How to make light and airy Sourdough Buns with your sourdough starter (or discard) in 2 1/2 hours from start to finish, with only 20 minutes of hands-on time! Watch the video.
Grilling season has officially begun and many of you have been asking for a good Burger Bun recipe. Here is one we’ve been using with our sourdough discard. This brioche-style Sourdough Bun is soft, light and airy and turns out delicious every time!
We add a little bit of yeast to hasten the rising time, but you could absolutely leave this out.
Ingredients in Sourdough Buns
- sourdough starter or discard (unfed)
- milk- plant-based milk, regular milk or half & half
- egg
- olive oil
- instant yeast (or rapid yeast -use fast-acting yeast works best here)
- all-purpose flour
- salt and sugar
- Optional Eggwash: 1 egg whisked with water
- Optional seeds: sesame seeds, “everything spice”, etc…
How to make Sourdough Buns
Step One: It starts with 1/2 cup of your unfed sourdough starter or discard. (120 grams)
Step Two: Mix the milk, unfed sourdough starter, oil and egg in a large bowl ( or stand mixer). Mix bread flour, salt, sugar and instant yeast(or rapid yeast) in a small bowl. Add dry mixture to wet, to form a ball and kneed for 5-6 minutes with a wet hand.
TIP: YES, the dough will be sticky – resist the temptation to add more flour or you will end up with heavy dense buns. Alternatively, use a stand mixer and dough hook. (Or you could do “stretch and folds” like from the first set of folds in the sourdough bread recipe- 2 sets 15 minutes apart )
Step Three: Oil the dough in the bowl, cover, place in a warm spot ( 70-80 F) and let it double, about 1 hour.
Step Four: On a floured surface, divide into 6 balls and place on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Let rise again, 30-45 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375F
Step Five: Brush with an egg wash, sprinkle with salt and seeds and bake 20-22 minutes, on the middle rack until perfectly golden!
They will come out perfectly puffed, golden, light and airy!
Store cooled buns in a sealed zip lock bag, or freeze.
New to sourdough starter/discard?
Sourdough Starter is often referred to as “wild yeast”, made from flour and water and the wild yeast in the air around us,and it is typically used as the “yeast” when baking Sourdough Bread. The sourdough “discard” – the part of the starter that often goes to waste- can be used to make flavorful biscuits, waffles and pancakes.
More sourdough starter/discard recipes!
- Our best sourdough recipes
- Jalapeño Cheddar Cheese Bread
- Make Sourdough Waffles
- Rosemary Olive Sourdough Bread
- Try our delcious Sourdough Pancakes
- Make our Sourdough Scones!
- These Sourdough Biscuits are the best.
- Try Sourdough Tortillas!
- Sourdough Crackers are to die for.
- Try Sourdough English Muffins!
Need some Burger Inspiration? Here are my favorites:
- Smoky Chipotle Black bean Burgers
- Miso Portobello Burgers!
- Grilled Lamb Burgers with Harissa Mayo!
- Thai Turkey Burgers
- Falafel Burgers with Tzatziki
- Sprouted Lentil Burgers!
- Chickpea Quinoa Veggie Burgers
Give the Sourdough Buns a try this weekend and let me know what you think!
xoxo
Sourdough Buns Video
Sourdough Buns
- Prep Time: 120
- Cook Time: 22
- Total Time: 2 hours 22 minutes
- Yield: 6
- Category: bread, baking
- Method: baked
- Cuisine: american
Description
How to make Sourdough Buns with sourdough starter (or sourdough discard) that are light and airy (like a brioche bun) in about 2 1/2 hours from start to finish, with only 20 minutes of hands-on time. Watch the video!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup sourdough starter or discard (unfed) ( 120 grams)
- 1/2 cup milk (slightly warm 100F)- plant-based milk, regular milk or half & half
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon instant yeast (rapid yeast -use fast-acting yeast here, or see notes!)
- 2 cups flour (240 grams) All-purpose flour or bread flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- —–
- Eggwash: 1 egg whisked with 1 tablespoon water
- optional seeds: sesame seeds, “everything spice”, etc…
Instructions
- Mix warm milk, unfed sourdough starter, oil, and egg in a large bowl (or stand mixer).
- Mix in salt, sugar, instant yeast and flour.
- Combine with fork to form a ball and kneed for 5-6 minutes with a wet hand, (or dough hook). YES, the dough will be quite sticky – resist the temptation to add more flour (which will result in a heavy bun). (Alternatively, if mixing by hand, you could do the “stretch and fold ” technique (see 1st video) from the sourdough bread recipe. Do 2-3 sets, 15 minutes apart )
- Oil the dough in the bowl, cover, place in a warm spot (70-80 F) and let double, 1 – 1 1/2 hours.
- On a floured surface, gently divide into 6 pieces, form into balls and place on a parchment-lined sheet pan.
- Let rise again, 30-45 minutes, while you preheat oven to 375F
- Brush with an Egg Wash, sprinkle with salt and seeds, and bake 20-22 minutes, on the middle rack until perfectly puffed and golden!
Notes
If using regular active dry yeast, mix the yeast with warmed nut milk first until dissolved, let stand 10 minutes before adding starter, oil and egg. NOTE: Rise time will double.
If you rather not use yeast, leave it out, and let the dough rise until it almost doubles. Rising time will vary depending on kitchen temp, but I’d plan on roughly 6 hours.
If making ahead store in a zip lock bag, for freeze for later.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 212
- Sugar: 0.5 g
- Sodium: 222.4 mg
- Fat: 4.2 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 35.6 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 7.2 g
- Cholesterol: 31 mg
Hi Sylvia, have you frozen the cooked buns or freeze them before baking them?
Thanks 🙂
I would freeze after baking. 🙂
I have baked the sourdough discard cracker recipe recipe and luv these crackers. I’m making the sourdough buns today, can’t wait to make the ports Bella burger recipe with them. Thx Darrin
Perfect Darrin!
I plan to make these but am wondering if I can double the recipe for additional or is there a different recipe for that? Thanks!
Doubling works fine Tony!
Delicious!
I made the rolls today.My husband loved them.
Great recipe!
Great ot hear!
I used a mixer with dough hook for mixing/combined. After proofing its still difficult to shape my dough as it sticks to my hand despite using flour to shape it. Am I doing it right?
Hi Py- try using wet hands- it is very sticky dough. 🙂
Hi sylvia. I have a question, can I substitute almond or coconut flour in this recipe?
Thank you,
Dean
Hi Dean- I’m not sure, haven’t tried- but my guess is it may not translate well here. Of course, you can always try… 😉
I want to do the overnight rise and bake in the morning. Do I do the first rise as usual and them place the dough in the refrigerator and shape them the next morning and allow for the 2nd rise and bake? Any suggestions would be helpful.
Thank you
Hey jenny! I havent tried that- but I think it would work?
Super quick and easy, turned out soft and tasty. Will post my next batch to your Instagram.
Great to hear, and thanks!
Hey, just wondering, could you make the sourdough bun recipe but cook it as a loaf? : )
I think so? Lower heat to 425F and cook until internal temp reaches 204F.
I don’t know why but my bread rolls did NOT look like yours! : ( They weren’t that big and when I doubled the recipe instead of making 12 it only made 10. Apart from that the bread was DELICIOUS! : )
Oh no, not sure what happened. Did they rise ok?
I figured out the problem. The dough wasn’t rising enough, so I put it in the oven with the light on. It worked like a charm! : )
Great to hear! Thanks for sharing- helpful!
Can I place the shaped buns in the fridge for the second rise and than back the following day? Done these buns numerous time but usually have baked on the same day. I make them vegan with fax egg and no yeast.( overnight rise on the counter)
I think if you are not adding yeast, that would work fine!
Just made my first sourdough starter using your instructions so I’m new to this, but why use the discard if you’re adding yeast too?
Hi Amanda! The starter discard will add good flavor, but to make these rise faster, it needs the yeast. If you do an overnight rise, you don’t need the yeast.;)
Anyone use this recipe for dinner rolls?
TIA for the reply 🙂
Great question, I haven’t but love the idea of this!
These were amazing and quick! They came out light and fluffy.
Thank you
Great to hear Susan!
Have made these buns numerous times without egg or yeast ( used flax egg) and AP flour. Mixed dough in the evening did 4 stretch and folds 30 min apart and left on the counter overnight. In the am shaped the buns and proofed for 2 hours. Always light and fluffy.
Great to hear! Thanks for sharing!
Used ap flour & they were wonderful! My new go to recipe! Thank you!
Perfect Barb- glad they worked for you!
Can’t wait to try. Can I use ap unbleached flour as that is all I have. Thank you! Love your site!
Give it a try Barb!
This was so easy! They came out delicious! I used AP flour, but will try bread flour next time! Thank you!
Great to hear Barb!
These were so easy to make and utterly delicious. Turned out exactly as the picture and made my home made hamburger even better. Will be using this recipe all the time. Thanks.
Great to hear Joanne!
I definitely want to try these! We don’t have bread flour where I live but we do have high protein wheat and spelt flours. Any ideas if I can directly substitute high protein white spelt? If so, Would I need to adjust the milk? Thanks!
I haven’t had the best luck with high protein flour – but you are welcome to give it a try?
This recipe is very easy and the end result was a crowd pleaser. I made hamburger and hotdog buns for a family bbq and everyone loved them!
Perfect Terri! Glad this is working for you!
G’day Sylvia, from Down Under,
I’m about to try these – and both the recipe and your photos look fantastic!
I’m a home sourdough cook but have never come across the ‘ Oil the dough in the bowl’ in your recipe. Do you mean to oil the bowl or spread oil over the dough itself? If so why – the bowl I understand so the dough comes out easily but if you mean to oil the top of the dough I’m at a loss?
kind regards
Mike
I usually just oil all sides of the dough, turning it overn, in the bowl. I’m sure you could skip this step if you prefer.:)
I’ve made these several times now and they are great – and very quick. I have to cook for some vegans soon, what could I use as an alternative to the egg?
Hey Lucy- I think someone left a comment about using a flax egg- but I haven’t personally tried it- so not positive here. 🙂
Sylvia please advice the weight instead of volume for the recipe? I am in UK and every time I use volume, it all goes pear shape! :s
Thanks
TJ
hi TJ! I added grams to the recipe card! Sorry about the delay.
Thank you! Very much appreciated!
I’ll tag you on Instagram. 🙂
Third time making these.
I pimp them up with candied jalapeño! I made a double batch and these kick-ass candied jalapeños a heritage farm here makes. Just amazeballs.
And my favourite is making breakfast sandwiches with them! Scroll through my account (@snarkysteff) and you will see these buns now and then.
Thanks for an amazing recipe. (I always use fed sourdough so I get more oomph. But I don’t change anything in your recipe. I do add a tiny bit more flour with the candied jalapeño because they have a touch of moisture. But I think the vinegar in it helps the rise too!)
I just saw them- they look so good and sound so tasty!
Mine are so heavy and dense! Any ideas what happened? Also, can you delay the baking process and put in the fridge?
Yes, I think you can refrigerate just fine, but watch so they don’t overproof. How active is your starter? Density may come from an inactive starter or too much flour.