Sourdough Hamburger Buns
Sourdough hamburger buns are easy to make with your sourdough starter and a few simple ingredients. Mix the dough in the morning and bake them fresh for dinner the same day!
We love making as many baked goods with a sourdough starter as we can.
Instead of buying things such as tortillas, pizza crust or bagels at the store, it's easy to make them from scratch using a sourdough starter.
These homemade sourdough hamburger buns are so soft and fluffy. Whether you're craving a juicy cheeseburger or a delicious bean burger, these buns will become your new favorite way to stack them!
This recipe makes 6 nice sized hamburger buns. The dough can also be shaped into 6 hotdog buns.
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Sample baking schedule
I tested this recipe in a 72°F (22°C) kitchen. Warmer kitchens will need less time for the dough to double and colder kitchens will need more time.
The night before
- 8:00 PM: Feed your sourdough starter.
The next morning
- 8:00 AM: Mix the dough and let rest for 30 minutes.
- 8:30 AM: Perform a set of stretch and folds.
- 9:00 AM: Perform second set of stretch and folds.
- 9:30 AM: Perform third set of stretch and folds. Cover and let rest until the dough has doubled in size.
- 3:30 PM: Divide and shape the dough. Cover and let rest until puffy.
- 5:00 PM: Brush dough with an egg-wash, sprinkle sesame seeds and bake.
Ingredients needed
- All-purpose flour: Up to 25% of the flour can be substituted with whole wheat flour if desired. You will need to add more water to the dough. Somewhere between 25-30g should be enough. Add it slowly until you get the right consistency.
- Sugar: Honey or maple syrup can be used in place of granulated sugar.
- Salt
- Water
- Egg: You will mix an egg with a tablespoon of water to use as an egg wash before baking the buns.
- Sesame seeds: This ingredient is optional but highly recommended! Regular, toasted or black sesame seeds can be used.
Step-by-step instructions
Let's go over the step-by-step instructions for making the best sourdough hamburger buns from scratch!
Feed your sourdough starter - 8 PM
The night before you plan to mix your dough, feed your sourdough starter. You will need 50g of active starter.
You can mix it directly in the bowl you plan to use for your dough or, measure it into a clean jar.
Mix the dough - 8 AM
In the morning, add the flour, sugar, salt, active sourdough starter and water into a large bowl. Mix everything together until the dough forms a shaggy mass.
Cover the dough and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes so the flour can absorb the water.
Stretch and fold - 8:30 AM
After the 30 minutes is up, perform a set of stretch and folds. Cover the dough and repeat this step 2 more times, spaced 30 minutes apart.
First rise - 9:30-3:30 PM*
After the last stretch and fold, cover the dough and allow it to rise until it has doubled in size.
*The first rise time is based on a kitchen temperature of 72°F (22°C). Adjust your rise time accordingly. Warmer needs less time, cooler needs more time.
Divide and shape - 3:30 PM
After the dough has doubled, it's time to divide it and shape it into buns.
Please note that the dough will be VERY sticky and a little difficult to work with if you are new to sourdough baking. (Make sure to watch the video where you can see how I handle the dough during the shaping process.)
Turn the dough out onto a generously floured surface. It should be floured enough for the dough to slide around without sticking.
Use a bench scraper to divide the dough into 6 even portions. They should weigh about 112-115g each.
NOTE: You'll want the top of the dough to be free of flour so that as you shape the buns, the dough will stick to itself.
To shape the buns, pull the dough up on one side and press it into the center on top of the dough. Repeat this until you've come full circle around the dough and then flip the dough so that the seam side is facing down.
Use your hands to cup the bottom of the dough ball and gently twist it on the work surface to form a taut ball.
Transfer the dough ball to a parchment lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Cover the baking sheet with a clean kitchen towel and allow the dough to rest at room temperature until they are puffy. About 1-2 hours.
Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
Beat an egg with a tablespoon of water in a small bowl to create an egg-wash.
Brush the top of each dough ball with the egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Bake the buns for 25 minutes or until they are at your desired brown color. Remove the buns from the oven and transfer them to a wire rack to cool before slicing.
How to store and freeze
The sourdough hamburger buns will stay fresh at room temperature for up to 2 days. Store them wrapped in a towel or in a plastic bag.
You can also freeze the buns! Place them into a freezer-safe bag after they are completely cooled. Keep them in the freezer for up to one month for best quality.
When you are ready to eat one, simply take it out of the freezer and allow it to thaw at room temperature.
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More easy sourdough recipes: sourdough pretzels / sourdough english muffins / sourdough bread for beginners / thin crust sourdough pizza
Sourdough Hamburger Buns
INGREDIENTS
Ingredients to make 50 grams (¼ cup) of active sourdough starter
- 2 teaspoons (10 g) unfed sourdough starter
- 3 tablespoons (25 g) all-purpose flour
- 5 teaspoons (25 g) water
Dough Ingredients
- ¼ cup (50 g) active sourdough starter
- 3 cups (360 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (240 g) water
- 1 ½ tablespoons (30 g) honey
- 1 ½ teaspoons (10 g) salt
Egg wash
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon water
- sesame seeds (optional topping)
INSTRUCTIONS
Feed Your Sourdough Starter
- 12 hours before you plan to mix the dough, add the ingredients to make ¼ cup (50 g) of active sourdough starter to a clean jar. Stir until combined, loosely cover the jar and let the starter rise at room temperature. The sourdough starter is ready to use when it has doubled in size and there are plenty of bubbles on the surface and sides of the jar.(The ingredients will create a total of 60 g active starter but some of it will stick to the sides of the jar during the transfer, so we are making a little more than needed.)
Mix the Dough
- Add the ingredients to a large mixing bowl and use a spatula or your hands to mix them together until there are no dry bits in the bottom of the bowl. Cover the bowl and allow the dough to rest on the counter for 30 minutes.
Perform 3 sets of stretch and folds (or stand mixer)
- Wet your hand with a little water to prevent sticking. Pick up the dough on one side and stretch it up and over itself. Turn the bowl a quarter turn and repeat this step until you have turned the bowl a full circle. The dough should form into a tight ball.Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.Repeat the stretch and fold process two more times.Stand mixer: Use the dough attachment and mix on speed 3 for 8-10 minutes. Proceed to next step.
First Rise
- Cover the bowl and allow the dough to rise until doubled. (This took 6 hours in my 72°F (22°C) kitchen.)
- After the dough has doubled, you can place the dough in the fridge for up to 2 days to bake them later OR proceed to the next step. See notes.
Shape and Second Rise
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Divide the dough into 6 equal portions of 112-115 grams each.
- Working with one portion at a time, shape the dough into a ball. Lightly flour the top of the dough and then place it on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough.
- Cover the sheet with a clean kitchen towel and allow the buns to rise at room temperature until puffy, 1-2 hours.
Bake
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Mix the egg with the water in a small bowl and lightly brush the top of each dough ball. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top if desired. Bake for 25 minutes or until the buns are golden brown.
- Remove the buns from the oven and allow them to cool before slicing.
NOTES
- If you decide to put the dough in the fridge after the first rise take note that you will need to let the dough rise longer during the second rise due to the dough being cold.
These are so good. Mine got a little tough on the bottom and think I didn’t cook them quite long enough though. I just sliced and broiled them and then added butter and put in my skillet for a minute. Great flavor and simple ingredients. Thank you.
These are great! I skipped the first part about making my active sourdough (only because I failed to read the instructions) but I did use active sourdough and followed the remainder of the recipe exactly. My house is cold, about 68 so I was expecting them to take a longer time to rise. They turned out beautifully though and are delicious! I’ll be making these again as both hamburger and hotdog buns. Thank you for a great recipe!
Hi! Can these be used as hotdog buns?
Yes they can!
Just made these!Inused maple syrup as sweetener.I hope that is fine.I did a super long ferment and they are soft and delish!!
I don't know what is up??? I have tried to make sourdough hamburger buns twice from a different recipe, and now from this one hoping for a better result, but it doesn't seem to want to happen. I followed this recipe to the letter, making/feeding my starter well in advance totally observing the 12-hour window, making sure it was plenty bubbly, letting the dough rise in the covered bowl all day and weighing everything on the scale. I did the stretch and folds (3) at the 1/2 hour increments, then waiting almost another two hours after shaping for the 2nd rise. The but seem way to small and heavy. They do seem like an improvement from the last recipe, but I'm seriously starting to believe making edible sourdough buns at home is a hopeless situation.
Maybe doing this in the winter is my problem? I have tried my darndest to circumvent the cold elements by keeping the starter in the microwave with the door ajar like I was taught by the woman that taught me to make the starter to begin with. It's an excellent plan in the winter months. I also let the dough rise in the microwave all day for the exact same reason. I let the buns rise (after shaping) for almost 2 hours and yet I am still experiencing sub-standard results. I wish I could figure this out. I'm about at the give up stage, I refuse to give this recipe any less than 5 stars because too many other people seem to love these, and I figure that I'm obviously doing something drastically wrong. I just haven't figured out what yet. HELP!
Hi Jim, I know this can be frustrating when things don't seem to want to go the right way. Can you please tell me what the temperature of your kitchen is at the moment? It seems if your starter is rising, the dough should as well but I will do my best to try and help you figure this out!
Hi Amy, I'd be willing to bet this is just a matter of winter indoor temps. around here. I live in a 1911 built 3000 sq. ft. "barn". Well actually it's a house but at times I have to think of it as a barn. Even though it has 2 layers of stucco (the first layer obviously failed years ago) years before we moved in. Most the windows have been replaced, it's still as drafty as a barn it seems. We don't tend to run the heat very high; it's generally set at 68F. during the day, which is why I use the microwave with the door ajar trick, but I'll bet it's just not enough.
Has anyone tried making these as a double batch? When I made these I doubled it and the dough was dry and tough. It never rose either. I am very familiar with sourdough and have a great active starter so I am not sure where I went wrong. Going to try a single batch and see if that goes better.
Would bread flour work here instead of AP? I always use bread flour in my starter so it is what I have on hand. Thanks!
Yes
Can I freeze these? I’m trying to prep some things for postpartum!
If yes, should I freeze after shaping or should I freeze the final product?
Thanks!! ❤️
Hi Jayme, yes after your bake them, place them into a freezer-safe bag after they are completely cooled. Keep them in the freezer for up to one month for best quality. When you are ready to eat one, simply take it out of the freezer and allow it to thaw at room temperature. And, congratulations!
I was worried at first they did not rise very well and were very sticky. After they cooked they were amazing will be made again.
I tried the one day method but just didn’t have great success with getting them on the table in time in my cooler kitchen. I did a two day method the next time and I HIGHLY recommend! I BF on the counter all day and then once it doubled I stuck the dough in the fridge. I took it out the next day and shaped, proofed for 4 hours and baked. They were perfect! Great flavor and texture. Love how simple the ingredients are too. Highly recommend the two day method if your kitchen is a bit colder or you are new to sourdough (especially if your starter is not mature). The dough is much easier to handle after a cold retard and you can ensure the buns will have plenty of time to cool before you cut into them.