SOURDOUGH BURGER BUNS

  • 21 hours 30 mins

  • Medium difficulty

  • 10 buns

SOURDOUGH BURGER BUNS

Ingredients:

525g STRONG FLOUR W270-290 (=18,52oz=4 ¼ cups)

235g WATER (=8,29oz= 1 cup)

100g LIQUID SOURDOUGH STARTER (=3,53oz)

50g SUGAR (=1,76oz=¼ cup)

10g TABLE SALT (=0,35oz=1 ⅔ tsp)

2g EGGS

40g FRESH WHOLE MILK (=1,41oz=⅛ cup)

40g SOFTENED BUTTER (=1,41oz=⅛ cup)

Method:

Feed your sourdough starter with water and flour (as per your habits – these ingredients are not listed in the recipe ingredients list).

Mix 115g strong flour (=4,06oz=1 cup) and 115g hot water (=4,06=½ cup) in a bowl, then cover with cling film and leave to rest until room temperature.

After about 4 hours, prepare the 1st dough using a planetary mixer (mine is a Kenwood). Dissolve sourdough starter in 120g lukewarm water (=4,23oz=½ cup), then add 40g sugar (=1,41oz=9 ½ tsp), keeping the remaining 10g (=0,35oz=2 ⅓ tsp) apart. Add 295g strong flour (=10,41oz=2 ¼ cup). Insert the dough hook and knead for 10 minutes: 1 minute at minimum speed, then speed 1  for 9 minutes. Cover with cling film.

Put both flour and water mixture and the first dough in the fridge for about 9 hours and a half. After this amount of time, extract them from the fridge and leave both to rest at room temperature. Take the butter out of the fridge as well.

After 3 hours and a half prepare the second dough adding the flour and water mixture to the first dough, then add the remaining flour (=115g=4,06oz=1 cup) and sugar (=10g=0,35oz=2 ⅓ tsp) and proceed by adding table salt, milk and 75g whisked egg (=2,65oz). You will use the remaining whisked egg on top of the buns before baking them. Knead with the mixer (still using the dough hook) for 10 minutes: 1 minute at minimum speed, then speed 1  for 9 minutes. Add the softened butter and knead again: speed 1  for 15 more minutes. Cover the bowl with cling film and leave it to rest inside the turned-off oven for about 3 hours.

After 3 hours, divide the dough into 10 parts of about 110g (=3,88oz) each. You will need to use about 30-40g flour (=1,06-1,41oz=¼-⅓ cups) to do so (you can use pastry flour instead of strong flour). Make sure to always dust the working surface with flour before placing the dough on it, as well as putting flour on your hands before handling each dough piece.  Fold each portion of dough dough so as to get to a ball and seal the bottom with your fingers.

Place the dough balls on a baking tray covered with baking paper and then brush them with the remained whisked egg.

Bake in a preheated oven at 190°C (=374°F) for about 30 minutes. Let them cool down before filling and eating them.

As it will take you about 21,5 hours to prepare this fabulous sourdough hamburger buns, I suggest you to plan well the timings. Here is mine:

  • 7:00 pm: feed the sourdough starter, then prepare the flour and water mixture
  • 11:00 pm: prepare the first dough and put it in the fridge together with the flour and water mixture
  • 8:30 am: take the first dough, the flour and water mixture and butter out of the fridge
  • 12:00 am: prepare the second dough
  •  3:30 pm: shape the buns, then cook them

These sourdough burger buns are the perfect homemade bread type for any homemade hamburger sandwich (meat-based or vegetarian… it’s up to you!).