Sourdough Hamburger Buns

Madison Curley

Skip the store-bought buns and make your own from scratch. These sourdough buns are soft, flavorful, and made with simple pantry ingredients.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 Tbs butter
• 2 Tbs sugar
• 3/4 cup active sourdough starter
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp salt
• 275 grams whole wheat flour (about two cups of flour)
• 275 grams all purpose flour (about two cups of flour)

Directions

1. Place the milk, sugar, and butter in a small pot and warm on medium/low heat until the butter is melted and sugar is dissolved.
2. Pour into a mixing bowl and add the water, egg, sourdough starter, and salt. Whisk to combine.
3. Add both kinds of flour and mix until it’s all combined. Cover and let it rest for 10 minutes. I know it’ll seem really sticky but let it rest and absorb some moisture before adding in extra flour.
4. After 10 minutes, dust your counter with flour and turn the dough out onto it. Knead it with your hands for about 5-10 minutes until the dough is nice and smooth, bouncy, and just slightly tacky. Add more flour during kneading as needed.
5. Cover and let it raise in a warm place for 8-10 hours. I like to do overnight and then place it in the fridge for a few hours before I shape it.
6. Divide into 10 equal portions, about 100 grams each, and shape into balls.
7. Place onto a baking sheet and using wet hands smash those balls down.
8. Cover and let raise for 2-3 hours until doubled in size and poofy.
9. Preheat oven to 425. You can brush the tops of the buns with an egg wash and sprinkle sesame seeds on top. I love to do the everything but the bagel seasoning.
10. Place into the oven and IMMEDIATELY turn the oven down to 375. The higher heat at first will help them puff up. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the tops are nice and golden brown.

Skip the store-bought buns and make your own from scratch. These sourdough buns are soft, flavorful, and made with simple pantry ingredients. The long fermentation gives them a delicious depth of flavor while creating a tender texture that pairs perfectly with burgers, pulled beef, sandwiches, and more. Once you taste a homemade sourdough bun fresh from the oven, you'll never look at a package of buns the same way again.