Fluffy Milk Bread Hamburger Buns
These sourdough (naturally leavened) milk bread hamburger buns are soft and fluffy yet sturdy enough to hold your burger and all the desired toppings.
- Prep time
- 19 hr 30 min
- Cook time
- 30 min
- Yield
- 10 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
- 93 g high-protein white bread flour
- 28 g superfine white sugar
- 83 g water
- 37 g ripe sourdough starter
- 69 g high-protein white bread flour
- 274 g whole milk
- 524 g high-protein white bread flour
- 342 g (all) tangzhong
- 69 g whole milk
- 123 g unsalted butter
- 20 g superfine white sugar
- 116 g water
- 14 g fine sea salt
- 240 g (all) ripe levain
- 1 egg and 1 tablespoon whole milk for egg wash (optional)
- Raw sesame seeds (optional)
Instructions
- 1
(the night before mixing)Mix the ingredients in the chart above in a tall jar, covered at a warm temperature, 74-76°F (23-24°C), to ripen for 12 to 14 hours. This levain will expand in volume significantly. Be sure to use a tall jar so it doesn’t overflow. At this time, also take out the butter from the fridge, cut it into 1/2-inch pats, and let it warm to room temp on a plate.
- 2
(the day of mixing)In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the tangzhong ingredients. Cook, whisking continuously, until the mixture thickens and becomes a paste (it should look like mashed potatoes), 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and spread the tangzhong on a small plate to cool. Set aside.
- 3
Mix – 9:30 a.m.To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, add flour, tangzhong, milk, sugar, water, salt, and ripe levain. Mix on low speed (STIR on KitchenAid) for 1-2 minutes until combined, with no dry bits remaining. If the dough is too dry, add a splash of water. Mix on medium speed (2 on KitchenAid) for 7 minutes until smooth. Let rest for 5 minutes. Mix again on medium speed for 3-4 minutes until the dough gains strength and clings to the hook. Reduce speed to low and add the room-temperature butter, one pat at a time, scraping the bowl as needed. After 4-6 minutes, the dough will form a cohesive ball with clean sides. Transfer the dough to a bulk fermentation container and cover.
- 4
Bulk Fermentation – 10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. (3 1/2 hours)At a warm room temperature, 74-76°F (23-24°C), bulk fermentation should take about 3 ½ hours with no sets of stretches and folds (the dough is sufficiently strengthened during mixing). Let the dough rest, covered, for the duration of bulk fermentation.
- 5
Divide and Shape – 1:30 p.m.Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Lightly flour your work surface, and using a bowl scraper, gently scoop the dough out to the floured area. Lightly flour the top of the dough and divide it into 10 (135-gram) portions. You might have a small bit of scrap dough left over. Using floured hands and a bench scraper, shape the portions into tight balls.
- 6
Proof – 2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.Cover the baking sheets with reusable plastic or snap-on baking sheet covers and let the dough proof for 2 ½ hours. (See the video up in this post for what the dough looks like when fully proofed.)
- 7
Bake – 4:30 p.m. (preheat oven at 4:00 p.m.)30 minutes before baking, preheat oven to 450°F (232°C) with racks in the upper and lower thirds. For the egg wash, whisk 1 egg and 1 tablespoon of milk until frothy. Uncover baking sheets and brush with egg wash. Sprinkle sesame seeds if desired. Bake for 15 minutes. Rotate pans, reduce temperature to 425°F (220°C), and bake for another 5-10 minutes until well-colored. Remove the baking sheets to a heat-safe surface and cool for 5 minutes. Then, transfer the buns to a cooling rack and let them cool completely before slicing, about 30 minutes.