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Sourdough hamburger buns add an extra oomph of flavor to any burger with their signature sourdough taste and light nuttiness from sesame seeds on top. They are the perfect vessel for any burger or sandwich you love!
Quick Recipe Overview
WHAT: Soft, pillowy hamburger buns made with active sourdough starter, creating tender rolls perfect for burgers and sandwiches.
WHY: These buns offer incredible flavor and texture while using sourdough starter, giving you bakery-quality results at home.
HOW: Mix starter with simple ingredients, let rise at room temperature, shape into buns, and bake until golden-brown.
Table of Contents
- Quick Recipe Overview
- Why I Love Making Sourdough Hamburger Buns
- Ingredient Notes
- Sourdough Hamburger Buns Recipe
- How to Make Sourdough Hamburger Buns Recipe
- Substitutions &Variations
- FAQs for Sourdough Hamburger Buns
- My Best Tips for Making Sourdough Hamburger Buns Recipe
- What to Serve With Sourdough Buns
- Similar Recipes to Try
- Storage & Reheating Tips
- More Sourdough Recipes To Try
Why I Love Making Sourdough Hamburger Buns
There’s nothing quite like biting into a burger nestled in a freshly baked bun that you made yourself. These sourdough hamburger buns have become a weekend staple in our house, especially during grilling season.
What makes these buns special is their perfect balance—soft and pillowy inside with a beautifully golden exterior that holds up to even the juiciest burgers without falling apart. The sourdough starter adds subtle depth of flavor without being overpowering, complementing everything from classic beef burgers to pulled pork sandwiches.
The simplicity keeps me coming back. Using a stand mixer with the dough hook means minimal hands-on work, and the flexible rise time fits into busy schedules.
🩷 Melissa
These homemade sourdough hamburger buns turn an ordinary cookout into something memorable, with their soft, pillowy texture and subtle tangy flavor that complements every filling imaginable.
The golden-brown exterior isn’t just beautiful—it’s sturdy enough to hold up against the juiciest patties without turning into a soggy mess.
Whether you’re grilling for a crowd or making weeknight sliders, these buns deliver bakery-quality results with surprisingly little effort. Trust me, once you taste the difference homemade makes, there’s no going back!
Ingredient Notes
Active Sourdough Starter: Use starter that has been fed 4-12 hours before and is bubbly and doubled in size. If your starter isn’t very active, the dough will take longer to rise.
Milk: Whole milk creates the softest buns, but 2% milk works well too. You can substitute with non-dairy milk like oat or almond milk without affecting the texture significantly.
Egg White for Wash: The egg white mixed with water creates a beautiful shiny finish. If you don’t have egg whites, brush the tops of the buns with milk or melted butter instead—you’ll still get golden buns, just without the shine.
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Sourdough Hamburger Buns
Ingredients
- 1 cup active bubbly sourdough starter
- 3 tablespoons light oil
- ½ cup milk
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 to 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 egg white + 1 tablespoon water
- Sesame seeds
Instructions
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, add the sourdough starter, oil, milk, and egg. Beat to combine.1 cup active bubbly sourdough starter, 3 tablespoons light oil, ½ cup milk, 1 egg
- Add the salt, sugar, and 2 cups of flour.1 teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoons sugar, 2 to 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- Mix with the dough hook on low speed for 3 to 5 minutes, until the dough comes together well but still sticks to the bottom of the bowl.
- Dust a work surface well with flour, and remove the dough from the bowl onto the work surface.
- Knead the dough lightly until it’s soft but not overly sticky.
- Form the dough into a smooth ball.
- Lightly spray the mixing bowl with cooking spray, and return the dough to the bowl. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel.
- Let the dough rest at room temperature 2 to 6 hours, depending on your timing.
- After the dough has rested, remove it from the bowl and divide it into 8 pieces.
- Form each piece into a round ball, and place on a baking mat or parchment-lined baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Gently use the palm of your hand to press the dough so that it’s 1 to 1.5 inches thick. This will help it be more bun-shaped when it cooks.
- Cover the dough lightly, and let it rest for 30 minutes or so while the oven preheats.
- Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. When the oven is hot, brush the top of the bun with 1 egg white beat well with 1 tablespoon of water, and then sprinkle the wet tops with sesame seeds.1 egg white + 1 tablespoon water, Sesame seeds
- Bake until the buns are golden-brown, about 15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, and let the buns cool 10 to 15 minutes minimum before slicing in half and serving with your favorite burger, pulled pork, or just about any other sandwich toppings.
Notes
- This makes 8 medium-sized buns. If you’d like large buns, divide the dough into 6 and make 6 large buns, or divide it into 12 to make slider-sized buns.
- If you change the size of the buns, you will need to adjust the baking time slightly. A couple more minutes for larger buns and a couple fewer minutes for smaller buns.
- To get consistent hamburger buns, you can use a food scale to ensure the dough is divided evenly before shaping them into buns.
- Store buns in an airtight container for up to three days on the counter or five days in the fridge.
- If you have any sourdough questions, check out these sourdough troubleshooting tips.
Nutrition
How to Make Sourdough Hamburger Buns Recipe
Step 1: Beat the sourdough starter, oil, milk, and egg. Add the salt, sugar, and 2 cups of flour. Mix with the dough hook on low speed for 3 to 5 minutes.
Step 3: Lightly spray the mixing bowl with cooking spray; return the dough to the bowl. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Let the dough rest at room temperature 2 to 6 hours.
Step 5: Cover the dough lightly; let it rest for 30 minutes or so while the oven preheats. Before putting the buns in the oven, brush the tops with egg white wash and then sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Step 2: Dust a work surface with flour; move the dough to the work surface. Knead the dough lightly. Form the dough into a smooth ball.
Step 4: Remove dough from the bowl and divide it into 8 pieces. Form each piece into a round ball; place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, about 2 inches apart, and flatten slightly.
Step 6: Bake until the buns are golden-brown, about 15 minutes. Let the buns cool 10 to 15 minutes minimum before slicing in half and serving.
Substitutions &Variations
Whole Wheat Version
Replace up to half the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour for a heartier, nuttier bun. You may need an extra tablespoon or two of milk as whole wheat absorbs more liquid.
Dairy-Free
Use your favorite non-dairy milk and substitute the light oil with melted coconut oil or more neutral oil. These work beautifully for anyone avoiding dairy.
Everything Bagel Topping
Instead of sesame seeds, brush with the egg wash and sprinkle with everything bagel seasoning for buns with extra flavor punch.
Pretzel-Style Buns
After shaping, brush the buns with a baking soda wash (2 tablespoons baking soda dissolved in 1 cup warm water), then sprinkle with coarse salt before baking for pretzel-flavored buns.
FAQs for Sourdough Hamburger Buns
While this recipe works best with active bubbly sourdough starter, you can use discard if you add 1 teaspoon of instant yeast to help with the rise. The flavor will be slightly less tangy, but you’ll still get delicious homemade buns.
The dough doesn’t need to double in size like traditional yeast bread. After 2-6 hours at room temperature, it should look slightly puffy and feel relaxed. The rise time depends on how active your starter is and your kitchen temperature.
Make sure to gently press the shaped dough balls to about 1-1.5 inches thick before the final rest. If they’re too tall, they’ll bake up more like rolls. Also, don’t skip the 30-minute rest after shaping—this helps them hold their shape.
Yes. Follow the recipe as written and then divide the dough into 12 smaller balls instead of 8. They may need a minute or two less of baking time. Watch for the buns to have a very golden color.
My Best Tips for Making Sourdough Hamburger Buns Recipe
☞Use bread flour for chewier buns: While all-purpose flour works perfectly, substituting half or all of the flour with bread flour creates a slightly chewier texture that holds up exceptionally well to juicy burgers.
☞Weigh your dough portions: For perfectly uniform buns, use a food scale to divide the dough into equal pieces (about 75-80 grams each for standard buns). This ensures even baking and professional-looking results.
☞Don’t skip the egg wash: Brushing the buns with egg white and water before baking creates that beautiful golden-brown shine and helps sesame seeds stick. For extra richness, use a whole egg instead of just the white.
☞Toast before serving: Even day-old buns taste freshly baked when you slice and lightly toast them cut-side down in a skillet with butter or on the grill alongside your burgers.
What to Serve With Sourdough Buns
These versatile buns pair perfectly with classic beef burgers piled high with lettuce, tomato, pickles, and your favorite condiments. They’re equally delicious with turkey burgers, veggie burgers, or pork sandwiches.
For barbecue season, fill these buns with slow-cooked pulled pork topped with coleslaw, or use them for pulled chicken sandwiches. The sturdy texture holds up beautifully to saucy fillings without getting soggy.
Try them with breakfast sandwiches featuring fried eggs, bacon, and cheese—the slight sourdough tang complements morning flavors wonderfully. They also make excellent lunch sandwiches filled with deli meats, cheese, and fresh vegetables.
Similar Recipes to Try
- Sourdough Dinner Rolls – Soft, pillowy rolls perfect for any meal
- Sourdough Pizza Dough – Flavorful crust with the perfect chew
- Sourdough English Muffins – Nooks and crannies for butter and jam
- Sourdough Focaccia – Fluffy, olive oil-rich Italian flatbread
Storage & Reheating Tips
Room Temperature Sourdough Buns
Store completely cooled buns in an airtight container or zip-top bag for up to 3 days on the counter. They’ll stay soft and fresh without refrigeration.
Refrigerator Sourdough Hamburger Buns
For longer storage, keep buns in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. The cool temperature may make them slightly firmer, but toasting brings them back to life.
Freezing Sourdough Hamburger Buns
These buns freeze beautifully for up to 3 months. Wrap each bun individually in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer bag. Thaw at room temperature for 2-3 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
Reheating Sourdough Buns
Refresh day-old buns by wrapping in foil and warming in a 300°F oven for 5-7 minutes. For individual buns, microwave for 10-15 seconds wrapped in a damp paper towel.
Make-Ahead Buns
Prepare the dough through the first rise, then refrigerate overnight. The next day, bring to room temperature for 30 minutes before shaping and continuing with the recipe.
More Sourdough Recipes To Try
Sourdough Recipes
Orange Cranberry Sourdough Bread with Pistachios
French Toast Recipes
Sourdough French Toast Casserole
French Toast Recipes
Sourdough French Toast in 15 Minutes
Sourdough Recipes
How to Rehydrate Sourdough Starter
Did you make this recipe? Leave a ⭐️ review and share it on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest!
Best I’ve tried. Last minute Easter bake due to my daughter’s buns flopped.
You saved the day Mary! Thanks for sharing!
This recipe didn’t work for me. The rolls are incredibly dense, like pretzel. It’s summer and humid. I let the dough “rise” for an extra hour because it wasn’t rising. I can’t serve these to my guests. Bummer.
Have you had any other issues with your starter? It just sounds like it needed more time or your starter wasn’t very active.
I like the ease of these buns. Mine turned out a little more dense then I thought but that could be because of my altitude or something I did.
I am not a baker and very rarely have successful attempts when trying recipes to use my Amish starter but I keep trying. My altitude is 4751 if anyone can suggest where my error went? I plant on trying them again and froze what I did make. They will handle a sauce slider no problem.
It probably was more your timing than your altitude because I’m at a high altitude than you. When the buns rise a second time, don’t go off of time but looks next time. They should look risen and a bit puffy before they go in the oven, that could take a few hours longer than written depending on your kitchen conditions and starter.
Easy recipe and tastes great! I didn’t read the note about the size of the buns, so I was a little underwhelmed as my 8 “medium” sized buns turned out more like sliders. BUT this might have also had something to do with only letting it rise for 2 hours. Will try again later with only 6 buns and longer prove
I love this recipe! If I were to make the dough in advance, could I cold ferment in the fridge overnight?
Yep, should work great, just give it enough time the next day to perk back up.
Mine look and smell really good! Thanks for the recipe:) One question for you. I’d say mine turned out a little more dense than fluffy. Any ideas what I may have done wrong?
How warm is your house right now?? I bet it just the winter cold, feel free to proof them longer next time.
What a great recipe.I had fed my started the evening before after a two week say in the fridge. I was going to feed again in the morning, but had to rush out to an appointment. Got home at 12:30, not enough time to feed and have buns for dinner. So, I elected to just get mixing. Quick and easy mix in the big mixer. I let the dough raise until it was nice and puffy. Divided the dough into six equal portion by weight. Parchment paper lined the baking sheet. Did the last rest and into the oven they went. Turkey burgers on the grill, Colorado sweet corn, and home baked buns! Perfect. They sliced nicely and had a delightfully soft interior with just a touch of crusty to the outside. Thanks.
Sounds like an AMAZING meal!! Thank you for the review!
Does my starter have to be fed before I make these? Or can I just remove it from the fridge and make these same day?
I normally feed it before but I bet it wouldn’t matter much.
Can I omit the sugar from the recipe, or replace with a little stevia?
Also, can we sub 1/3 whole grains like your bread recipe says?
You can omit it or replace it and you can sub 1/3 whole grain, no issues there!
Have you ever tried making these vegan?
I haven’t but you could sure play with them!
These buns are great! And it is a very simple recipe! (I bake them for 20 minutes) Thank you! Have you ever doubled the recipe? Would you double everything, or just use the 1 cup of starter, and then double the rest? Thanks again!
You can do either, you can double everything BUT the starter or double everything AND the starter, I’ve had luck with both. It does rise a bit fast with more starter.