Soft Sourdough Burger Buns

Throughout my life, homemade buns got a bit of a bad rap. They were a bit more on the tough side, dried out super quickly, or were lacking in overall flavor. That isn’t to say I never had a good, 100% from scratch bun, but they were few and far between. As for the idea of sourdough, it was what was sold at the bakery or bread section of the grocery store. They looked like all the other French bread type loaves but had a very strong tang to them. I had no idea that you could have pillowy soft sourdough burger buns that tasted good and stayed fresh longer than a single afternoon.

Fast forward to January 2024. I started dabbling in sourdough over two years ago. Personally, I was in a place where I was so confident with sourdough that I had written an e-book and multiple blog posts about it. I had gone so far as to teach half a dozen classes to friends and family. Sourdough was no longer just the tangy bread on a grocery store shelf. It had transformed into a beautiful living thing in my kitchen that caused crunchy artisan loaves to rise, gave a richness to cinnamon rolls, layers of flavor to raspberry scones, and created the most beautiful burger buns I had ever had. 

These buns are so soft and tender. The sourdough adds flavor but not that intense, almost artificial taste you get from a store-bought sourdough loaf. The addition of milk and butter add richness to the dough as well as layers of beautiful flavor. It also is made with a tangzhong which is a Japanese technique of cooking flour with a bit of liquid. This is the secret that keeps this dough so incredibly soft.

Helpful tools

Kitchen scale: This recipe is in grams, so a scale comes in really handy. If you would like me to convert this recipe over to cups and teaspoons leave a comment and I can start including both forms of measurement in my recipes!

Sheet trays: The fewer toxic coatings on your baking sheets, the better!

Stand mixer: This recipe can be done by hand, trust me, I have tried. But when the butter is added it can make the biggest mess. If you are ok with using a bit of elbow grease and having sticky hands, then by all means, make it by hand. I love feeling the structure of teh dough change when I knead it by hand!

Burger rings: Personally, I didn’t use these for this recipe, but rings will give the buns that round shape that you see in the store. The flat sides that are topped with a perfect dome. I made them without, and they turned out beautifully, but they do make them a bite more aesthetically pleasing.

Stainless steel pan: To avoid the toxins in Teflon or nonstick coated pans, I always recommend using stainless steel pans in my recipes. This is the pan I use for everything from sauteing things, to reheating lunches, to baking bread. 

Pastry brush: This makes brushing the egg wash on a much easier and more enjoyable process. If you don’t have one you can do it by hand or use a cotton or paper towel.

Bench scraper: I use this all the time in my kitchen for portioning doughs and keeping my counters clean.

Tangzhong

This technique originated in Japan. It is a very simple process (despite its very complicated name) that takes less than five minutes. It is simply flour, and in this case milk, combined and cooked over medium heat until it becomes the texture of pudding. This is because the starches in the flour start to gelatinize at around 150°F. When it is added to breads or pastries the result is a soft fluffy product that retains some of its moisture which keeps it feeling fresh longer. 

A possible timeline

If you aren’t super familiar or confidant with sourdough it can be very overwhelming to see all the   rise times. The sourdough math stressed me out when I first started baking with Terrance (my starter) so hopefully this will help you. 

If you wanted these buns for dinner time on Friday this is a rough timeline to follow if you wanted an overnight proof.

Wednesday night: feed your starter so it is thick, about the consistency of thick pancake mix or muffin batter.

Thursday (10:00am): Mix up the dough, cover it, and get the proofing started.

Thursday (4:00pm) Portion out the dough, roll them into buns, and place them on a sheet tray. Cover and place them in the fridge.

Friday (10:00am): Bake the buns. They will have time to cool and be perfect for dinner.

 

If you wanted them on Friday night but didn’t want to have an overnight proof this is another timeline option.

Thursday night: Feed the starter so it is thick. About the consistency of thick pancake mix or muffin batter.

Friday (6:00am) Mix up the dough, cover it, and allow it to proof at room temperature. If you start later than 6:00 you can leave it in a warm spot or in the oven with the light on to speed up the process a bit.

Friday (12:00): Portion out the dough, roll them into buns, and place them on a sheet tray. Cover with a light towel and allow to rise at room temperature.

Friday (6:00pm): Bake then buns. They will be warm but still great for a 6:30/7:00 dinnertime.

Making soft burger buns

This recipe starts by combining the flour and milk in a pan. Whisk them together until it thickens into a pudding like consistency. You don’t have to whisk the entire time, but it will thicken quickly and can burn so keep a close eye on it. Remove it from the heat and allow it to cool off for about five minutes. 

In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the tangzhong, milk, sugar, sourdough starter, salt, egg, and flour. Using a dough hook, mix on medium speed for 12-15 minutes. If not using a stand mixer, then combine the ingredients in a bowl and turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter once it comes together. Don’t keep adding flour, it will be a sticky and soft dough.

The dough should pass the windowpane test. This test means that when stretching a small portion of the dough it should have a strong enough gluten structure that it can hold together like a pane of glass and you can see light through it. 

Slice the butter and add about a tablespoon at a time while the mixer is running. Mix for another five minutes until smooth. 

Cover the bowl with a towel and allow it to proof at room temperature until doubled in size. This usually takes about six hours. Depending on how active your starter is, it may be a bit shorter or longer so keep an eye on it. If the house is cold, you can put the bowl in the oven with just the light on. This provides a nice warm environment without damaging the yeast in the starter. Just don’t forget it is in there!!

Shaping the buns

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and divide it into 9 equal sized balls. (They will be about 90 grams each).

Take each portion of dough and flatten it and pull the edges into the center then flip it over so the gathered edges are at the bottom. This provides a nice top to start with. 

To shape each bun place them on the counter and, with a floured hand, press it down until it is flat. move your hand in a circular motion until you feel the dough start to ‘push back’. While continuing the circular motion start to pull your fingers in to form a claw shape and lift your palm so you aren’t smushing it against the counter. This should form a nice tight ball of dough. Pinch in any rough edges to the bottom of the bun. If your hand starts sticking at any point during this process just add a bit more flour to your palm.

Transfer to a sheet tray or two. Depending on the size of your tray it may be best to use two separate trays instead of trying to fit them all on the same one.

Cover them with a light towel and allow to rise until doubled in size. This can be done at room temperature for about six hours, or in the fridge overnight. If they are left in the fridge, they may need to finish proofing at room temperature before baking. 

Baking

Preheat the oven to 360°F.

Brush the buns with egg wash. This can be just an egg whisked and brushed on. Or you can add about a tablespoon of water and a pinch of salt. These will help eliminate some of the snotty texture of the egg white.

Bake them for 10 minutes and rotate the pan. Bake for another 8 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. 

Enjoy them as burgers, sandwiches, or even just warm with butter!

Yield: 9 Buns

Soft Sourdough Burger Buns

Print

These burger buns are unlike any you have had before. They are soft and fluffy like a cloud with the richness of sourdough. They are perfect for burgers, sandwiches, and sliders!

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 18 minutes

Proofing Time 12 hours

Total Time 12 hours 48 minutes

Ingredients

Tangzhong

• 120g Milk
• 25g Flour

Dough

• All of the prepared Tangzhong (cooled slightly)
• 150g Milk
• 20g Sugar
• 135g Active sourdough starter
• 10g Salt
• 1 Egg
• 320g Flour
• 45g Butter
• Egg wash

Instructions

1. Start by making the tangzhong. Combine the milk and flour in a pan over medium to low heat. Whisk it until it thickens into a pudding like consistency. Remove it from the heat and allow it to cool for about five minutes.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the tangzhong, milk, sugar, sourdough starter, salt, egg, and flour. Using the dough hook, mix on medium speed for 12-15 minutes. The dough should pass the window pane test.
3. Slice the butter into small chunks before adding it into the dough. Mix for another 5 minutes.
4. Cover the bowl with a towel and allow it to proof until doubled in size. This usually takes about 6 hours.
5. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Divide into 9 equal sized buns. If you want larger buns then divide into 8 portions.
6. To shape each bun, place them on the counter and with a floured hand, press it down until it flattens. Then move your hand in a circular motion until you feel the dough "push back" slightly. While continuing the circular motion with your hand, slowly pull your fingers in to form a "claw" shape and lift your palm to round off the bun. Pinch in any rough edges at the bottom.
7. Place them on a parchment lined sheet tray. If you are using a smaller tray, then use two trays.
8. Cover with a light towel and allow them to rise until doubled in size. This can be done at room temperature for 3-6 hours or in the fridge overnight. If left in the fridge they may need to finish rising on the counter to get to the desired size.
9. Preheat the oven to 360° F.
10. Brush them with egg wash. (See notes)
11. Bake for 10 minutes and rotate the pan. Bake for another 8 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.

Notes

- Egg wash gives baked goods like this a beautiful shine and enhance the rich golden color as they bake. A nicer egg wash is 1 egg whisked together with a tablespoon of water and a pinch of salt. You can also just brush a whisked egg over the buns but the salt makes the wash a bit easier to work with.

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