These sourdough hamburger buns are soft and delicious, and super easy to make in just one bowl! Makes 12 large hamburger buns.
I love making these homemade sourdough burger buns in warm weather when we BBQ burgers often. It's a great recipe that takes your homemade hamburgers to the next level!
This is one of my favorite sourdough recipes because it's easy to make in 1 large bowl for easy clean up... No need to do lots of dishes;)
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Soft Sourdough Hamburger Buns
These hamburger buns are made with enriched dough using butter and egg yolks for an especially soft crumb. And they're so easy to make, in just one bowl, this could be your new favorite sourdough recipe!
With buttery tops and a light and fluffy interior... These hamburger buns are so good... It's hard not to just eat them on their own!
Simple Ingredients
- I'm using a mix of half fresh ground whole wheat flour and all purpose flour for this recipe today... But it works best with bread flour... Its higher protein content, makes better structure in the buns.
- Active Sourdough Starter - For this recipe you'll need active bubbly sourdough starter that's been fed. If you want to use sourdough discard, it will just take longer to bulk ferment;)
- Warm water - Warm water helps (much better than cold water) to get the fermenting process off to a strong start, and add needed moisture to this recipe.
- Egg yolks - I use 4 large egg yolks in these hamburger buns.. Yes 4 large! These give a pretty yellow hue to the buns and a richer flavor!
- Soft Butter! Soft butter adds so much flavor and softness to the hamburger bun dough and finished product. Plus it helps keep these babies super soft... As long as you don't refrigerate them. Butter stiffens up when cold, and so will these hamburger buns... Store unused hamburger buns on the counter;)
- Sea Salt: For flavor!
Equipment:
This simple recipe uses just a few regular tools: Large Mixing Bowl, whisk, Parchment Paper, baking sheet, and plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel.
Make Sourdough Buns In 1 Bowl
- Gather your ingredients and soften the butter.
- In a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, add your active starter and water. Stir to combine.
- Next, add your flour, salt, egg yolks, and softened butter. Organic bread flour is a great choice for these buns.
- Using a Danish whisk or a wooden spoon, stir to combine. When the dough gets too thick to stir with a spoon, start kneading it.
- Knead until all flour is incorporated into your dough, until it's smooth and elastic. This takes about 10 minutes... Enjoy the process – it's therapeutic!
- Oil a large mixing bowl (natural oil like avocado oil or olive oil work well), and place the dough inside. Flip the dough in the bowl to oil both sides. Cover with a clean towel and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size. This bulk fermentation takes about 4 hours.
- Use a bench scraper to cut the dough into twelve equal sections. Shape each section into a hamburger bun, and place them on two parchment paper-lined baking sheets.
- Shaping Technique: Gently roll each dough piece into a ball on a lightly floured work surface. To create a smooth top, dimple the center slightly and then pull the outer dough towards the center, pinching the seam closed underneath.
- Plush each dough ball flat, so they rise wider, like a hamburger bun;) Brush the tops with oil or melted butter.
- Cover the buns with a clean towel and let them rise a second time in a warm place until doubled in size.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- *Optional: If you'd like a darker bun, now is the time to add an egg wash to the top of the dough;)
- Bake the buns for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown on top. Keep an eye on the buns during baking. They're done when golden brown on top. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should register around 190°F (88°C).
- Remove the buns from the oven to a cooling rack and brush the tops with melted butter.
- Cool your homemade buns for 10 minutes on a wire rack before enjoying!
Tips
- For an extra touch, sprinkle the tops of the buns with sesame seeds or poppy seeds before the second rise.
- These buns can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days, or frozen for longer storage.
Serve With
Sourdough Hamburger buns are the best with a thick juicy hamburger patty, lettuce, tomato, cheese, onion mayo and katsup! But they're also delicious stuffed with oven smoked pork butt and BBQ sauce. 😉
I also highly suggest my families favorite BBQ "Baked" Beans as a side!
Freezing Instructions
These buns freeze well! Once they cool completely, place them in an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
To reheat, you can warm them in a low oven (around 300°F or 150°C) for a few minutes, or microwave them briefly on low power until warmed through.
Troubleshooting
My dough isn't rising: This could be due to a few reasons. Make sure your starter is active and bubbly. If it's not, you might need to feed it a few times before using it in the recipe. The room temperature might also be affecting the rise. Ideally, you want a warm spot around 70-80°F (21-27°C).
My buns are too dense: This could be due to a few factors. Not kneading the dough enough can lead to dense buns. Aim for 10 minutes of kneading to develop good gluten structure. Additionally, using all-purpose flour instead of bread flour can result in denser buns. Bread flour has a higher protein content, which leads to a lighter and airier texture.
Sourdough Hamburger Bun Recipe Card
If you tried this recipe, I’d love a 5 star review! Let me know how it turned out in the comments or review... And tag me on Instagram with a picture of yours!
Recipe Card
Sourdough Hamburger Buns Recipe
This enriched dough makes super soft sourdough hamburger buns, with a rich flavor, in this easy one bowl recipe!
Ingredients
- 2 cups active bubbly sourdough starter
- ½ cup warm water
- 4 ½ cups sifted bread flour, all purpose flour works too, but bread flour is best.
- ½ cup salted butter, softened
- 4 large egg yolks
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- Oil for handling
- 2 tablespoons butter for finished bun tops.
- *Optional - Egg and water for egg wash.
Instructions
- Get your ingredients ready. Make sure your butter is nice and soft.
- Mix the starter and water. In a big bowl, whisk together your bubbly starter and warm water.
- Add the flour, salt, 4 large egg yolks, and soft butter. Stir it all together with a whisk until it gets too thick.
- Knead Till Smooth & Elastic! Dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes. Pushing and folding the dough until it feels smooth and stretchy!
- First Rise. Lightly oil a bowl (avocado oil is great!), then plop your dough in and flip it around to coat it in oil. Cover the bowl with a towel and let the dough rise in a warm spot for a few hours, until it doubles in size.
- Shape your buns! Cut the dough into 12 equal pieces (a bench scraper helps!). Gently shape each hamburger bun: Make a little dent in the center of the ball, then pinch the sides of the dough towards the center and underneath the ball. Flatten the balls slightly and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush the tops with oil or melted butter, and sprinkle with sesame seeds or poppy seeds if you like.
- Second rise! Cover your buns loosely with a towel and let them rise again in a warm spot until they're nice and puffy (almost doubled in size).
- Optional: Egg Wash, fi you'd like a darker bun top, whisk 1 egg with 2 tablespoons water and brush tops of buns with the mixture.
- Bake time! Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) for 10 minutes. Then bake the buns for 25-30 minutes, or until they're golden brown on top. You can also check them with a thermometer – they're done when the center reaches 190°F (88°C).
- Brush with butter (optional). Take those beauties out of the oven and brush the tops with melted butter for an extra shine.
- Cool and enjoy! Let your buns cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before digging in. Now go build yourself the most epic burger ever!
Notes
- Ensure your sourdough starter is bubbly and active before using. If it's not at peak activity, you can feed it a few hours before starting the recipe.
- If using a stand mixer, knead for 5-7 minutes with the dough hook attachment.
- Lightly oiling the bowl prevents sticking.
- Find a warm spot in your kitchen for optimal rising. A sunny windowsill or near a preheated oven (turned off) works well.
- Doubled in size: The buns are ready for baking when they've noticeably puffed up and almost doubled in size.
- These buns store well at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days. For longer storage, freeze the buns after they cool completely. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Nutrition Information
Yield 12 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 463Total Fat 12gSaturated Fat 6gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 5gCholesterol 25mgSodium 450mgCarbohydrates 76gFiber 3gSugar 6gProtein 11g
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Pat
Your printable recipe omits eggs and adds sugar. I'm not quite sure if I should add sugar or not. I'm going without and hoping for the best. Let me know if I missed something. Thanks
Juliea
Yes I use the sugar and eff... Thanks for letting me know! Ill fix that!