Sourdough Hamburger Buns
Sourdough hamburger buns are easy to make and taste delicious! Another great way to use your sourdough starter and get healthy fermented grains into your meal. These buns can be made same day or long fermented overnight.
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We love burgers in our house but I don’t prefer to buy the general hamburger buns from the store. The ingredient list is long, so therefor there a lot of added ingredients that I would prefer not to have my family consume. These sourdough burger buns are the prefect alternative! They are soft, fluffy, have a wonderful taste and texture, and are healthy too! Plus with the addition on fermenting with sourdough starter they are easily digestible and the nutrients are more available. They are perfect for holding a hot, juicy burger!
These are great to have on hand not only for burgers but also for sandwiches. You can also make smaller buns and use them for homemade sliders! If you have some that are starting to go stale cut them into small cubes and use in a quiche or dry them out for sourdough breadcrumbs. There are so many possible ways to use these that they surely will not go to waste!
These buns can be mixed up in the morning so you’ll have fresh buns ready for dinner that same day or they can be long fermented overnight to let the grains break down more to make them even more gut friendly and nutritious.
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
Easy – these hamburger buns are super easy to make, even if you are new to using sourdough.
Delicious – they are fluffy soft and have amazing taste! The sourdough flavor is delicious when paired with a burger!
Healthy – these are so much healthier than store-bought buns, not to mention a fraction of the cost as well.
Ingredients
Water
Honey – for sweetness
Oil – you can use olive oil, melted coconut oil, avocado oil, etc.
Egg – 1 egg for the dough and the other for glazing
Salt – I like to use pink himalayan salt or sea salt
Sourdough starter – active and bubbly. Fed within the last 4-12 hours.
Flour – organic all-purpose, whole grain, or a combination of both
Seeds (optional) – for sprinkling on the buns. You can use sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or a mixture of any seeds you like!
Step-by-step instructions (with pictures!) can be found below, followed by a recipe card with exact measurements.
Tools You May Need
Mixing bowl or stand mixer
Wooden spoon
Baking sheet
Parchment paper – makes for super easy cleanup! I like to use unbleached parchment paper whenever I’m able.
How to Make Sourdough Hamburger Buns
Step 1: In a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, mix together the water (1 cup), honey (2 Tbs.), oil (3 Tbs.), egg (1), salt (1 tsp.), and sourdough starter (1/2 cup).
Step 2: Add the flour 1 cup at a time until it starts to form a stiff dough. Transfer to a floured surface and knead for 8-10 minutes, continuing to add flour as necessary to keep the dough from sticking to your surface. Knead until the dough is stretchy and smooth, about 8-10 minutes. If using a stand mixer, knead on medium/high for 5 -8 minutes.
Step 3: Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel, and let it rise in a warm place until doubled. This can take anywhere from 6-12 hours depending on the warmth of your home. If you need to speed it up place the dough in the oven with the light on. If you want to long ferment these buns, instead of letting them rise on the baking sheet at room temperature or in your oven, cover and place the bowl in the fridge until you are ready to bake them. The cold slows down the fermentation process.
Step 4: Once the dough has doubled dump it out onto a clean countertop, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula if necessary. Using a bench scraper, divide it into 10 equal pieces. Roll each piece of dough into a ball and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Using your hand flatten each ball slightly. Cover and let rise for 1-4 hours until the buns are puffy.
Step 5: When the buns are almost doubled in size, preheat the oven to 350°. Crack an egg into a cup and beat with a small whisk or a fork. Using a pastry brush, carefully brush the tops of the buns with the beaten egg. Sprinkle on sesame or poppy seeds if desired.
Step 6: Bake for 20-25 minutes until the tops are golden brown. Let them cool slightly before slicing ans serving.
How to Store
These will stay fresh when stored in an airtight bag at room temperature for up to 5 days. Keep them in the fridge for a longer shelf of up to 7-10 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, sourdough hamburger buns are healthy, especially when compared to those you would normally buy. Sourdough starter ferments these buns and helps to break down the grains making them easier on your digestive system.
Fresh milled flour makes these hamburger buns even better! The taste is so good and the nutrition is eve higher whenever you mill your flour fresh. I often substitute half or all of the flour for freshly milled whole grains. I love the taste of whole grains and experimenting with different combinations. If you use 100% whole grain the buns will be quite a bit more dense though. If you prefer to have a fluffy bun but still have the benefits from whole grains I’ve found that a half and half ratio works very well for this! Just use half freshly milled whole grain flour and half all-purpose to get the best of both worlds.
Absolutely! They freeze very well! I often do this so we can have them ready for later use. This recipe makes 10 buns so if you’re a small family you can stuff some away in your freezer for a quick and easy dinner on a busy evening. After the buns have cooled completely, slice them in half, place in a freezer bag, let the air out, and seal tightly. They will keep fresh in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to use them, pull them out of the freezer at least 4 hours before dinnertime so they have time to thaw completely.
More Delicious Recipes from Our Kitchen
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Sourdough Burger Buns
Sourdough burger buns are easy to make and taste delicious! These buns can be made same day or long fermented overnight.
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 2 Tbs. honey
- 3 Tbs. oil
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 cup active sourdough starter
- 3-4 cups flour
- 1 egg
- seeds for topping
Instructions
1. In a large bowl mix together the water (1 cup), honey (2 Tbs.), oil (3 Tbs.), egg (1), salt (1 tsp.), and sourdough starter (1/2 cup).
2. Add the flour 1 cup at a time until it starts to form a stiff dough. Transfer to a floured surface and knead for 8-10 minutes continuing to add flour as necessary to keep the dough from sticking to your surface. Knead until the dough is stretchy and smooth. If using a stand mixer just keep it in the bowl and let the mixer do the work for you!
3. Transfer to an oiled bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled. This can take anywhere from 6-12 hours depending on the warmth of your home. If you need to speed it up place the dough in the oven with the light on.
4. Once dough has doubled, using a bench scraper, divide it into 10 equal pieces. Roll each one into a ball and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Using your hand flatten each ball slightly. Cover and let rise for 1-4 hours.
If you want to lang ferment these buns, instead of letting them rise on the baking sheet at room temperature or in your oven, cover and place in the fridge until you are ready to bake them. The cold slows down the fermentation process.
5. When you're ready to bake preheat the oven to 350°. Beat an egg and brush the tops of the buns with it. Sprinkle on your seeds if desired.
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the tops are golden brown. Let them cool slightly before slicing.
Notes
- How to Freeze: After the buns have cooled completely, slice them in half, place in a freezer bag, let the air out, and seal tightly. They will keep fresh in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you're ready to use them, pull them out of the freezer at least 4 hours before dinnertime so they have time to thaw completely.
- I often substitute half or all of the flour for freshly milled whole grains. I love the taste of whole grains and experimenting with different combinations. If you use 100% whole grain the buns will be quite a bit more dense though. If you prefer to have a fluffy bun but still have the benefits from whole grains I've found that a half and half ratio works very well for this! Just use half freshly milled whole grain flour and half all-purpose to get the best of both worlds.
