Sourdough Discard Hamburger Buns Recipe: Quick Sourdough Buns {with video} (2024)

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These quick sourdough discard hamburger buns are perfect for grilling season.

Make these quick sourdough discard hamburger buns in around 2.5 hours - and use your sourdough discard. Winning right?

They are soft and tender with a rich, buttery crumb yet will wow you with their glossy sheen.

You'll use 100g of sourdough discard in this sourdough hamburger bun recipe.

Sourdough Discard Hamburger Buns ... Fast!

Just like this sourdough discard sandwich loaf, these sourdough discard hamburger buns are perfect to make while you are establishing your sourdough starter.

They utilise a small amount of commercial yeast, along with your unfed sourdough starter, to make them rise.

Sourdough Discard Hamburger Buns Recipe: Quick Sourdough Buns {with video} (1)

This gives you a delicious flavor, without having to wait.

9 simple ingredients combine to make these sourdough buns. You'll more than likely have these on hand - flour, milk, eggs, butter, sugar, yeast, salt, unfed sourdough starter and sesame seeds.

You can use sourdough burger buns during grilling season, for burger night, breakfast or lunch sandwiches - they're even delicious just with melted cheese and a little cayenne pepper on top.

Baking Notes & Variations

There are a myriad of burger combinations you could use these buns for. The hardest part will be choosing your favorite!

Here are some tips for getting the most out of your sourdough buns:

  • I choose to knead the dough in a stand mixer because it's fast and convenient. The butter and eggs need to be worked into the dough really well and the stand mixer is very efficient at doing this.
  • These buns are best eaten within 12 hours of making them. Freeze your leftovers (you'll see notes on this further down).
  • Split the buns and toast the insides for a delicious brioche style burger. The butter and sugar ensures that these toast up perfectly.
  • You can skip the sesame seeds for a plain bun. Or use black sesame seeds or even Everything Bagel Seasoning. It's totally up to you.
  • If you want to make these buns earlier than you need them, you can put them in the fridge after shaping. They can stay there for up to 24 hours. Just bring them to room temp before you bake them. Because they have commercial yeast, they will complete the second rise in the fridge.
  • This recipe makes 8 buns around 140g each. You can make larger or smaller buns depending on your needs. Just divide the total dough weight by the number of buns you need to get the individual bun weights.
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Shaping Sourdough Burger Buns

These buns are really easy to shape. The enriched dough is smooth and not sticky at all. You'll be able to handle it very easily.

You need to divide the dough into 8 evenly weighted pieces (or however many buns you're wanting to bake).

For larger buns divide into 8 pieces of approximately 137g each.

For smaller buns, divide into 12 pieces of approximately 90g each.

You can see the easy shaping technique here in this video.

Freezing Sourdough Discard Hamburger Buns

These buttery hamburger buns are super fast to make fresh, however sometimes you may have a few leftover. Or perhaps you like having a stash in the freezer for easy weeknight dinners.

These sourdough buns can be frozen. Simply place them in a ziploc bag and freeze.

Thaw at room temperature. You can microwave them for a few seconds to soften them up or simply split them and toast the insides before adding your favorite burger fillings.

For more information on freezing sourdough, check out this informative guide.

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Want More Recipes?

If you are loving these discard burger buns, you'll love these ideas!

  • These sourdough onion rings are the perfect side to burgers!
  • Looking for Sourdough Brioche Buns?
  • Check out this speedy sourdough discard sandwich loaf - it's an absolute cinch!
  • These sourdough hot dog buns are soft, fluffy and super easy to make! And you'll just love these sourdough pigs in blankets!
  • Looking for the best sourdough recipes for 4th of July celebrations? Check out these ideas!
  • Got a hunger for more sourdough discard recipes? You'll find loads here.
Sourdough Discard Hamburger Buns Recipe: Quick Sourdough Buns {with video} (5)

Sourdough Discard Hamburger Buns Recipe: Quick Sourdough Buns {with video} (6)

Sourdough Discard Hamburger Buns Recipe

These glossy sourdough hamburger buns have a rich, buttery crumb - perfect for creating your favorite burger at home. The best thing is they are super fast - taking less than 3 hours to make!

4.56 from 134 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 22 minutes mins

Fermentation Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs 22 minutes mins

Course Bread

Cuisine American

Servings 8 Buns

Calories 399 kcal

Equipment

  • Stand Mixer

  • Digital Scale

  • Baking Tray

Ingredients

  • 250 g Milk Warm
  • 100 g Sourdough Starter Discard unfed sourdough starter
  • 500 g Bread Flour
  • 50 g Sugar
  • 2 Egg Yolks
  • 100 g Butter softened but not melted
  • 7 g Instant Yeast
  • 10 g Salt
  • 1 Egg White for egg wash
  • 30 g Sesame Seeds optional

Instructions

  • Combine the warm milk, yeast and sugar together in a stand mixer bowl and gently incorporate so that the yeast and sugar are dissolved in the milk.

  • Add the flour, sourdough discard, egg yolks, butter and salt to the bowl and bring together to form a shaggy dough. You may need a silicon spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

  • Use a dough hook and/or knead function for this step.

    Knead the dough for 6 to 8 minutes using a stand mixer (see notes for hand kneading below).

    The dough will be silky and completely come away from the sides of the bowl when it's done. There should be no stickiness at all.

  • Cover the bowl with a plastic bag or wrap and set aside for around an hour to rise. The time it takes depends on the temperature in your home.

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  • Once the dough has doubled, transfer it to your kitchen counter for shaping. If you are able to, weigh your dough. Divide the weight of the dough by the number of buns you want. Then you'll know how big to make each bun.

    I make 8 from this recipe and each bun is around 137g. For smaller buns, divide into 12 pieces of approx. 90g each.

  • Divide the dough into 8 perfectly even pieces (weighing them for accuracy).

  • Shape each piece into a bun. Pull the edges into the centre to form a rounded top and then place each piece on the counter and roll to shape (like you'd shape a boule).

  • Place your buns on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and cover with a plastic bag or wrap. Set aside to rise for around 30 minutes. They will be plump and round when they're ready to bake.

  • Preheat the oven to 180C/350F.

  • Brush each bun with egg white and sprinkle with sesame seeds (optional).

  • Bake for around 22 minutes or until glossy and hollow when you tap the base. They burn very easily so keep an eye on them.

  • Cool on a wire rack.

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Notes

Notes on Kneading: The easiest and quickest way to make this dough is in a stand mixer or Thermomix. This will allow you to knead the dough easily. The eggs and butter need a lot of work to combine in so if you are going to knead by hand, you will really have to work the dough to incorporate them.

Nutrition

Serving: 140gCalories: 399kcalCarbohydrates: 55gProtein: 11gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 79mgSodium: 598mgPotassium: 144mgFiber: 2gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 429IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 91mgIron: 1mg

Keyword Sourdough Recipes, Sourdough Rolls

Tried this recipe?Share your creation with us @ThePantryMama or tag #thepantrymama!

Sourdough Discard Hamburger Buns Recipe: Quick Sourdough Buns {with video} (2024)

FAQs

What happens if you bake sourdough starter discard? ›

Similar to case #2, above, discarded sourdough is used in recipes with no additional flour called for, so it can be baked immediately. The discarded starter's flour is already fermented and it adds sourdough flavor to the recipe.

What can I do with day 3 sourdough discard? ›

What to do with sourdough discard? Don't throw it away! Instead, use it to make delicious and nutritious treats like pancakes, waffles, muffins, and bread. Sourdough discard is a great source of natural yeast and flavor, and can add a unique tangy taste to your baked goods.

What is the benefit of baking with sourdough discard? ›

Sourdough discard imparts so many benefits to baked goods. Flavor: Sourdough adds a delicious, nuanced flavor to desserts and savory baked goods. It adds a slight sour flavor without making them taste too off putting or acidic.

How do you make sourdough starter from discard? ›

Absolutely! A jar of sourdough discard serves as an insurance policy against starter death. If you have some discard on hand, remove a spoonful of it and feed it fresh flour and water in a clean jar. You should have a bubbly starter ready to bake with after a couple of feedings, depending on the discard's condition.

How long can you keep sourdough discard before it goes bad? ›

Therefore, you can store discard indefinitely, but I suggest using discard within 1-2 weeks. Over time, the discard will become more sour-tasting as it continues to ferment and develop lactic acid. That's why I like to use fresh discard for more sweet recipes, and older discard for more savory recipes.

Is eating sourdough discard healthy? ›

Technically, sourdough discard has the same benefits as sourdough starter, since they are both wild yeast ferments. In terms of beneficial lactic acid bacteria, natural yeasts acetic acid and colonies of microbes, they are both full of them.

Can you use 2 week old sourdough discard? ›

The simple answer is, you can keep sourdough discard in the fridge indefinitely, however the quality and flavor of the discard will change and even deteriorate over time.

Can you eat raw sourdough discard? ›

While some people claim to have healed their gut problems by eating probiotic rich sourdough starter, it's not really advisable. Raw sourdough starter contains uncooked flour which can harbor harmful bacteria among other things. You can read more about why you shouldn't eat raw flour here.

Can you refrigerate sourdough discard to use later? ›

It's possible to keep the sourdough discard fresher for up to 1 week by storing it in an airtight container in the fridge.

How do I know if my sourdough discard is good? ›

You can store mature sourdough discard in the refrigerator indefinitely. As long as there is no mold, it is good to use. It may develop a grayish liquid on top called “hooch” which can be poured off before use or stirred in. If you stir it in, the flavor will become more sour.

What happens if you don't discard sourdough? ›

If you don't get rid of the excess, eventually you'll have more starter than your feedings can sustain. After a few days, your daily 1/4 cup flour and water won't be enough to sustain your entire jar of starter, and your starter will be slow and sluggish, not much better than discard itself.

Can I bake with cold sourdough discard? ›

You can utilize a cold starter in any sourdough discard recipe. These recipes don't require a sourdough starter for leavening, so you can use your starter directly from the fridge. These recipes offer a fantastic solution for using excess sourdough.

Do you discard sourdough starter each time you feed it? ›

It would be best if you discarded some portion of your starter each time you feed it unless you want to continue to let it grow. Eventually, you need to discard the used “food” (flour and water) that's been used to sustain your starter during the last fermentation period.

Can I keep adding to my sourdough discard? ›

Yes you can add sourdough discards from different days together in the same jar. You just need to make sure you stir it well and you don't leave it sitting in the fridge for too long. Sourdough discard should be used within two weeks. You can read more about how to store sourdough discard in the fridge here.

Can you reactivate sourdough discard? ›

You can try to revive it by pulverizing it and adding water, then feeding it on a regular schedule. But if it doesn't respond at all (no growth, no bubbles) after three or four days of twice-a-day feedings, you might as well start over.

Does sourdough discard need to be room temperature before baking? ›

Use it immediately for baking: If you are going to bake something right away (same day), you can keep the discard at room temperature until you're ready to bake. Cover it with plastic wrap to keep it from drying out until you're ready to use it. Check out a few of my favorite sourdough discard recipes here.

Can I bake my sourdough starter? ›

An active sourdough starter is a term you will read on a lot of recipes. This is a starter that has been fed in the last 12 hours, passes the float test and is ready to bake with. *Do not try baking with your starter right after feeding it. Allow time for it to grow and feast on the flour before using it.

How do I know if I ruined my sourdough starter? ›

If your sourdough starter exhibits any of these signs: - Smells like acetone or vinegar - Has a runny consistency - Is full of tiny bubbles or foaming - Doubles in size and then falls back down - Develops a clear, gray, or black liquid on top - Gets a white, powdery substance on the surface It's time to feed it!

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