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These Sourdough Hamburger Buns are super soft and fluffy. They are easy to make, naturally leavened with your sourdough starter, and can be made in just one day. Start them in the morning and have them ready for your summer BBQ dinner!
Sourdough Hamburger Buns are another recipe that once you learn how to make homemade, you’ll never want to go back to store-bought again! Just like my Same-Day Sourdough Hot Dog Buns, Sourdough Pizza Dough, Sourdough Pita Bread, or Sourdough Tortillas, this recipe is easy to make and tastes better than anything you can find at the store. You’re whole family is going to love this recipe!
Table of Contents
Why you will love this recipe
- This is THE sourdough recipe you need for BBQs, cookouts and summer parties! You will make these buns on repeat for Memorial Day, Father’s Day, 4th of July, and any other backyard get-together! Then for dessert make Sourdough Fruit Pizza or S’mores Sourdough Focaccia.
- This recipe can be made in just one day, with a 6-8 hour total rise time.
- These Sourdough Hamburger Buns are really versatile and can be used for burgers, pulled pork sandwiches, sloppy joes, and more! If you love cheeseburgers, make sure to also check out my Cheeseburger Sourdough Focaccia recipe.
Important Ingredients and Substitutions
- Sourdough starter – An active sourdough starter is one that has been recently fed, has doubled in size, and is bubbly.
- Bread flour – I recommend using bread flour over all-purpose flour because it has a higher protein content and is better at absorbing liquid.
- Milk – To help speed up the process, you will use milk that is warmed to 100°F. I use whole milk because it has a higher fat content and adds richness to the dough.
- Eggs – Two eggs and one egg yolk are added to the dough, and then you will also add an egg wash on top of the buns before baking to create a beautiful golden brown crust.
- Butter – Butter adds richness and flavor to the homemade sourdough hamburger buns. I recommend using unsalted butter to control the amount of salt added to the dough.
See all the ingredients and amounts in the recipe card below.
Instructions to make Sourdough Hamburger Buns
Step 1: In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the warm milk, sourdough starter, bread flour, butter, salt, honey, eggs and egg yolk and knead with the dough hook attachment. I like to use my Bosch mixer when kneading dough. Knead for 15 minutes or until the dough passes the windowpane test. Perform the windowpane test by pulling a piece of dough thin enough to see light through without it tearing. If it doesn’t pass, continue to knead for another couple minutes.
Step 2: Place the dough on a lightly floured work-surface and knead into a ball. Place the dough ball in a bowl or straight edge container to rise covered.
Step 3: Let the dough rise until doubled in size. At 80°F this will take about 5 hours.
Step 4: Punch down the dough and divide into 10 (110 gram) balls or make 12 slightly smaller rolls (93 grams). Roll into circles on a lightly floured work surface.
Step 5: Place on two baking sheets lined with parchment paper, 5 on each. Press down with the palm of your hand so they flatten to about 3.5”-4” wide.
Step 6: Let them rise in a warm spot covered for another 2-3 hours. The dough balls should look puffy and when poked should keep an indent.
Step 7: Brush with an egg wash and sprinkle the top with sesame seeds.
Bake in a preheated 375°F degree oven for 20 mins. To serve, slice with a serrated knife and add your favorite burger toppings.
Recipe Tips
- Let the dough double for the first rise in a warm spot to speed up the process. Use a bread mat (use code country10 for 10%) or proofing box to keep the dough warm, or see more tips on how to keep your dough warm here.
- After several minutes in the mixer, if the dough is super sticky, add a little more flour until it is just a little tacky.
- If your buns puff up dramatically in the oven or come out pale, it’s a sign they needed a longer rise before baking. For beautifully browned, evenly baked buns, be sure to let them get puffy and well-risen before they go in the oven.
- You can make 12 smaller buns instead of 10 if preferred. For sliders, you could also use my Same Day Dinner Rolls or Sourdough Hawaiian Rolls..
Storage Instructions
To store the sourdough hamburger buns, let them cool completely and then store them in an airtight container or ziplock bag for up to 4 days on the counter. The buns will also freeze well. Let them cool completely, and then add them to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, remove them from the freezer and let them defrost on the counter. This is a great way to have homemade burger buns all summer long!
How to prep the sourdough burger buns ahead of time
If you want to prep the dough and then bake the buns later, you can put the unbaked buns in the fridge and bake them later. To do so, follow the instructions to shape them and let them rise. Once they are puffy and about ready to bake, cover and place them in the refrigerator. I wouldn’t recommend going longer than 12 hours. You can bake them directly from the fridge.
Sample baking schedule
Here is an example of the timeline to make the sourdough hamburger buns in one day. The timeline can depend on the temperature and the activity of your starter, so your time may vary. This timeline assumes a dough temperature of 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
| Step | Time |
| Feed sourdough starter a 1:5:5 ratio (17 grams starter: 90 grams flour: 90 grams water) left at room temperature. | Day one: 9 pm |
| Mix dough together. Let it rise for bulk fermentation. | Day two: 9 am |
| Divide dough into 10 dough balls. Let rise for the final proof. | Day two: 2 pm |
| Add egg wash + sesame seeds and bake. | Day two: 4 pm |
Recipe FAQ
I prefer to use bread flour, but in a pinch you can substitute for all-purpose flour. However, all-purpose flour does not absorb as much liquid, so reduce the amount of milk added to the dough by 25 grams.
Yes! Can you prep the dough and then add it to the fridge until you are ready to bake. See detailed instructions above.
If the dough isn’t warm enough, the rise time will be longer. But that’s okay! One way to speed up the process is to place the dough in the oven with the light on. Watch for it to double in size to know when it is ready to move on to the next step. At cooler temps, like the high 60’s you can let the dough rise overnight (8-12 hours) and shape the next morning.
Yes! Follow this Sourdough Hot Dog Buns recipe for shaping instructions and recipe tips.
More same day sourdough Recipes
Soft Sourdough Bread Recipes
Same Day Sourdough Dinner Rolls
Same Day Sourdough Recipes
Sourdough Flour Tortillas
Same Day Sourdough Recipes
Buttery Garlic Sourdough Naan Bread
Soft Sourdough Bread Recipes
Sourdough Pizza Dough
Tried this Sourdough Hamburger Buns or another recipe from the site? I’d love to hear about it! Drop a star rating and share your thoughts in the comments—can’t wait to see what you’re baking!
Sourdough Hamburger Buns
Equipment
Ingredients
Dough
- 200 grams milk, heated to 100 degrees, ¾ cup + 1 Tablespoon
- 180 grams active sourdough starter, ¾ cup
- 550 grams bread flour, 4 cups
- 60 grams butter, softened, 4 Tablespoons
- 10 grams salt, 1 ½ teaspoon
- 45 grams honey , 3 Tablespoons
- 2 eggs
- 1 egg yolk
Egg wash
- 1 egg white
- 1 teaspoon water
- 2 Tablespoons sesame seeds
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the warm milk, sourdough starter, bread flour, butter, salt, honey, eggs and egg yolk (save the egg white for the egg wash at the end) and knead with the dough hook attachment. Knead for 15 minutes or until the dough passes the windowpane test. Perform the windowpane test by pulling a piece of dough thin enough to see light through without it tearing. It will be a weaker windowpane. If it doesn’t pass, continue to knead for another couple minutes.200 grams milk, heated to 100 degrees, 180 grams active sourdough starter, 550 grams bread flour, 60 grams butter, softened, 10 grams salt, 45 grams honey , 45 grams honey , 1 egg yolk
- Place the dough on a lightly floured work-surface and knead into a ball. Place the dough ball in a bowl or straight edge container to rise covered at 80°F. Let rise for about 4-5 hours or until doubled in size.
- Punch down the dough and divide into 10 (110 gram) balls. Roll into circles on a lightly floured work surface.
- Place on two baking sheets lined with parchment paper, 5 on each. Press down with the palm of your hand so they flatten to about 3.5”-4” wide.
- Let them rise covered for another 2-3 hours in a warm spot until puffy and well-risen. When you poke the side, the indent should stay. Mix egg white and water and brush the top of the buns with it. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. 1 egg white, 2 Tablespoons sesame seeds, 2 Tablespoons sesame seeds
- Bake in a preheated 375℉ oven for 20 minutes. To serve, slice with a serrated knife and add your favorite burger toppings.
Notes
- Let the dough double for the first rise in a warm spot to speed up the process.
- After several minutes in the mixer, if the dough is super sticky, add a little more flour until it is just a little tacky.
- You can make 12 smaller buns instead of 10 if preferred.
- If your buns puff up dramatically in the oven or come out pale, it’s a sign they needed a longer rise before baking. For beautifully browned, evenly baked buns, be sure to let them get puffy and well-risen before they go in the oven.
- To store the sourdough hamburger buns, let them cool completely and then store them in an airtight container or ziplock bag for up to 4 days on the counter.
- To freeze, let the buns cool completely, and then add them to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, remove them from the freezer and let them defrost on the counter.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can you make these without milk? Or with a cow milk substitute?
Yeah I recommend full-fat coconut milk for best results.
I will never buy hamburger buns again… these were amaziiiinnggg!!!thank you!!
I totally agree! Thank you for the review Karen!
While the buns tasted good, they were too firm. I followed the recipe exactly. I was hoping for a softer bun. They passed the window pane test, rose fine, when poked they retained the indentation. Not sure why they were dense and hard.
Hi Alison, thanks for the feedback! I’m sorry to hear the buns turned out dense. If you ever decide to give the recipe another try, a dense texture usually means they needed a bit more time to rise. I know you mentioned they kept the indentation—that’s a great sign—but another helpful cue is making sure the buns feel light, airy and have visibly increased in size before baking. With burger buns, where you want a slightly flatter shape, it’s totally okay to really stretch those rise times, especially if the dough is at slightly cooler temperatures.