Our Sourdough Burger Buns are soft and fluffy with a beautiful sourdough tang! If you fancy making your own buns for the burgers at your summer BBQ, this is a great recipe to use. Most work is done a day before you bake them, so you only need to shape, prove and bake them on the day of the BBQ itself!
These Sourdough Burger buns are also easier to shape, as the dough is a lot less sticky than the brioche burger bun dough! Get creative by sprinkling some sesame or poppy seeds on top of the buns!
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Why Use Sourdough To Make Soft Burger Buns?
Sourdough is a wonderful dough to use for burgers. Here's why:
- The dough in this recipe is less sticky and, therefore a lot easier to knead (especially if you are doing it by hand).
- These naturally leavened burger buns are a lot easier to digest due to the slow fermentation process compared to buns made with commercial instant yeast.
- Keep fresh for longer!
- The final result is fluffy and soft buns that are perfect for any type of burger you may decide to make - meaty or vegetarian.
- Finally, who can resist a signature sourdough flavour?
Before You Start: A Few Things To Note
- This recipe makes 6-8 buns, depending on how big you want them. We opted for 6 larger buns this time, but you can easily make 8 smaller ones or 14-16 sourdough slider buns.
- Make sure to use your sourdough starter at its peak, when the wild yeast colonies are at their strongest. Also, avoid using an acidic starter - your dough won't rise as much, producing less fluffy sourdough buns and they will taste too sour. This recipe uses 100% hydration active starter, that is one that is fed equal parts water and flour.
- Use a kitchen scale to weigh your simple ingredients: baking with a sourdough starter needs a certain amount of precision.
- You may substitute up to ⅓ of white bread flour for strong whole wheat flour.
- Our first rise time takes about 3-4 hours at room temperature and then 8-18 hours overnight in the fridge. Then we proof the shaped buns for 2-3 hours, but you should always adjust the rise time based on your own dough and temperature.
- Whilst these Sourdough Burger Buns take a while to make, the good news is that the majority of the work is done a day before you actually bake them. Remember to start making them the day before you want to serve them!
- These Homemade Sourdough Hamburger Buns are best served the same day, but also taste wonderful lightly toasted the next day.
Reader Review
"They're fluffier than the other sourdough brioche buns I've made in the past."
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Step-by-Step Method
This is a 2-day recipe: on Day 1, we feed the starter, autolyse, prove the dough, and then leave it to finish proving in the fridge overnight. On Day 2, all you need to do is shape 6 buns, leave them for a couple of hours to double in size and bake!
DAY 1: Make The Dough & Proof
1. Feed your starter first thing in the morning to be used when it's at its peak (at least double in size). Your starter should double within 4 hours at room temperature (22-24°C). If it doesn't, unfortunately, your starter may be too weak in this highly enriched dough. You will need to feed your starter again before you make these soft hamburger buns.
2. To the bowl of a stand mixer (we love Kenwood), add the active sourdough starter, water and 70g of strong flour. Mix to a rough dough, cover the bowl with a tea towel or plastic wrap and let the dough rest (autolyse/ fermentolyse) for an hour.
3. Measure out 180ml of milk and leave it to come to room temperature. Leave the butter out of the fridge to soften as well.
4. After an hour, add the milk, sugar (or substitute it with honey), and the remaining 350g of flour, salt and egg to your dough. With a dough hook attachment, knead the dough for about 3 minutes on medium speed.
5. One bit at a time, start adding the unsalted butter to the dough with the mixer running. Mix until the butter is fully incorporated, for about 5 minutes.
6. Scoop the dough out onto a floured work surface and form a dough ball. Place it in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with clingfilm (we recommend Kirkland Signature Cling Film - it is strong and lasts forever) and leave in a warm spot.
7. After 30 minutes, with a wet hand, lift one side of the dough and fold it into the centre. Repeat with the other three sides. Then flip the dough over. Alternatively, perform coil folds. Cover and leave again for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, fold and stretch again using your preferred method. Do so two more times (4 times in total).
8. After the last stretch, cover with plastic wrap and leave in a warm spot to let the dough rise for another 1-3 hours (depending on your kitchen temperature). The dough should almost double in size and just about pass the windowpane test. It will finish fermenting in the refrigerator.
9. Cover the bowl and pop the dough in the fridge to prove overnight.
DAY 2: Shape, Proof & Bake Sourdough Burger Buns
1. The next morning, line a large baking tray with parchment paper. Carefully scoop the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 6 equal portions. Shape each piece of dough into a tight ball, using a bench scraper and your hands and place each of them onto a baking parchment-lined baking sheet.
TIP: Use a large roasting tip with high rims, so you can cover it without touching the tops of the buns.
2. Cover the tray and leave the buns to rise until almost doubled in size (it takes about 1.5-3 hours depending on the temperature).
3. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 200°C Fan. Beat an egg yolk with a teaspoon of water (or milk) in a small bowl. Brush the tops of the shaped buns with the egg wash and sprinkle each bun with nigella or sesame seeds, if using.
4. Bake the buns for about 14-16 minutes. Your buns should be golden brown. Transfer the baked buns onto a cooling rack to cool.
Video
Flavoured Sourdough: How, When and What Mix-Ins To Add To Your Sourdough?
Discover a variety of mix-ins and learn how they affect hydration and bulk fermentation, master the art of substituting water with coffee and tea, and explore a plethora of creative mix-in ideas. Plus, get 2 exclusive bonuses that will inspire you to create the most flavoursome and unique sourdough!
Recipe FAQs
These homemade buns are best had the same day when they are their lightest, fluffiest, softest selves! But if you have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container overnight. You can toast them the next day. What is more, these Sourdough Burger Buns freeze beautifully! Simply wrap each bun tightly in clingfilm and pop them in the freezer. When you want to use them, defrost them and toast them lightly!
We recommend using strong bread flour in most sourdough recipes. Strong flour has higher gluten content compared to all purpose flour which makes the structure of the buns better. What is more, they won't spread out as much on their second proof and will rise better in the oven. For the fluffiest soft burger buns, use white flour in this recipe!
What To Fill Sourdough Burger Buns With?
If you are looking for inspiration or simply want to try a new burger recipe that will take your summer BBQ experience to the next level, we have a selection of burger recipes here. Some of our favourites include:
- Beetroot Burgers with Goat's Cheese (Vegetarian)
- Vietnamese Burger Banh Mi Style
- Pulled Chicken Burger With Sweet Chilli
- Asian-Style Satay Jackfruit Burger with Sesame Wedges (Vegan)
- Ultimate Halloumi Burgers with Chimichurri Mayonnaise (Vegetarian)
What is more, you can turn this Sourdough Hamburger Bun Recipe into Hot Dog Buns recipe next time. Simply change the way you shape the buns to create long ovals instead of balls.
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Other Sourdough Recipes
For other sourdough ideas, have a look at our easy sourdough recipes, here. Some of our favourite things to hill our homemade burger buns include:
- Date & Coffee Sourdough Bread with Spelt Flour
- Sourdough Garlic Knots
- Overnight Sourdough Olive Focaccia
- Soft Sourdough Pretzels
And if you are now left with a lot of sourdough discard, have a look at some of our best sourdough discard recipes that will have you salivating!
Sourdough Burger Buns (Soft and Fluffy)
Equipment
- large baking tray ideally, high-rimmed
Ingredients
- 225 g (1⅛ cups) active sourdough starter 100% hydration
- 55 ml (¼ cups) water lukewarm
- 420 g (3⅓ cups) strong bread flour
- 180 ml (¾ cups) milk room temperature
- 40 g (1.41 oz) butter softened
- 1½ teaspoon caster sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 medium egg
To Top:
- 1 egg yolk + 1 teaspoon water or milk
- 1 teaspoon sesasme or nigela seeds or a mixture
Instructions
Day 1:
- Feed your starter first thing in the morning to be used when it's at its peak (at least doubled in size).
- To the bowl of your stand mixer, add the starter, water and 70g of strong flour. Mix to a rough dough, cover the bowl with a tea towel and leave to autolyse for an hour.
- Measure out 180ml of milk and leave it to come to room temperature. Leave the butter out of the fridge to soften as well.
- After an hour. Add the milk, sugar, the remaining 350g of flour, salt and egg to your dough. With a dough hook attachment, knead the dough for about 3 minutes. One bit at a time, start adding the butter to the dough with the mixer running. Mix until the butter is fully incorporated, for about 5 minutes.
- Scoop the dough out onto a floured surface and form a ball. Place it in a lightly greased bowl. Cover with clingfilm and leave in a warm spot.
- After 30 minutes, lift one side of the dough and fold it into the centre. Repeat with the other three sides. Then flip the dough over. Alternatively, perform coil folds. Cover and leave again for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, fold and stretch again using your prefered method. Do so two more times (4 times in total). Cover and leave in a warm spot to prove for another 1-2 hours. The dough should almost, but not quite double in size.
- Cover the bowl and pop the dough in the fridge to finish proving overnight.
Day 2:
- In the morning, carefully scoop the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces. Shape each into a tight smooth ball and place onto a baking parchment-lined baking tray. TIP: Use a large roasting tip with high rims, so you can cover it without toughing the tops of the buns.
- Cover the tray and leave the rolls to rise until almost doubled in size (it takes about 1.5-3 hours depending on the temperature).
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 200°C. Beat an egg yolk with a teaspoon of water. Brush the tops of the buns with the egg wash and sprinkle each bun with nigella or sesame seeds, if using.
- Bake the buns for about 14-16 minutes. Your buns should be golden brown. Transfer them onto a wire rack to cool.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Chef Mireille says
Easy and straightfroward-----i mixed up the buns and had some plain and sprinkled black sesame seeds on some----They all turned out great.
Ieva says
Thanks, Chef Mireille! 😍
Ann says
My sourdough starter is ready so I'm looking for recipes. Thanks for this alternative to store-bought buns.
Ryan says
Made these for dinner tonight, and they came out great! One thing I’d change for next time would be to use the egg white instead of the yolk, or at at the very least paint less of the mixture on the buns. Some of it dribbled around the edges and I essentially ended up with chunks of egg stuck around the bottom of my buns. Other than that though, great recipe. They’re fluffier than the other sourdough brioche buns I’ve made in the past. Hello from California!
Ieva says
Thanks for the feedback, Ryan! All the way from California too 🙂 I've never had this issue with the egg, but using egg whites will definitely work - the buns may be slightly lighter in colour when baked though! Maybe using just a small amount of the eggwash would be better too. Glad they came out fluffy - that's how we like our buns! 🙂
Danielle says
I was drooling looking at these photos - I LOVE fresh bread. Can't wait to try these!
Ieva says
Absolutely! Fresh bread is the most delicious thing, especially homemade! Hope you like these buns!
Claudia Lamascolo says
my husband is a huge fan of sour dough I need to make this recipe those buns look better than anything I ever seen before nicely done!
Ieva says
Thanks so much, Claudia! 🙂
Cyndy says
Loved the flavor of these buns! We used them for pulled pork and they were so light, fluffy, and flavorful. Thanks for all the tips and tricks too!
Ieva says
Thanks for the lovely feedback, Cyndy! Glad they turned out wonderful 🙂 And what a better way to use them... LOVE pulled pork!
Michelle says
Far superior to your average bun! These turned out amazing
Ieva says
Thanks for giving them a try! Glad you enjoyed them 😍
Sisley says
They are so worth taking the time to make. They were delicious.
Dina Miller says
Wow! We had been in the search for soft hamburger sourdough buns! Made these! I put everything but the bagel on half. Had grilled chicken sandwiches made with these! So good! Also love the tips!
Ieva says
Thanks, Dina! Lovely feedback! Must be lovely with everything but the bagel!
Kate says
So much more flavor than regular burger buns!
Dannii says
These buns were incredible. Much easier to make than I thought they would be. Will definitely be making them again.
Ieva says
Yay! Thanks, Dannii! Glad you liked them 🙂
DK says
I love sourdough but I never thought of making hamburger buns with it! This is a great idea! I tried this and it gave such an amazing flavor boost to the burgers!
Ieva Greber says
That's great! I love it when sourdough gets used beyond a loaf of bread! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review 🙂
Kristine says
I did it! I made sourdough buns! And they were delicious. This recipe is GOLD!
Ieva Greber says
Yay! Well done - so glad you liked the recipe 🙂
TAYLER ROSS says
I made these buns for our burgers last night and they were incredible! I'll never buy store-bought buns again!
Ieva Greber says
Thanks Tayler, very kind of you to say that! Glad you liked them 🙂
Joy says
I have a question about freezing these. There's only one person in our house that eats buns. I noticed you said, store them in an airtight container and toast them the next day. Have or has anyone frozen them for later?
Thanks,
Joy
Ieva Greber says
Yes, I must update the post! I froze them last summer, and they were perfectly fine after thawing and toasting (they were frozen for approx 2-3 months, double wrapped in cling film (plastic wrap) placed in a ziplock bag). Hope this helps 🙂
Michelle says
if I need a double batch, do I also double the amount of starter?
Ieva Greber says
Yes, if you want the fermentation to happen at roughly the same speed, double the starter. However, if you reduce the starter, it will still work, you will just have to bulk ferment the dough for a while longer 🙂