed until a consistent dough is formed (about 5-8 minutes). Be sure to use a dough hook! If using your hands, knead the dough for about 10 minutes.
Create a dough ball by using a cupping shape with your hands to turn the dough in circles on the countertop. Push it forward away from you and drag it back towards you to create tension in the bottom of the dough. Place the dough in a bowl, cover it with a tea towel, and let sit on the countertop 6-8 hours in a warm location (if letting sit out overnight, cover with plastic and place in a cooler location of the house, or even in the fridge)
Shape The Buns
Later that day (or the next day), flour a work surface and use a bench scraper to divide the dough into 6 even pieces. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Gently stretch and fold each dough piece into a nice circular ball. Flip them over, and use the same cupping motion from earlier to create tension in the bottom of the dough ball. Repeat for all dough balls, placing them on the baking tray when they’re ready.
Make sure all dough balls have space from each other on the baking tray (don’t overcrowd them!). Cover the baking tray with a tea towel and let sit in a warm location of the house for 2-4 hours, or until doubled in size.
Bake
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Crack the egg into a bowl, whisk it up, and brush onto each dough ball. This egg wash gives the buns the glossy top and provides rich flavor!
Bake at 375 for 16-18 minutes. Once removed, brush a little butter on top of each sourdough burger bun and serve!
FAQs:
Is there a good way to freeze sourdough hamburger buns?
To freeze sourdough hamburger buns, slice them in half and store them in an airtight container or ziplock bag. To reheat, toast them in a toaster with the frozen setting, or throw them right on the grill.
Can I double this recipe?
Yes, you can double this sourdough hamburger bun recipe!
More Sourdough Recipes:
Sourdough Sugar Cookies with Einkorn Flour
Double Chocolate Sourdough Einkorn Cranberry Brownies
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Sourdough Hamburger Buns
Sourdough hamburger buns are a soft, chewy delicious dinnertime staple. Made with sourdough starter, these sourdough burger buns can be made with discard or active starter and long fermented for a natural rise.
Ingredients
Dough paste
- 1/4 cup milk
- 2 tbsp flour
Dough
- 1/2 cup milk, warmed
- 1/4 cup starter
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp sugar or honey
- 2 1/2 cup flour
- The paste from earlier
- 1 egg + 1 egg yolk room temp
- 3 tbsp softened butter
Other
- 1 egg (for egg wash)
Instructions
- Heat a small saucepan on medium heat. Add the dough paste ingredients and whisk together with a fork until a thick paste has formed. Remove and let cool slightly.
- Meanwhile, add the rest of the milk, starter, salt, and honey or sugar to a stand up mixer and whisk to combine.
- Then add the flour, the paste from earlier, eggs, and butter and combine on medium speed until a consistent dough is formed (about 5-8 minutes). Be sure to use a dough hook! If using your hands, knead the dough for about 10 minutes.
- Create a dough ball by using a cupping shape with your hands to turn the dough in circles on the countertop. Push it forward away from you and drag it back towards you to create tension in the bottom of the dough. Place the dough in a bowl, cover it with a tea towel, and let sit on the countertop 6-8 hours in a warm location (if letting sit out overnight, cover with plastic and place in a cooler location of the house, or even in the fridge)
Make the Dough
After the Rise
- Later that day (or the next day), flour a work surface and use a bench scraper to divide the dough into 6 even pieces. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Gently stretch and fold each dough piece into a nice circular ball. Flip them over, and use the same cupping motion from earlier to create tension in the bottom of the dough ball. Repeat for all dough balls, placing them on the baking tray when they’re ready.
- Make sure all dough balls have space from each other on the baking tray (don’t overcrowd them!). Cover the baking tray with a tea towel and let sit in a warm location of the house for 2-4 hours, or until doubled in size.
Bake
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Crack the egg into a bowl, whisk it up, and brush onto each dough ball. This egg wash gives the buns the glossy top and provides rich flavor!
- Bake at 375 for 16-18 minutes. Once removed, brush a little butter on top of each sourdough burger bun and serve!
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