Sourdough Hamburger Buns
Soft, naturally leavened hamburger buns made with 100% freshly milled hard white wheat. Enriched with butter and egg, cold-retarded overnight, sturdy enough to hold a thick burger without falling apart.
Key Takeaways
- Slight flattening at shaping gives a wider, burger-sized bun instead of a ball.
- 65% hydration plus butter and egg yields the right structure for juicy fillings.
- Egg wash gives the classic shiny mahogany crust.
- Bake to 195°F internal — over-baking gives a tough bun.
- Cold ferment overnight is what separates these from supermarket buns.
About this recipe
Store-bought hamburger buns disintegrate the moment they meet a juicy patty. Sourdough hamburger buns made with fresh milled flour solve both problems: the structure holds, and the flavor stands up to char and cheese instead of fading into the background. This is a moderately enriched dough — enough butter and egg to be tender, not so much that it loses chew. The cold retard means you can mix Friday night and bake Saturday afternoon, perfect for weekend grilling. Brush the tops with egg wash and sprinkle with sesame for that classic bakery look. Makes 8 large buns or 12 sliders.
Prep: 40 min
Bake: 22 min
Hydration: 65%
Ingredients
- Freshly milled hard white wheat flour500 g
- Whole milk (warm)250 g
- Active 100% hydration sourdough starter80 g
- Honey30 g
- Unsalted butter (softened)40 g
- Large egg1
- Fine sea salt9 g
- For egg wash: 1 egg + 1 tbsp water
- Sesame seeds (optional)as desired
Instructions
- 1
Feed starter 6 hours before mixing.
- 2
Whisk milk, honey, egg, and starter in a large bowl.
- 3
Add flour and salt. Mix until shaggy. Rest 20 minutes.
- 4
Add softened butter. Knead 6–8 minutes until smooth and slightly tacky.
- 5
Bulk ferment at 76°F for 4–5 hours, with one stretch-and-fold at 60 minutes. Rise about 60%.
- 6
Refrigerate 12–18 hours.
- 7
Turn out and divide into 8 equal pieces (about 115 g each).
- 8
Shape each into a tight ball, then flatten slightly with your palm into a 3.5-inch disk.
- 9
Place on a parchment-lined sheet pan with 2 inches of space between. Cover loosely.
- 10
Proof at room temperature 2.5–3.5 hours until visibly puffed and a poke springs back slowly.
- 11
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- 12
Brush tops with egg wash, sprinkle with sesame if using.
- 13
Bake 20–24 minutes until deeply golden (internal 195°F / 90°C).
- 14
Cool on rack 20 minutes before slicing.
beginner home milling guide — hydration, gluten development, and grain choice tips that make this recipe work.
Learn about this grain: Hard White Wheat guide — flavor, milling notes, baking tips, and four in-depth guides on hydration, storage, and common mistakes. Or browse more Hard White Wheat recipes.
Learn a technique
All guides →- Bulk Fermentation with Fresh-Milled FlourFresh-milled flour ferments faster than commercial flour. Watch the dough, not the clock, and end bulk fermentation when volume has grown 50–75%.
- Build & Maintain a Fresh-Milled Sourdough StarterA step-by-step guide to creating a robust whole-grain sourdough starter from scratch and maintaining it for weekly baking.
- Cold Retard & Bulk for Fresh-Milled SourdoughHow to time and temperature-manage bulk fermentation and cold retard for fresh-milled sourdough to develop flavor without overproofing.
- How To Build Gluten With Fresh Milled FlourGluten development in fresh-milled flour is a different craft than in commercial white flour. White-flour doughs love aggressive kneading, slap-and-folds, and stand mixers on high — the smooth endosperm forms long uninterrupted gluten strands quickly. Fresh-milled flour cannot work that way because the bran physically interrupts every gluten strand it touches. The bakers who get gorgeous open crumb out of fresh flour all do the same thing: hydrate fully, rest patiently, fold gently, and choose the right grain. This guide walks through the science and the technique.
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Related Techniques
Bulk Fermentation with Fresh-Milled Flour
Fresh-milled flour ferments faster than commercial flour. Watch the dough, not the clock, and end bulk fermentation when volume has grown 50–75%.
Build & Maintain a Fresh-Milled Sourdough Starter
A step-by-step guide to creating a robust whole-grain sourdough starter from scratch and maintaining it for weekly baking.
Cold Retard & Bulk for Fresh-Milled Sourdough
How to time and temperature-manage bulk fermentation and cold retard for fresh-milled sourdough to develop flavor without overproofing.
How To Build Gluten With Fresh Milled Flour
Gluten development in fresh-milled flour is a different craft than in commercial white flour. White-flour doughs love aggressive kneading, slap-and-folds, and stand mixers on high — the smooth endosperm forms long uninterrupted gluten strands quickly. Fresh-milled flour cannot work that way because the bran physically interrupts every gluten strand it touches. The bakers who get gorgeous open crumb out of fresh flour all do the same thing: hydrate fully, rest patiently, fold gently, and choose the right grain. This guide walks through the science and the technique.