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Homemade burgers are a staple in our spring and summer dinner routines. We love grilling outside, enjoying the beautiful weather, and eating a delicious burger on a homemade bun. And these Sourdough Brioche Burger Buns, oh my goodness, they are delicious.
Sturdy enough to stand up to a burger and its toppings, but so soft, light, buttery, and just perfection when you bite into it. Sourdough brioche burger buns are a brioche-style bun that is enriched with butter and made with 100% natural yeast sourdough. I haven’t had a better burger bun – these are my new go-to.
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Why You’ll Love Sourdough Brioche Burger Buns
- Flavor – These sourdough brioche burger buns are soft, rich, and sturdy enough for any burger. Once you try them, you won’t want store-bought again. I always make extra to stash in the freezer! For a non-sourdough version, check out my Brioche Burger Buns.
- Faster Options: Want something quicker or with less butter? Try my Easy Sourdough Hamburger Buns or Sourdough Hot Dog Buns.
- Brioche Dough with Sourdough: This recipe is a brioche-style dough—enriched with eggs, milk, and butter—but made with 100% wild yeast sourdough. You get that soft texture with added sourdough flavor and all the benefits of natural fermentation, just like my Sourdough Brioche Loaf and Sourdough Brioche Rolls.
- Slow-Fermented, Big Flavor: My One Hour Sourdough Discard Buns are a fast option, but if you’ve got the time, these long-fermented brioche buns are worth it.
New to Sourdough? If you are new to sourdough, learn how to make a sourdough starter from scratch and check out my Free Sourdough Beginner Guide. Using naturally fermented sourdough will take much longer, but you will love the fermentation benefits and the flavor!
Important Ingredients
- Levain– Use an active/ripe sourdough starter (doubled in size/bubbly/mild sour aroma) to mix the levain.
- Eggs – Four large eggs make these buns extra rich and fluffy.
- Potato Flakes – You might not usually keep these on hand, but I highly recommend grabbing a bag (look for plain dehydrated potatoes with no fillers). Potato flakes make the buns extra soft and help them stay that way longer. If you want to leave them out, you can—but you’ll need to add a bit more flour. I haven’t tested the exact amount, so go by feel: the dough should no longer be overly sticky and should pull to one side of the bowl before you add the butter.
- Butter – Use softened, unsalted butter. It’s added after an initial kneading, which allows the butter to coat the gluten strands and create a soft, rich dough.
- Egg Wash – After the dough is shaped and proofed, a quick egg wash is used to top the bread before baking.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities
Substitutions
- Bread Flour: I almost always use bread flour for any bread that requires kneading. Use a bread flour with about 12.5% protein content. If you don’t have bread flour on hand, make sure to substitute some vital wheat gluten.
- Sourdough Starter: You can swap in your active sourdough starter in place of the levain if you prefer. Just make sure it’s 100% hydration (fed with equal parts flour and water), active, and bubbly. Substitute it 1:1 for the levain in the recipe. Need to adjust timing or feeding ratios? This post on sourdough ratios can help you customize it to fit your schedule.
- Milk: 2% milk can be used in a pinch if you don’t have whole milk.
- Toppings: I like these buns topped with an egg wash and sesame seeds or everything-but-the-bagel seasoning. You can leave the topping off if you want plain burger buns.
Sourdough Baker’s Timeline
Bread made with 100% natural yeast takes extra time. Because of this, I start my sourdough recipes with a sample schedule so I can get an idea of what the timing looks like for making this bread. Remember, this is a guideline – make it your own by tailoring it to your schedule and environment.
This sample schedule assumes you are using a ripe/active sourdough starter and keeping your dough at a temperature of 78-80ºF. If your dough temperature increases, this will go faster. If it decreases, it will take longer.
| Day 1 | Mix Levain/Knead Dough/Bulk Fermentation/Cold Fermentation |
| 8:00 AM – 11:30 AM | Mix Levain 1:1:1 ratio, 3-4 hours at 78ºF |
| 11:30 AM – 12:00 PM | Mix and Knead Dough |
| 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM | Bulk fermentation at 78ºF |
| 4:00 PM – 8:00 AM | Cold Fermentation |
| Day 2 | Shape Buns/Proof/Bake |
| 8:00 AM – 4:00 or 5:00 PM | Shape Burger Buns Proofing at 78ºF – 80ºF |
| 5:00 PM – 5:30 PM | Egg Wash and Bake Buns |
How to Make Sourdough Brioche Burger Buns
Mix the Levain
Step 1: Mix the Levain. This levain is mixed the same day you make the dough. Combine 55 grams each of all purpose flour (or bread flour), active sourdough starter, and water (Image 1). Let it rise at 78–80ºF for about 3–4 hours, until it’s doubled, bubbly, smells slightly sour, and is just starting to fall from its peak (Image 2).
Want to simplify? You can use your active sourdough starter in place of the levain—just make sure it’s 100% hydration and fully active, then substitute it 1:1 by weight.
Mix the Dough
Step 2: Mix the Dough. For brioche-style buns, it’s important to start developing the gluten before adding butter—otherwise, the fat can prevent the dough from coming together properly. Add all the ingredients except the softened butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix on low to medium speed for 5–7 minutes, until the dough is smooth, elastic, and cohesive.
Before you burn out your mixer – Not all stand mixers can handle enriched dough like this. One of mine literally started smoking with this recipe—read my honest review of 3 popular mixers to see which mixers handle brioche like a champ and which one didn’t.
Step 3: Add Butter. Once the dough is smooth and elastic, start adding the softened butter a little at a time (Image 3). Let each chunk incorporate mostly before adding the next chunk of butter. Continue kneading for about 5-10 minutes until all the butter is incorporated (Image 4).
The dough will feel soft and pillowy, but it still needs strength. Keep kneading another 5-10 minutes until the dough can pass the windowpane test—take a small piece and gently stretch it. If it stretches thin enough to see light through without tearing, it’s ready (Image 5).
Mixing Tip: Mixing can cause friction which warms the dough and can cause the butter to melt. This makes the dough greasy and harder to work with. If the dough feels warm or looks overly shiny, pause and chill it in the fridge for 10–15 minutes to cool the dough back down and continue mixing.
Bulk Fermentation Or First Rise
Step 4: Bulk Fermentation. Transfer the dough to a container (Image 6) and let it ferment at 78–80ºF for 4–5 hours. It won’t rise a lot, but you should see slight aeration and strength developing.
If your dough is cooler than 78ºF, fermentation will take longer. If it’s warmer than 80ºF, watch closely—too much heat can cause the butter to melt out. Chill the dough slightly if needed to keep it in that ideal range.
Step 5: Cold Fermentation or Refrigeration. Chilling the dough improves flavor, color, and makes shaping easier. Cover and refrigerate overnight or at least 4 hours up to 48 hours (Image 7).
Want to proof overnight? You can shape the buns and let them proof overnight at around 76ºF for 8–10 hours. By morning, they should be light, puffy, and ready to bake. Just be sure your space stays consistently warm—cooler temps will slow the rise, while warmer ones could overproof the dough.
Shape & Proof the Dough
Step 6: Shape the Buns. Use a bench scraper to divide the dough into 8 equal pieces, about 180g each (Image 8). This makes a generously sized bun—perfect for 1/3–1/4 pound burgers. For smaller buns, divide into 10–12 pieces.
To shape, pull and pinch the sides of the dough underneath to form a rough ball. Then roll it on the counter using a cupped hand to seal the seam and build surface tension (Images 9 & 10; see video here). Place each bun seam-side down on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Gently press the tops with your hand to help them rise outward rather than straight up.
Step 7: Proof the Buns. Cover the pan lightly with a sheet pan cover or plastic wrap. I like to place my pan on a lightly heated dough mat set to 80ºF for this long rise. Let the buns proof for 8–9 hours, until they’re very puffy, light, and at least doubled in size (Image 11).
Important Tip: If you don’t have a dough mat or proofer, just do your best to keep the dough warm—cool temps will slow the rise significantly. Don’t bake the buns until they’ve visibly risen. If they haven’t puffed up, they’ll turn out dense and flat.
Bake Sourdough Brioche Burger Buns
Step 8: Bake the Buns. Once the buns have fully proofed, preheat your oven to 375ºF. While the oven preheats, whisk an egg with a splash of water and gently brush it over the tops of the buns (Image 12). Sprinkle with sesame seeds or everything bagel seasoning if desired (Image 13).
Bake for 28–30 minutes, until the tops are deep golden brown and the centers register 190–195ºF (Images 14 & 15). Let the buns cool before slicing or toasting—they’re perfect for burgers with all the fixings.
Oven Tip: If the tops of the buns are browning too fast, tent loosely with foil during the last 5–10 minutes of baking.
How to Store Leftovers
Let leftover burger buns cool completely, then store them in a zip-top bag or an airtight container. Freeze for longer storage. When ready to use, defrost at room temperature and warm or toast before serving for the best texture.
Amy’s Recipe Tips
Even with a solid recipe, enriched sourdough dough can be tricky—especially if your kitchen is cooler or your mixer struggles with the butter. If something feels off, here are a few of my go-to troubleshooting tips to help you get back on track:
Buns didn’t rise? The dough may have been underproofed or too cold. Make sure your proofing environment is warm enough (around 78–80ºF), and allow plenty of time for the buns to get light and airy.
Dough feels greasy or slack? This can happen if the butter was added too early or the dough got too warm while mixing. Chill the dough briefly if it starts to feel overly soft or shiny.
Flat buns after baking? Likely due to loose shaping or underproofing. Make sure to build surface tension when shaping and wait to bake until the buns are visibly puffy and well-risen.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can use your sourdough starter instead of making a levain, as long as it’s ripe, bubbly, and active. I prefer using a levain for more control (read why here), but a well-maintained, active starter will work just fine in this recipe.
I don’t use cup measurements for mixing dough—they’re often wildly inaccurate and can vary depending on how ingredients are measured. Instead, I always use weight measurements for consistency. I love using this scale from Brod and Taylor.
Yes—but be ready to work for it! Mixing and kneading enriched dough by hand (especially with eggs and butter) is doable, but takes longer and gets messy when you add the butter.
Here are a few tips if you’re going the no-mixer route:
Start with a strong dough: Mix and knead everything except the butter until smooth and elastic.
Add butter gradually: Knead in small chunks of softened butter by hand, working it in fully before adding more. It’ll look greasy and messy at first but will come together.
Slap and fold method: Use a “slap and fold” kneading technique to build strength without a mixer. It helps keep the dough from sticking and develops gluten efficiently.
You can get a great result—it just takes more time and a bit of muscle!
I don’t recommend freezing unbaked sourdough dough. Unlike commercial yeast, wild yeast tends to weaken or die off in the freezer, which can lead to dense or poorly risen buns.
Instead, I suggest baking the buns first, letting them cool completely, and then freezing. When you’re ready to enjoy one, just thaw at room temp and lightly toast or warm before serving—they freeze and reheat beautifully!
Sourdough Burger Bun Recipes
If you tried these Sourdough Brioche Burger Buns or any other recipe on my website leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Happy Baking!
Sourdough Brioche Burger Buns
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Ingredients
Mix the Levain 1:1:1 (ready in 3-4 hours if kept at 78ºF)
- 55 grams sourdough starter, ripe, bubbly, active, about 1/4 cup
- 55 grams bread flour, all purpose works too, about 1/2 cup
- 55 grams water, about 1/4 cup
Sourdough Brioche Burger Buns
- 160 grams levain, ripe, bubbly, active, about 2/3 cup
- 200 grams whole milk, about 3/4 cup plus 1 Tablespoon
- 25 grams potato flakes, about 1/2 cup, see recipe notes
- 4 large eggs, about 200 grams
- 60 grams granulated sugar, about heaping 1/4 cup
- 12 grams salt, about 2 teaspoons
- 680 grams bread flour, about 4.5-5 cups
- 113 grams unsalted butter, softened, about 8 Tablespoons
Egg Wash
- 1 medium egg
- splash of water
- sprinkle of sesame seeds or everything-but-the-bagel seasoning, for topping
Instructions
Mix Levain 1:1:1 (ready in 3-4 hours if kept at 78ºF)
- Mix together ripe, active sourdough starter with flour and water until completely incorporated. Cover and let rise until doubled in size, bubbly and peaked.Note: You can substitute well-maintained, ripe, active sourdough starter for the levain in this recipe if desired.
Sourdough Brioche Burger Buns
- Mix the Dough: To the bowl of a stand mixer, add ripe, bubbly, and active levain, milk, potato flakes, eggs, granulated sugar, salt, and bread flour. Turn on the mixer and knead for about 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and all the ingredients are well incorporated.
- Add Butter: Cut the butter into 8-12 chunks. Butter should be firm but soft enough to leave a dent when you press your finger into the butter. Turn the mixer on and add chunks of butter into the dough a little at a time. Continue adding chunks of butter until all the butter is added and incorporated into the dough.
- Knead until Windowpane: Continue kneading the dough on medium to low speed for 10-15 minutes (this will depend on your mixer and your dough) until the dough passes the windowpane test. To check for windowpane: Stop the mixer. Take your hands and pull up on a portion of the dough. At the beginning stages of kneading the dough, the dough will break as soon as you start to stretch it. As the dough kneads and the gluten strands develop, the dough will stretch thinly without tearing. You will know the dough is finished kneading when the dough does not tear when pulled and you can see light through the dough, like a windowpane.A word of caution: As you knead the dough, the friction from the mixer can heat up the ingredients in the bowl. It is important that the dough doesn't get too warm or else the butter will begin to melt and separate from the dough. If you notice this beginning to happen, take a break, stick your dough in the refrigerator to cool down, and then continue kneading after the dough cools a little bit.
- Bulk Fermentation or First Rise: At this point, the dough will be soft but also cohesive. Dump the dough into a container and cover. Set the dough in a warm, 78-80ºF place for 4 hours. Take the temperature of the dough as needed to make sure the dough temperature stays right around 78ºF. This temperature is the optimal fermentation. If your dough temperature is cooler than 78ºF, it will need to ferment longer than 4 hours.
- Overnight Refrigeration (Cold Fermentation): Stick the covered dough in the refrigerator overnight or anywhere from 4-48 hours.
- Shape the Burger Buns: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Take the dough out of the refrigerator. Separate the dough into eight equal-sized pieces, about 180 grams per ball of dough. Take each piece of dough and pull/pinch up the sides until it forms a ball. Roll the ball on the counter, holding your hand in a cupping shape (see video here) to seal the balls and create tension. Place balls seam side down on the baking sheet. Take your hand and press down on the balls to flatten them a little bit and encourage them to grow out as well as up.
- Proof/Rise: Place the shaped burger buns in a warm place to rise until doubled in size and light and airy. I proof my dough on a dough mat with the temperature set at 78-80ºF it takes about 8 hours for the dough to double in size.
- Bake: Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Whisk together one medium egg with a splash of water. Gently brush the egg wash on top of the risen dough. Sprinkle with sesame seeds or your favorite seasoning. Bake for 28-30 minutes until the buns are baked through and the internal temperature is 190-195ºF. Remove to a cooling rack and let cool completely before slicing. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I mixed this dough yesterday, it was way too thick. In fact my pro grade kitchenaid overheated. After refrigerating overnight, it had barely risen and was hard as a rock. I’m not sure why. I followed the steps and ingredients exactly. I weigh all my ingredients. I was surprised at the amount of flour in this recipe, seems really odd.
If the dough was that stiff and didn’t rise, it’s more likely starter activity or temperature. How was the dough during and after the bulk fermentation rise before the overnight cold ferment?
Is there an egg wash alternative? One of my household members has an egg intolerance where they can eat it if it’s baked in… but an egg wash isn’t incorporated enough to avoid tummy troubles. Is the egg wash necessary, or is there something else I can use to acheive similar results?
You can just leave the egg wash off. They won’t be quite as “finished” looking, but they will still taste great.