Name: Whole Wheat Sourdough Burger Buns | Soft, Easy Recipe
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 25 min
Ingredients: 125 g Whole Wheat Flour; 175 g Bread Flour; 25 g Sugar; 150 g Active Sourdough Starter; 50 g Butter; 150 g Milk (warm); 1 Egg; 10 g Salt (2 tsp); 1 Egg (whisked); Sesame Seeds (optional (sprinkled on top))

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Whole wheat sourdough burger buns are a summer essential—soft, squishy, and sturdy enough to hold up to any juicy burger, stacked toppings, and flavourful sauces. Naturally leavened and rich in flavour, these buns bring a homemade touch to backyard cookouts and weeknight dinners.

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A perfect sourdough burger bun recipe is a must-have in your summer recipe box. Burger BBQs are one of our favourite meals when the weather’s warm, and a great bun is essential for a truly delicious burger.

These buns hit the spot. They’re soft, squishy, and full of rich flavour from the sourdough starter and whole wheat flour. They hold everything together without overpowering the burger—making the meat-to-bun ratio just right. I hate a bread-y burger, you know what I mean?

And if you’ve been here awhile, you know these buns will have a little freshly milled whole wheat flour in them too. Whole wheat adds fibre, vitamins and minerals, increases dough strength and holds moisture, it’s essential. I don’t have an all-white flour recipe on my blog so if that’s your jam, I’m not your gal.

Why You’ll Love These Sourdough Burger Buns

naturally leavened and fermented
soft and squishy yet strong
they freeze well
makes for the perfect meat-to-bun ratio

Recipe Tips

Add the Butter at the End: Let your dough develop a little in the mixer and then add your soft butter at the very end. This will help the flours hydrate and gluten develop without the butter fat interfering.

Squish the Buns Flat: Once around halfway proofed, give the buns a little squish to be flatter and wider instead of tall and tight. This will make for a broader burger bun.

Egg Wash: Don’t skip the egg wash step. This step gives you a soft and shiny, squishy exterior that you want in a burger bun. The egg wash also helps stick the sesame seeds to the top of your buns. (Use leftover egg wash in your breakfast tomorrow).

Pan choice: I use a 9×13″ baking pan for these. The sides let you cover the dough for a long ferment without the cover touching the dough, which a baking sheet can’t do. It’s slightly small for this much dough, so the buns bake into each other and aren’t perfectly round, which I don’t mind. If you’re baking the same day or want perfectly round buns, use a parchment lined baking sheet and space them apart.

Sourdough Starter

If you’re here, I’m assuming you have a sourdough starter and generally know how to use it. It is beyond the scope of this post to teach you how to create and maintain a sourdough starter.

If you haven’t made one already, read my post on how to make a sourdough starter from scratch.

Once you have an established sourdough starter and you know how to identify when it’s active or needs a fresh feeding, you’re pretty much good to go. It doesn’t matter much whether its thin, batter-like, or stiff, a healthy starter will make healthy bread.

If you have a sourdough starter but are having trouble understanding it, learn more with the ultimate guide to understanding your sourdough starter.

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Whether you’ve never touched sourdough or you’re tired of every recipe being different and not knowing why – this guide will help clear things up.

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Freshly Milled Flour

The whole wheat flour in all of my baking recipes is made with freshly milled whole wheat flour. While store-bought whole wheat works just fine in terms of texture and flavour, the nutritional value of freshly milled flour is far superior — it’s full of the natural oils, vitamins, and minerals that are lost once flour sits on a shelf.

If you live in the city, you might be able to find fresh-milled flour at local bakeries or specialty grocery stores.

If you’re in the country or have access to whole grains, consider milling your own. You can start small with what you already have — a powerful coffee grinder or blender can get you going. A great next step is a KitchenAid grain mill attachment, perfect for small batches.

If you fall in love with fresh milling (like I did), investing in a Harvest NutriMill is absolutely worth it. I use mine almost daily — it’s both beautiful and practical.

When you’re ready to invest, get your Harvest NutriMill using this link and use my code BRONSBREAD20 at checkout for $20 off your order!

Ingredients

Milk – Any milk you have on hand. We usually have 2% but the fattier the milk, the softer the dough!
Egg – Any eggies are great.
Sourdough Starter – Bubbly, happy and active.
Sugar – Any granulated sugar will do. I use organic cane sugar.
Whole Wheat Flour – Store-bought or freshly milled whole wheat flour will do.
Bread Flour – For higher protein and chewiness, all-purpose is fine too.
Salt – Any salt is fine. I use Himalayan sea salt.
Butter – Unsalted is preferred, but use whatever butter you have on hand.
Sesame Seeds – Optional but tasty on the top

Materials

Mixing bowl or mixer: To mix your dough in (I recommend a mixer for this dough).
9×13″ baking pan: My go-to for these buns because the sides let you cover the dough for a long second proof without the cover touching the dough. It’s slightly small for this much dough, so the buns bake into each other and aren’t perfectly round but I don’t mind. Use a large, parchment lined baking sheet instead if you’re baking the same day or want perfectly round buns.
Pastry brush: For applying the egg wash.

Step-by-Step Instructions

STEP 1: MIX THE DOUGH
In your mixing bowl, whisk together warm milk, sugar, egg, and sourdough starter. The milk should be warm to the touch but not hot, around 95-100°F (35-38°C). Add whole wheat flour, white flour and salt. Using the dough hook attachment, mix on Speed 2 for 1-2 minutes until a shaggy dough forms. Add the butter a few small pieces at a time and mix on Speed 4 for 2-3 minutes until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Cover and rest for 1 hour.

STEP 2: STRENGTHEN THE DOUGH
After the rest, perform stretch and folds until the dough is tight and smooth. Cover and ferment until doubled, 4-6 hours in a warm environment or 6-12 hours in a cool one.

STEP 3: SHAPE THE BUNS
Once doubled, turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 8 equal balls (80-90g each). Shape each into a tight ball, then gently flatten with your palm into a round about 2cm (¾ inch) thick. Place in your baking vessel*, spaced a few centimetres apart.

STEP 4: PROOF
For long ferment: cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours, then rise at room temperature for 2-3 hours until doubled and puffy.
For same-day: cover and rise at room temperature for 2-3 hours until doubled and puffy.

STEP 5: EGG WASH AND BAKE
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Once the buns are puffy and ready, brush the tops gently with egg wash and sprinkle generously with sesame seeds. Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes until deep golden brown.

STEP 6: FINISH AND SERVE
Cool completely before slicing so the crumb sets and the buns hold up to a juicy burg.

Sourdough Burger Buns Recipe FAQ

Mix everything by hand with a wooden spoon or your hands, working the butter in in small bits. Add another set of stretch and folds to build strength. It will be a sticky mess after mixing and take awhile to incorporate the butter, but it will come together as a smooth dough after a couple sets of stretch-and-folds.

Yes, just hold back a bit of milk. Whole wheat is thirsty, white flour doesn’t need as much liquid.

Yes. After shaping, cover the buns and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Let them come to room temperature and rise until puffy before baking. The long ferment adds flavour, and it spreads the work over two days.

No. They look great and add a little nuttiness, but you can skip them or swap in poppy seeds, everything bagel seasoning, or nothing at all. The egg wash is what is most important.

Usually they weren’t proofed long enough, or the dough wasn’t fully doubled before shaping. Wait for the dough to double in bulk and the buns to look puffy and jiggle slightly before baking. A weak or sluggish starter can also cause it, so use one that’s active and bubbly.

How To Store

Counter: Once fully cooled, store in a bag or airtight container for 2-3 days. They stay soft thanks to the butter and egg in the dough.
Fridge: Keeps up to a week in an airtight bag, but the fridge dries bread out faster. Toast or warm them before serving.
Freezer: Slice the buns first so you can pull out as many as you need. Freeze in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter for an hour or two, or toast the slices straight from frozen.

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Whole Wheat Sourdough Burger Buns | Soft, Easy Recipe

Bronwyn Case

Whole wheat sourdough burger buns are a summer essential—soft, squishy, and sturdy enough to hold up to any juicy burger, stacked toppings, and flavourful sauces.

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Ferment 8

8 Buns

ingredients

125 g Whole Wheat Flour
175 g Bread Flour
25 g Sugar
150 g Active Sourdough Starter
50 g Butter
150 g Milk warm
1 Egg
10 g Salt 2 tsp

Egg Wash

1 Egg whisked
Sesame Seeds optional (sprinkled on top)

instructions

In your mixing bowl, whisk together warm milk, sugar, egg, and sourdough starter. The milk should be warm to the touch but not hot, around 95-100°F (35-38°C). Add whole wheat flour, bread flour and salt. Using the dough hook attachment, mix on Speed 2 for 1-2 minutes until a shaggy dough forms. Add the butter a few small pieces at a time and mix on Speed 4 for 2-3 minutes until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Cover and rest for 1 hour.
After the rest, perform stretch and folds until the dough is tight and smooth. Cover and ferment until doubled, 4-6 hours in a warm environment or 6-12 hours in a cool one.
Once doubled, turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 8 equal balls (80-90g each). Shape each into a tight ball, then gently flatten with your palm into a round about 2cm (¾ inch) thick. Place in your baking vessel*, spaced a few centimetres apart.
For long ferment: cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours, then rise at room temperature for 2-3 hours until doubled and puffy.
For same-day bake: cover and rise at room temperature for 2-3 hours until doubled and puffy.
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Once the buns are puffy and ready, brush the tops gently with egg wash and sprinkle generously with sesame seeds. Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes until deep golden brown.
Cool completely before slicing so the crumb sets and the buns hold up to a juicy burg.

notes

*The photos show a 9×13″ baking pan. It works well for a long ferment because the sides let you cover it without the cover touching the dough, which a baking sheet can’t do. The pan is slightly small for this much dough, so the buns bake into each other and come out a little squared off instead of perfectly round. I don’t mind, they taste just as good. If you’re baking the same day, or you want perfectly round buns, use a baking sheet and space them apart.

I typically mix this dough in the evening, let it ferment overnight, then shape and bake in the morning. Enriched doughs are more forgiving with fermentation, so the timing doesn’t need to be exact.

Whole Wheat Sourdough Burger Buns | Soft, Easy Recipe