Fluffy Milk Bread Hamburger Buns
- Prep Time: 19 hours 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 20 hours
- Yield: 10 buns
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Main Course
- Method: Fermentation
- Cuisine: American
Description
These sourdough (naturally leavened) milk bread hamburger buns are soft and fluffy yet sturdy enough to hold your burger and all the desired toppings.
Ingredients
Levain
-
- 93g high-protein white bread flour
- 28g superfine white sugar
- 83g water
- 37g ripe sourdough starter
- 69g high-protein white bread flour
- 274g whole milk
Main Dough
- 524g high-protein white bread flour
- 342g (all) tangzhong
- 69g whole milk
- 123g unsalted butter
- 20g superfine white sugar
- 116g water
- 14g fine sea salt
- 240g (all) ripe levain
Topping
-
- 1 egg and 1 tablespoon whole milk for egg wash (optional)
- Raw sesame seeds (optional)
Instructions
-
- Prepare the levain – 9:00 p.m. (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.
- Prepare the levain – 9:00 p.m. (the night before mixing)
-
- Prepare the tangzhong – 9:10 a.m. (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.
- Prepare the tangzhong – 9:10 a.m. (the day of mixing)
-
- 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. - 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. - 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. - 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.)
- Mix – 9:30 a.m.
- 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.
Notes
To make this recipe vegan, substitute the whole dairy milk for full-fat nut or oat milk and use a butter substitute (such as Earth Balance Vegan Butter).
If you don’t have superfine white sugar (caster sugar), use your finest white sugar.
Find it online: https://www.theperfectloaf.com/fluffy-milk-bread-hamburger-buns/
