Sourdough burger buns have a crackly golden crust with a soft, fluffy crumb – perfect for pairing with your favorite burger and toppings. Follow these step-by-step instructions to make your own burger buns at home using sourdough starter!

Our family loves making burgers for dinner especially during the summer when we can eat outside. While the burgers themselves taste delicious, sometimes the burger buns leave a little to be desired. They get smushed and soggy very easily, plus they just don’t have a lot of flavor. And if you look at the ingredients list, you’ll often find they’re full of unneccesary additives like soybean oil, calcium sulfonate, and “dough conditioners”. Not something you want to serve your family on a regular basis.
The good news is that making your own burger buns is super easy, affordable, and way healthier than buying them from the store! Using simple ingredients like flour, milk, honey, and sourdough starter, you can feel good about enjoying these burger buns for family dinner. Once you give them a try, you’ll have a hard time going back!
Is Sourdough Bread Healthier than other Breads?
Sourdough starter breaks down the effectively breaks down gluten in flour, which makes it easier for our bodies to digest. In fact, people with gluten-sensitivities often find that sourdough bread doesn’t bother their stomachs the way traditional bread does.
Furthermore, because the bacteria in sourdough starter breaks down the sugars in flour, sourdough bread has a lower glycemic index. This means that it doesn’t cause a spike in blood sugar the way regular bread does. Overall, sourdough bread is a healthier choice for your digestive system.
Tips for making Sourdough Burger Buns
- This dough will be pretty sticky, which is a good thing. It helps the buns stay nice and soft. To make it easier to knead, use a stand mixer with a dough hook to make the dough.
- You can bake the burger buns either on a baking tray with parchment paper or in a greased baking dish. Just make sure to leave a little bit of space between the buns so that they can expand as they rise.
- These burger buns will taste best if you eat them within five days. Store them at room temperature in an air-tight container.

Burger Ideas:
One thing that makes burgers so fun is mixing up the toppings! Here are a few of my family’s favorites:
- Tater-tots! This sounds weird, but my brother loves putting tater tops on top of his burger patty. You get the classic burger and fries combination in one bite.
- Avocado – My sister LOVES avocado, so of course, she puts it on her (veggie) burgers.
- Carmelized onions – These work so well with any kind of burger, including turkey or chicken patties too.
Let me know your favorite burger topping in the comments. 🙂
Tools you will need
To make these burger buns, you’ll need a stand mixer with a paddle attachment and dough hook, a baking tray, a basting brush, and parchment paper.
Ingredients you will need
- 4 cups flour – All-purpose flour works best, but feel free to substitute up to half of this amount with whole wheat or einkorn flour.
- 1 1/2 cups milk – I used whole milk, but you can also use skim milk or substitute dairy-free milk if you want.
- 1/2 cup sourdough starter – Make sure it’s active!
- 1 tbsp butter – You can also use olive oil or coconut oil.
- 1 tbsp honey – You can also use maple syrup if you prefer.
- 1 tsp salt – Kosher salt works well for this.
- 1 egg – This is for the egg wash, it’ll give your burger buns a lovely golden color.

How to make Sourdough Burger Buns
The night before:
Combine the sourdough starter, milk, honey, butter, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer.
Add in the flour, 1 cup at a time, and stir together on medium speed using the paddle attachment.
Switch out the paddle attachment for a dough hook and then mix the dough on medium speed for 5 minutes, until a smooth ball forms.
Cover the dough with a towel and let it rise overnight.
Shaping the dough:
In the morning, your dough should have risen noticeably so that it almost doubled in size.
Divide the dough into 10 sections and roll each section into a ball.


Place the buns on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Cover them with a towel and let rise until they are puffy, about 3-4 hours.
Baking the buns:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and use the convection setting if you have it.
Whisk the egg in a small bowl and then brush it over the tops of the burger buns.
Bake the buns for 25 minutes until golden brown.

Hungry for more sourdough recipes?
If so, make sure to head over to the Kitchen Counter for more ideas! Here are a few sourdough recipes to get you started:
- Sourdough Hot Dog Buns
- Sourdough Baguettes
- Sourdough Overnight Bread
- Sourdough Biscuits
- Sourdough Dinner Rolls
If you make this recipe and enjoy it, let me know in the comments section below! You can also tag me on instagram @oldfashionedinspiration with a picture of your creation.

Sourdough Burger Buns
Sourdough burger buns have a crackly golden crust with a soft, fluffy crumb - perfect for pairing with your favorite burger and toppings.
Ingredients
- 4 cups flour
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1/2 cup sourdough starter
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 egg
Instructions
The night before:
- Combine the sourdough starter, milk, honey, butter, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Add in the flour, 1 cup at a time, and stir together on medium speed using the paddle attachment.
- Switch out the paddle attachment for a dough hook and then mix the dough on medium speed for 5 minutes, until a smooth ball forms.
- Cover the dough with a towel and let it rise overnight.
Shaping the dough:
- In the morning, your dough should have risen noticeably so that it almost doubled in size.
- Divide the dough into 10 sections and roll each section into a ball.
- Place the buns on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Cover them with a towel and let rise until they are puffy, about 3-4 hours.
Baking the buns:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and use the convection setting if you have it.
- Whisk the egg in a small bowl and then brush it over the tops of the burger buns.
- Bake the buns for 25 minutes until golden brown.
Nutrition Information
Yield 10 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 246Total Fat 3gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 1gCholesterol 25mgSodium 267mgCarbohydrates 46gFiber 2gSugar 4gProtein 8g
Hi there
These were fantastic!!! Thanks so much
So glad you liked them!