This Sourdough Hamburger Buns recipe is the perfect addition to any cookout. They come out with a delicious flavor and crunch that you can’t find with store-bought buns. Making them from scratch is surprisingly easy and requires few ingredients.
You’ll need some sourdough starter, flour, yeast, sugar, salt, and warm water. Mix the ingredients together, let rise, shape into buns, and bake in the oven until golden brown. Enjoy your homemade creations! If you love the idea of hamburger buns, you’ll also love these Sourdough Dinner Rolls!
Why You’ll Love Sourdough Hamburger Buns
- Sourdough hamburger buns have a unique flavor and crunch you won’t find with store-bought buns.
- You can make them from scratch in a surprisingly easy and affordable way.
- They are delicious and satisfying, perfect for any cookout or summer BBQ!
Ingredients Needed for Sourdough Hamburger Buns Recipe
- This active starter is a key ingredient in sourdough hamburger buns. It contains fermented yeast and bacteria which give the dough its unique flavor.
- Make sure to use warm water for activating the yeast and making the dough rise.
- Milk adds richness and moisture to the dough. It can be dairy milk or non-dairy milk , if needed.
- The butter adds flavor and helps keep the buns moist during baking.
- Using honey instead of refined sugar gives your buns a nice sweetness without being too overpowering.
- Beat one egg and brush it generously over your unbaked buns before baking to give them a golden brown color.
- The salt (my favorite is Redmond Real Salt) will bring out all the flavors of the other ingredients, so don’t skimp on it! Code LAURA15 saves you some money on the best salt out there!
- All-purpose flour is what makes your buns light and fluffy. Be sure to use all-purpose flour for best results.
How to Make Sourdough Hamburger Buns
Combine the starter, water, milk, butter, honey, one egg, and salt in a mixer until well incorporated.
Add the flour one cup at a time until the dough beings to clean the sides of the bowl and form a ball. Knead for 10 minutes until the dough is soft and smooth.
Let the dough rise for 6-8 hours or until close to double. You can also place it in the fridge for 1-3 days for a long fermentation.
Divide the dough into 12 pieces (about 3 ounces each). Go ahead and roll into tight balls and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. With fingers press down on each ball to slightly flatten it into a disc. Cover and let rise until double in size.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a small bowl, beat one egg, gently brush the tops of the buns with the egg wash and sprinkle with toppings, if using. Bake for 16-18 minutes until golden. Cool and enjoy!
How to Store Sourdough Hamburger Buns
To store sourdough hamburger buns, it is best to keep them in an airtight container or bag. This will help preserve their freshness and prevent the buns from becoming stale or moldy. You can also wrap each rolled bun individually in wax paper and place them inside a zip-top plastic bag for extra protection. Proper storage will help your sourdough hamburger buns stay fresher for longer.
Variation Options for Sourdough Hamburger Buns
Here are some variation options for sourdough hamburger buns:
- Different types of flours (whole wheat, rye, etc.)
- Herbs and spices (rosemary, thyme, etc.)
- Seeds such as sesame or pumpkin
- Nuts such as walnuts or almonds
- Dried fruit such as raisins or cranberries
- Honey or molasses for a sweeter taste
- Cheese for added flavor and texture
What else can you serve with hamburger buns?
- Sliced tomatoes – I love adding sliced tomatoes from the garden
- Cool and creamy coleslaw – this is one of my favorite serving options
- Tangy pickles and onions – the perfect addition to hamburgers
- Crispy lettuce – yum!
- Mustards, ketchup, or mayonnaise – choose your favorite toppings
- Avocado slices or guacamole -give this a try, so good!
- Grilled mushrooms or peppers – yes!
FAQs for Sourdough Hamburger Buns Recipe
Sourdough bread is considered to be healthier than regular white bread because it has a lower glycemic index, which means that its carbohydrates are digested more slowly and steadily. This allows your body to absorb them better and not experience a sugar crash afterward. The process of fermentation used to make sourdough bread breaks down some of the gluten present in it, making it easier to digest and less likely to cause an allergic reaction.
A single sourdough hamburger bun typically contains around 25-30 grams of carbohydrates. This number can vary depending on the type of flour used, but it’s generally lower than white bread, which typically contains closer to 40 grams of carbs per bun. It’s important to note that sourdough buns also contain other nutrients such as proteins, fats, and fibers which contribute to a balanced diet.
Generally speaking, it is safe to eat sourdough bread every day as long as you are incorporating a variety of vegetable, fruit, grass fed meat, seafood and beans. Enjoy eating a rainbow variety of foods! Sourdough bread is a healthier alternative to white bread so when consumed in reasonable amounts, it can be part of a healthy diet.
While both traditional hamburger buns and bread are made from flour, water, salt, and yeast, hamburger buns are specially designed to be firmer than traditional loaves of bread. This allows them to hold up better when stacked with fillings, such as lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and condiments. In addition, the shape of a hamburger bun is typically round or oval in order to accommodate a patty.
More Sourdough Recipes
If you think this Sourdough Hamburger Buns recipe sounds easy to make, it’s because it is. If you’re craving something homemade and tasty, give these buns a try!
Sourdough Hamburger Buns
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup active sourdough starter
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup milk (dairy or non-dairy)
- 1/4 cup softened or melted butter*
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 eggs (one is for the egg wash)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4-5 cups all purpose flour
- optional: toppings such as sesame seeds, poppy seeds, bagel seasoning
Instructions
- Combine the sourdough starter, water, milk, butter, honey, one egg and salt in a mixer and mix until well combined. This recipe can also be mixed by hand.
- Add the flour one cup at a time until the dough begins to clean the sides of the bowl and form a ball. Knead for 10 minutes or until the dough is soft and smooth.
- Let the dough rise for 6-8 hours or until close to double in size (this timeframe highly depends on the temperature of your kitchen. A cool kitchen can take longer). The dough can be put in the refrigerator for 1-3 days for a long ferment.
- Divid the dough into 12 pieces (about 3 oz. each). Roll into tight balls and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. With fingers, press down on each ball to slightly flatten into a disc. Cover and let rise until double in size.
- Preheat the oven to 350°. In a small bowl, beat one egg. Gently brush the tops of the buns with the egg wash and sprinkle with toppings, if using.
- Bake for 16-18 minutes until golden. Cool and enjoy!
This recipe is WONDERFUL. I bought my starter from Laura and her recipes are such a home run. I did 1/3 whole wheat and even my husband who isn’t a big sourdough fan and loves white bread loved these and said they turned out so well. Thanks Laura!!!
Author
I’m so happy to hear that! Husband approved is a big win 🙂
Omgosh THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THESE AMAZING RECIPES!!! God Bless you sister 💞🙏🏼💞🙌🏼🫶🏼💞✌🏼 I can’t wait to try these out!!
Author
Thank you so much for the kind words 🙂
I just got a mixer and want to try making some of these recipes. Would white kamut that is already ground be the same as all purpose for this recipe? I’m considering buying some from azure standard, but not sure if it’s the same thing?
Author
Kamut flour is similar but not the same. Use about 3/4-7/8 cups kamut to 1 cup of all purpose flour. In other words, you’ll slightly less kamut flour in any recipe.
Thankyou! That worked out perfectly. These buns were much softer inside this time vs. other recipes that I’ve tried. Thankyou! About how long do you let your buns cool, or how long is too long before storing them away?
Best bun recipe you’ll find, I will not eat any other buns after trying this recipe out.