Easy Sourdough Burger Buns
Tender, fluffy and made with 100% natural yeast, these easy sourdough burger buns are perfect for your summer BBQ. Sturdy yet soft, these buns are delicious toasted or eaten plain. Enjoy them with your next meal and make them today!
Ingredients
Levain (overnight, 10-12 hours at 78ºF)
- 10 grams ripe/active sourdough starter
- 100 grams all purpose flour
- 100 grams water
Easy Sourdough Burger Buns
- 200 grams levain
- 240 grams buttermilk see recipe notes
- 1 large egg about 50 grams
- 42 grams sugar
- 515 grams bread flour
- 11 grams salt
- 57 grams unsalted butter, softened about 4 Tablespoons
Toppings
- 1 large egg for egg wash
- a splash of water for egg wash
- sesame seeds or everything but the bagel seasoning to top
Instructions
Levain (overnight/12 hours at 78 degrees F).
- Mix together 10 grams of ripe and active sourdough starter with 100 grams flour and 100 grams water. Cover and let rise overnight or about 12 hours until it has many bubbles, doubled in size and peaked.
Easy Sourdough Burger Buns
- To the bowl of a stand mixer add levain, buttermilk, egg, sugar, most of the bread flour and salt. Mix until completely combined and add the rest of the flour a little bit at a time until the dough is tacky (not super sticky) and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Knead together for 3-5 minutes until smooth.
- Cut the softened butter into 4 pieces and add them one at a time into the center of the dough as it mixes. Continue kneading for another 5 minutes until all the butter is incorporated and the dough is smooth and shiny.
- Put the dough in a container and set it in a warm place for 4-5 hours. Dough temperature should be 78 degrees F during this bulk fermentation. If your dough is colder than 78 degrees F, you will want to extend bulk fermentation. If the dough is warmer, bulk fermentation will be a little shorter.
- At the end of bulk fermentation, the dough will have puffed up a little (maybe 20%-30%) and feel smooth and airy. If it hasn't done these things, let it sit for a little longer. At the end of bulk fermentation, you have the option to place the dough in the refrigerator overnight or for up to 48 hours. You may need to add a little extra rise time to the dough after shaping if you use a cold ferment.
- Dump the dough out onto a countertop. Cut the dough into 8 equal pieces, about 130 grams each. Take each piece of dough and pull/pinch up the sides until it forms a ball. Roll the ball on the counter using your hand in a cupping shape (see video here) to seal the balls and create tension for the roll to rise.
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and place dough balls on the baking sheet apart from each other. Cover the dough and let the buns rise for 2-3 hours. I like to set my covered dough in my oven with the light turned on. This keeps the buns in a warm (78-80 degree F) environment to rise.
- You will know the burger buns have risen when they are puffed up and feel light and airy. The dough will not be hard or stiff. When you push in on the dough it will leave a small indentation in the dough, springing back just a little bit. If the dough springs back completely and the dough feels hard or compact, let it rise another half hour and check on it again. You may need to warm up the dough if it doesn't seem to be rising much.
- Once the buns have risen, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (remove the buns from the oven first if they are in there for rising). Place a baking stone on the bottom rack of the oven to prevent the bottom of the buns from burning.
- Mix together the egg with a splash of water and brush egg wash on top of the buns if desired. Sprinkle with your favorite topping, ie: sesame seeds or "everything but the bagel" seasoning.
- Take a handful of ice cubes and place them in a baking pan. Place the pan on the bottom rack of the oven, immediately adding the pan of burger buns on the rack above the ice cubes. Bake for about 18-20 minutes until light brown and baked all the way through. Let cool completely before toasting or using as burger buns. Enjoy!
Notes
Buttermilk: I have made this recipe with both 2% milk and buttermilk. The buns turn out more tender and have a little more flavor if you use the buttermilk, but they are delicious with the milk as well. If you don't have buttermilk on hand, milk will work fine in a pinch.
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