Fluffy Hamburger Buns
Quick, easy, fluffy hamburger buns better than store-bought!
Yield: 12 buns
Materials
- 3 ½ cups (440g) all-purpose flour (see notes)
- 1 packet (7-9g) yeast (see notes)
- 1 tsp fine sea salt (see notes)
- 3 tbsp (38g) sugar, honey, or agave
- ¾ cup (180g) warm milk (whole or 2%, around 102–107°F)
- ½ cup (120g) sourdough discard (unfed)
- ¼ cup (57g) salted butter softened
- 1 large egg room temp (for the dough)
- 1 egg + 1 tbsp milk for egg wash
Instructions
- In a large bowl add the warm milk, sugar, yeast (Let sit for 5 min if using active dry yeast - no need to proof instant yeast) and flour.
- In a smaller separate bowl mix sourdough discard, softened butter, egg, and salt. Add the sourdough mixture to the flour mixture and mix until dough comes together.
- Knead by hand for 10–12 minutes. The dough should be smooth, slightly tacky but not sticky. Add 1 tbsp flour if the dough is not manageable.
- Drizzle some mild flavored oil (like avocado) in the bowl and place the dough in it and cover. Let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1–2 hours.
- Divide into 12 equal pieces. Shape the dough into a ball until it is tight and smooth (refer to notes for a detailed way on how I shape the buns if you can't seem to get them smooth.) Place on a baking sheet spaced an inch or two apart. Cover loosely and let rise another 30–45 minutes until puffy.
- Preheat oven to 375 F. Brush tops with egg wash (1 tbsp milk and 1 egg) and sprinkle with optional toppings like sesame seeds. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown
Notes
- You can use all-purpose flour or bread flour. The difference between the two is bread flour gives you an open, airy crumb. While all-purpose gives you more of a tight, structured crumb. Either way, it will be delicious. However, if you do decide to use bread flour rather than all-purpose, I recommend to reduce the amount of flour by 25g (or 3 tbsp). You could also try half AP and half bread!
- If measuring in grams, different yeast brands come in different measurements. Red Star Organic is 9 grams but Fleischmann’s is less, around 7 grams. It doesn’t matter as far as the recipe goes but just something to know! If using instant yeast, there is no need to proof the yeast. However, if using active dry yeast, it will need to be proofed like I mentioned in step 1.
- Please, please, please consider using Redmond Real Salt or Celtic Sea Salt. There are greater benefits to using true mineral sea salt vs regular kosher or table salt.