Why are my sourdough hamburger buns so dense?

You probably dusted too much flour while shaping them, which makes the overall dough tough and dense. Proofing and fermentation are most important. Consider resting the dough for the calculated time to get soft buns.

What happens if you put too much sourdough starter in your bread?

Adding too much sourdough starter can speed up the fermentation process. The resting and proofing time may vary, and the resting time may become short. The starter already has a lot of water, so add an extra amount of flour until the desired consistency is attained.

How do you activate your sourdough starter?

The sourdough starter is activated by adding an equal amount of flour and water and mixing with a spoon. Loosely cover the starter and keep it at 24°C-28°C (approximately room temperature). The starter will become active, rise, and bubbly after 4-8 hours or maybe longer, depending on the temperature and environmental conditions.

Sourdough Hamburger Buns Better Than Store-Bought July 31, 2025

Description

Sourdough hamburger buns are nice, fluffy, and a soft canvas for any burger and go well with any sandwich filling. Light brown crusty top and an inside spongy bread is so fun to make at home!!

You all know summer is here, so what’s better than a big hamburger with a meat patty, lots of greens, cheese, and a big heirloom tomato slice? Whether a BBQ party or an outdoor cooking Burger is a must.

Ingredients

Scale

60g of melted unsalted butter
237g water
125 g active sourdough starter
1 large egg
2 ½ tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp salt
500g bread flour
Egg wash and sesame seeds (optional)
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon water
2 tbsp Sesame seeds for topping

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Instructions

Whisk the Wet Ingredients: In a stand mixer bowl, mix water, melted butter, egg, and sourdough starter with a whisk until a smooth wet mixture is formed. Mixing wet ingredients is important to create a smooth liquid mixture and dissolve the sourdough starter evenly.
Add the Dry Ingredients: Add sugar, salt, and bread flour to the wet mixture and roughly mix with a spoon.
Knead To Dough: Place the bowl in a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment and knead the dough for 5-6 minutes or until the dough transforms into a sticky, smooth lump. Kneading develops the gluten and turns it into sticky yet stretchable.
Resting Time: Transfer the dough to a large bowl and cover it with a large, damp towel or plastic wrap. Rest it for about 3-4 hours until the dough doubles in size. The resting time may vary depending on the kitchen temperature. 75°F-83°F (24°C-28°C) is ideal for rising. It fastens the fermentation process. The time of rise may increase if you are making it in winter.
Cold Proofing: Transfer the covered dough to the refrigerator, let it cool, and ferment for 12 hours (overnight or up to 24 hours). This slows down the fermentation activity. The texture will transform to sticky to tight dough that is easy to handle and matches busy schedules.
Divide and Shape: Cut the dough using a dough scraper and divide it into 8 equal parts using a weight scale. Shape each piece of dough by folding on itself and pinching to a point, creating a ball shape. Rotate on the work surface for an even ball shape.
Arrange on Baking Tray: Arrange the ball-shaped dough onto the baking tray lined with parchment paper such that the groove side of the bun is down, and the smooth side is up. Arrange all shaped dough with a distance in between because they will hold their place in the final rise.
Final Proofing: Cover the shaped dough buns with a plastic wrap or tea towel and let them rest for 2-3 hours until they are puffy.
Egg Wash and Sesame Seeds (Optional): Brush the buns with beaten egg and water. Top each dough bun with sesame seeds. The egg wash helps the sesame seeds stick to the buns.
Bake: Set the oven to 375º F and bake the buns for 20-25 minutes until they are nice and brown and crusty. Once done, transfer them to a cooling rack and enjoy them fresh. Cut them in the center and fill them with your favorite patty or any filling of your liking.

Notes

Use fresh and active sourdough starter. The time before you feed your starter should be more than 4 hours. The starter will get bubbly and increase before using. The time can vary depending on the temperature and environment.
The dough is sticky, so I advise you to wet your hands each time you handle it directly.
If the dough is too soupy or slimy, incorporate flour while kneading. Lightly dust the working surface with flour while handling the dough and shaping it.
Sourdough dough is sticky because of its hydrated dough. The more hydration, the better, soft, and spongy buns will be created. It is usually more difficult to handle than normal dough, but not impossible. Just follow the steps of this recipe.
Proofing before baking is essential. Because of the final proofing for 2-3 hours, the bread will poke, rise, and occupy more space. You will know whether the dough is ready for final baking by poking your finger. If it leaves a furrow or impression on the dough and then, after a few seconds, returns to its original shape, then it is ready for baking.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Category: sourdough