Sourdough Discard Hamburger Buns

Made with both starter and yeast, these buttermilk sourdough discard hamburger buns are perfectly light and soft, just right for any type of burger. This makes a buttery, brioche-style bun.

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Ingredients You'll Need and Why

You'll need standard brioche ingredients - the buns are made with an enriched dough, including butter, eggs, and milk. That's what makes the bread so tender, light, and rich. These are our notes from recipe testing and you can find the full recipe card below with complete measurements and instructions.

• Flour: we prefer all-purpose flour for burger buns rather than bread flour, which can make the texture a little too chewy. All-purpose keeps the buns soft and easier to bite into, exactly what's needed for a good hamburger bun.
• Milk: use full-fat dairy milk for the best result. Soy milk is the best non-dairy alternative.
• Vinegar: use apple cider vinegar or plain white vinegar. A splash of vinegar is added to the milk to make a quick homemade buttermilk alternative. We don't recommend subbing in store-bought buttermilk, which has a different consistency.
• Starter: since yeast does most of the work here, you can use sourdough starter that's not yet strong enough to bake a full loaf of sourdough bread, or discard from the fridge.
• Yeast: the recipe is written for instant yeast, which is mixed in with the flour and other dry ingredients. If you want to use traditional yeast instead, bloom it in the milk for 10 minutes before continuing with the recipe. Yeast should be stored in a sealed container in the fridge to keep it fresh.
• Sugar: a small amount of granulated sugar makes the buns softer and adds a hint of sweetness. Remember that sugar adds liquid in baking and reducing it will make the buns slightly dry.
• Eggs: large eggs are 57 grams in North America, and should be weighed if needed. Eggs add protein (structure) and fat (flavour) to the dough. One egg is for the dough and the other is for the egg wash.
• Butter: cubed and at room temperature. This recipe follows a traditional brioche method with the butter added to the mixed dough and slowly incorporated. We tested with melted butter and it made the dough too soft. If necessary, use a dairy-free butter alternative that comes in stick or block form, never from a tub.
• Salt: this should be fine sea salt. Added salt plays an important role in gluten development in bread baking, and shouldn't be reduced unless absolutely necessary. Reducing the salt will also make the buns taste bland.

Use the JUMP TO RECIPE button at the top, or scroll to the bottom of the post to see the printable recipe card with full ingredient measurements and complete instructions.

How to Make Discard Burger Buns

It's easiest to make the buns in a stand mixer or with the kneading attachment on a strong hand mixer. If you knead by hand have a dough scraper on hand for the first few minutes, as the dough is soft and sticky at first. Don't be tempted to add extra flour if kneading by hand. Just keep going until the dough comes together.

Step 1: mix the egg and buttermilk in the bowl of your stand mixer, then mix in the starter. I always whisk by hand for this step rather than using the attachment for my mixer. Add the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt, and mix to combine. The dough will be shaggy and slightly dry.

Step 2: knead the dough, adding the butter piece by piece and allowing it to incorporate before adding the next. Knead for about 10 minutes in total. The dough should be soft, smooth, and elastic when finished. It will be very slightly tacky.

Step 3: cover tightly and set aside to right at room temperature until doubled in size. We like to cover with a tea towel and a large plate to keep the moisture in. If you know your home is very dry, use a damp tea towel and lightly oil the top of the dough.

Related: Sourdough Discard Dinner Rolls

Step 4: divide the dough into 9 equal pieces and pre-shape. You can see Alex showing how to shape buns in this video (the link is timestamped).

Step 5: finish shaping the buns into rounds, using a cupped hand and rotating each ball to create smooth, taut balls of dough.

Step 6: place the buns seam-side down onto a lined baking sheet. Use the largest baking sheet you have to prevent too much touching when the buns bake.

Step 7: use your hand to press the buns, flattening each to be about 2.5cm (1 inch) high. The dough will want to spring back into shape. Press once, let the buns rest for 5 minutes, then press again. The dough shouldn't be sticking to your hands.

Step 8: cover and let the buns rise until puffy and almost doubled in size. I usually use a second, deep baking sheet inverted over the buns to cover while rising. The steam method in the oven works well but you have to keep a close eye on the buns if you do that to avoid over-proving.

Step 9: brush the risen buns with the egg wash. At this point, optionally sprinkle the tops of the buns with sesame seeds or poppy seeds. Adding a pinch of salt to the egg before whisking for an egg wash helps the egg break down slightly so that it's easier to brush evenly onto the dough.

Step 10: bake until golden, about 20 minutes. If you have a thermometer check the temperature of the buns to see if they're baked through. They should be 190°F (~90°C) when finished baking.

Expert Tips for the Best Buns

• Weigh the ingredients: we generally only provide weights for our sourdough and discard recipes, especially for bread and buns, for accuracy. It's much easier to have a reliable, foolproof result when you weigh the ingredients instead of using less accurate volume measurements.
• Use room temperature ingredients: the egg and butter should be at room temperature before starting. To quickly bring eggs up to room temperature from the fridge, submerge in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes before use.
• Don't skip the egg wash: this is what makes the buns so golden and shiny, adds a little extra flavour, and helps create the very thin, delicate crust.
• Flatten those buns: this is an important step and shouldn't be skipped. Flattening the buns with your hands makes them the right shape and size for burgers. Otherwise they will be tall and round like dinner rolls.
• Look for rise, not at the clock: timing is an estimate because your kitchen temperature will vary and home bakers generally don't have proving drawers or tents. Look at the dough and see if it's doubled after the first rise and do the fingertip test before baking.

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