The Cozy Bread Nook

Hello Everyone,

I know it’s super cold right now, but picture it’s summer time and you’re on a family camping trip. You’re eating around the campfire and they say the burgers are delicious and you say…. “Thanks! The buns are homemade!” Trust me, they will be soooo surprised and it’ll be all you talk about for the next 20 minutes. If you want to be the one to surprise your family at the next reunion or family camping trip then follow along to learn how to make these delicious sourdough hamburger buns.

The recipe I followed can be found on countryroadssourdough.com and it is called ‘Sourdough Hamburger Buns.’ I will add the link to my links and supplies page if you would like a more in depth recipe to go by. Here are your ingredients you need to have on hand.

For the Dough:

• 200 grams (3/4 cup + 1 tbsp.) Milk
• 180 grams (3/4 cup) Active Sourdough Starter
• 550 grams (4 cups) Bread Flour
• 60 grams (4 tbsp.) Butter
• 10 grams (1 1/2 tsp.) Salt
• 45 grams (3 tbsp.) Honey
• 2 Eggs
• 1 Egg Yolk

For the Egg Wash:

• 1 Egg White
• 1 tsp. Water
• 2 tbsp. Sesame Seeds

This recipe will go a lot smoother if you have a stand mixer. I am using my Hamilton Beach stand mixer that I got for Christmas and it makes mixing a breeze! If you want to check it out, I have attached the link to my Links & Supplies page. If you don’t have a stand mixer then don’t fret because it is optional for this recipe, but your hand might be tired of mixing by the end.

Let’s get started! You will need a bowl to mix your warm milk (100 degrees), sourdough starter, bread flour, honey, butter, salt, egg, & egg yolk together. Save your egg white to add it to your egg wash at the end. If you have a stand mixer, use your dough hook attachment to mix these ingredients. Knead your dough for 15 minutes before placing it on a lightly floured surface.

Now, you want to knead your dough into a ball as pictured below.

Once you have your dough into a ball, place it in a bowl, cover and let it rise for 4-5 hours at 80 degrees Fahrenheit. You will want your dough to be double in size before starting the next step. I covered my dough with the Esembly bowl caps I got off of Amazon and they always seem to work well. I have attached the link to these bowl covers in my links and supplies page if you are interested in checking them out!

It is winter time and everyone’s houses are colder than usual. If you need an extra boost during the winter months then I recommend getting this bread heating box off of Amazon. It was my first time using it so I was really excited! It has a controller where you set the temperature you want and the hours you want. I recommend ‘preheating’ it for a half hour or so before using it so you can get a jump start. That is something you would probably need to do right before you gather your ingredients to start your recipe. The link to the bread heating box is in my Links & Supplies page if you’re interested in getting one!

I was a little impatient…I think my dough could have risen a little more but I went ahead and started my next step right after the 5 hours were up.

I know it sounds silly, but you want to punch down your dough to release any air bubbles that got trapped in there. You’ll most likely need to re-flour your counter before rolling out your dough so it doesn’t stick to anything. To make the shape of my dough, I used the wide mouth of a plastic cup. Use whatever you like to shape your dough as long as it comes out to be a circle.

The recipe says you will end up with 10 buns, but I ended with 12 so it honestly depends on how big you want your buns to be. I used two baking sheets lined with parchment paper and this worked fine for me. Now, it’s time for your last rise. Cover your dough with saran or cling wrap and place a kitchen towel over both of them. Let them rise for 2-3 hours in a warm place. I had them on top of the stove so I had my overhead light on to give off extra warmth.

I forgot to do this next part and that’s probably why mine looked more crispy on the top. Do you remember that egg white I had you save at the beginning of this recipe? Well, it has come time to make the egg wash. In a small container, mix the egg white and water. Top your dough with this mixture using a silicone brush. Add your sesame seeds and pop these in the oven at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Since I forgot this step, the ones on the right look pretty crispy so I only did 15 minutes on my next batch (on the left). Only when my hamburger buns were done did I find my egg white I had saved and realized I missed a step. Make sure you read ahead when your waiting for you dough to rise so you don’t miss a step like me.

Using a bread knife or jagged edge knife, cut your buns in half and serve with anything that requires a hamburger bun! We had burgers with ours as well as sloppy joes and these hamburger buns made it even more enjoyable. If you have any suggestions on what I should try next then please comment below! Stay tuned for more yummy recipes like this!

Sincerely,

Tiara