This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a commission if you make a purchase using these links. As a Walmart and King Arthur Baking affiliate, and an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
These Sourdough Whole Wheat Hamburger Buns are a delicious choice when you want an alternative to store-bought products.

Have you ever made a hamburger, only to have the bun fall apart while you’re eating it? Or maybe it gets soppy from too much barbecue sauce in the pulled pork? Or maybe you just want a sturdier bun to hold your sandwich together?

Whatever the case, these buns are tasty, crisp on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. And although they take a while to make due to the rising process, they are relatively easy to make in the bread-making world. Plus, you can conform them to whatever size you desire–mini, regular, or mega.
Ingredients for Sourdough Whole Wheat Hamburger Buns
(As a Walmart Affiliate, I earn from qualified purchases at the links below. See the full recipe at the bottom of this post.)
Instructions for Making this Recipe

Begin by gathering all your ingredients on the counter or table. Your sourdough starter should be fed and active.

In a large mixing bowl, mix with a dough whisk the sourdough starter, warm water, large eggs, softened butter, brown sugar, kosher salt, vital wheat gluten, and instant yeast.
The wheat gluten mentioned in the recipe is not necessary, but it will help you get a faster and fuller rise. I use it every time I add whole wheat to my bread recipes. It really does help. Plus, I like to use instant yeast, especially when working with whole grains, to help with the rising time.


Add whole wheat flour, and 2 cups of all-purpose flour. Knead for 5-7 minutes until dough comes together, adding remaining flour as needed to form a firm ball.
If desired, you may use a stand mixer and dough hook for the prior two steps. Sometimes I just like to knead dough with my hands. There’s something very satisfying in the manual work.


Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place in a warm area to rise for 60-90 minutes, until doubled.


Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and punch 2-3 times. Divide the dough into ten equal pieces. Roll each into a ball and flatten to about 1-inch thick. Place flattened balls on baking sheets lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Cover with a clean tea towel and let rise for another 30-40 minutes until puffy. Near the end of the rising time, preheat oven to 400°F.


In a small bowl, combine one egg and water to make an egg wash. Gently brush egg wash over the buns and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Cool on wire racks and slice before using.

If you’ve never tried making your own buns, you should give it a go. My husband loves these Sourdough Whole Wheat Hamburger Buns and wishes that I’d make them every time we have burgers. This recipe makes 10-12 buns. Use them warm from the oven or store in a plastic bag and freeze for later use.

Serve these buns with grilled burgers or Barbecued Pork.
Browse Similar Categories
Sourdough Whole Wheat Hamburger Buns
(As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.)
Ingredients
- 1 cup "fed" sourdough starter
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons butter (softened)
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon wheat gluten (Purchase Here)
- 2 teaspoons Instant Yeast (Purchase Here)
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg yolk + 1 tablespoon water (egg wash)
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds (for topping)
Instructions
- Gather all your ingredients so that you have everything close at hand on the counter or table. Your sourdough starter needs to be fed and active for this recipe.
Prepare the Dough
- In a large mixing bowl, mix with a dough hook (or stand mixer and kneading hook) the sourdough starter, warm water, large eggs, softened butter, brown sugar, kosher salt, wheat gluten, and instant yeast.
- Mix in the whole wheat flour, and 2 cups of all-purpose flour. Knead for 5-7 minutes until dough comes together, adding remaining flour as needed to form a firm ball.
- Transfer dough to a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place in a warm area to rise for 60-90 minutes, until doubled.
Make the Hamburger Buns
- Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and punch 2-3 times. Divide the dough into ten equal pieces. Roll each into a ball and flatten to about 1-inch thick.
- Place flattened balls on a baking sheets lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Cover with a clean tea towel and let rise for another 30-40 minutes until puffy. Near the end of the rising time, preheat oven to 400℉.
- In a small bowl, combine egg and water to make egg wash. Gently brush egg wash over the buns and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Cool on wire racks and slice before using. Makes 10-12 buns.
Recipe calls for 1.5 cups AP Flour but in step 2 in the dough prep it says to add 2 cups AP flour. Is there a typo somewhere?
Hi Kevin, Thank you so much for bringing this to my attention. I checked the recipe and have made corrections. What it should say is to add the whole wheat flour (1 1/2 cups) and then add 2 cups of all-purpose flour, plus more of the remaining 1/2 cup to make a nice firm dough. Sorry for the trouble. I hope this didn’t mess you up and that you will enjoy the hamburger buns. They are really quite wonderful.
Wow. These are amazing. The texture is fantastic and the flavor is so good.
Hot out of the oven my husband had to try one and said I knocked it out of the park.
Finally!
Thank you for this.
Hi Sue, Thank you so much for sharing your experience with me on this recipe. I’m glad they turned out for you and that you (and your husband) enjoyed the buns!