Fluffy Milk Bread Hamburger Buns

Crafting the perfect hamburger bun is hard. You’re not looking for the utmost softness because the bun will erode beneath a stack of meat, veggies, and condiments. Yet you don’t want to eat a burger supported by two rigid crackers, either. Instead, you want a soft and squishy bun but still sturdy in all the right places. 

And that’s the challenge: Make a bun that’s almost a paradox. It must combine the best of two opposed qualities, outperforming the Platonic ideal of both. It’s like a mosaic of traits that’s nonsensical until you view (or, in this case, eat) it whole.

These milk bread hamburger buns take inspiration from Japanese milk bread (shokupan): They have a bit of sugar, lots of milk, and use the tangzhong technique to amplify the softness and shelf life.

Further, Japanese milk bread makes for incredible toast, and these buns act very similarly once they’re grilled—the superficial layer exposed to the grill’s heat crisps up into a sturdy, anti-soggy platform for anything from hamburgers to sloppy joes to fish sandwiches.

Milk Bread Hamburger Buns versus Soft Potato Buns

I often declare that my Soft Sourdough Potato Buns are my best hamburger buns. And I have to say, they are downright incredible. But these milk bread hamburger buns hit a little differently. I labeled them “fluffy” because they’re like little clouds buoying your hamburger to the next level. Where the potato buns are soft, substantial, and a bit dense, these are soft, light, and plush.

Honestly, both buns are lovely and will serve you well at the next cookout. But these milk bread buns are like the lighter cousin to the potato buns.

What is the Difference Between a Sweet Liquid Levain and a Sweet Stiff Levain?

A sweet preferment, or a sourdough starter or levain with a small amount of sugar added, emphasizes yeast activity (as opposed to bacterial activity) for less sourness and more volume in the final product.  Both sweet liquid and sweet stiff levain will produce the desired result.

Technically, reducing the hydration of the sweet levain to make it stiffer can lead to an even more mild-tasting result (reducing bacterial activity further). But, I find mixing the levain very laborious. After testing both sweet levain types, I’ve found that a sweet liquid version is just as effective in emphasizing yeast activity for maximum volume and reduced sourness while still being incredibly easy to mix with a spatula. 

This recipe for milk bread hamburger buns uses a sweet levain to reduce sourness in the final bun—but not entirely (though, gosh, it’s close). Any slight perceptible sourness only brings additional flavor to the final buns, IMO—though I don’t detect any.

For more information on the why and how behind making a sweet levain, see the preferment section in my cookbook.

Flour Selection

As with my Japanese milk bread loaf, I use 100% high-protein white bread flour for these milk bread hamburger buns to achieve maximum volume and minimal sourness. The flour’s high gluten content helps support the fat (milk and butter) in the dough. Additionally, because this bread flour is heavily sifted (low ash content), the reduced amount of bran and germ reduces dough acidification during fermentation.

I used King Arthur Artisan Bread flour, but any high-protein white flour will work well with this recipe.

Baking Schedule

These sourdough milk bread hamburger buns are made over the course of a single day (aside from the overnight levain). This preferred fermentation schedule ensures the mildest flavor profile possible. It also makes for a convenient schedule: Mix the sweet levain the night before, mix the dough in the morning, and have hamburger buns ready for the evening.

If you’re looking to cold-proof (retard) these buns so you can bake them early in the day for lunch, that will undoubtedly work (see the FAQ at the end of this post). However, I prefer to follow the baking schedule as outlined and bake them the day the dough is mixed. Then, let the buns cool overnight and use them the next day (they get even better with proper cooling).

Milk Bread Hamburger Buns Recipe

For tips on calculating baker’s percentages or modifying this formula (like making only 5 buns instead of 10), see my guide to using baker’s percentages.

Vitals

Total Formula

Desired dough temperature: 76°F (24°C) (see my post on the importance of dough temperature).

Additional Ingredients

1 egg and 1 tablespoon whole milk for the egg wash (optional)

Raw sesame seeds, for topping (optional)

Milk Bread Hamburger Buns Method

1. Prepare the levain – 9:00 p.m. (the night before mixing)

Mix the ingredients in the chart above in your favorite jar and leave them covered at a warm temperature, 74-76°F (23-24°C), to ripen for 12 to 14 hours. This is a sweet liquid levain and it 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. Prepare the tangzhong – 9:00 a.m. (the day of mixing)

In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the 69 grams high-protein white bread flour and 274 grams whole milk. 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 expedite cooling. Set aside.

 3. Mix – 9:30 a.m.

*Note that it may be difficult to scrape every bit of the tangzhong out of the pan, and plus or minus 5g won’t make a huge difference in the end.

Like Japanese milk bread, these milk bread hamburger buns require intensive kneading to ensure the dough is smooth and elastic and for the best structure and volume.

I used my KitchenAid stand mixer or a spiral mixer to efficiently mix and knead the dough. However, it’s also possible to mix this dough by hand using the slap and fold kneading technique. Just be sure to hold back the butter until the dough is significantly strengthened, smooth, and elastic.

To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, add the flour, tangzhong, milk, sugar, water, salt, and ripe levain. Mix on low speed (STIR on a KitchenAid) for 1 to 2 minutes until the ingredients come together, no dry bits remain, and the sides of the bowl are clean. This is not an overly wet, slack, or sloppy dough, it should be cohesive. If the dough is very dry, conservatively add a splash of water as needed to moisten. Next, mix on medium speed (2 on a KitchenAid) for 7 minutes until the dough smooths and begins to cling slightly to the hook (it will still be sticky and shaggy; see the image below).

Let the dough rest in the bowl for 5 minutes.

Return the mixer to medium speed and mix for 3 to 4 minutes until the dough gains more strength and clings again to the dough hook. The dough will still be sticky to the touch and might be attached to the bottom of the bowl, but the sides will be clean (see image below).

Reduce the mixer speed to low speed and add the room-temperature butter, one pat at a time, waiting to add each until the previous is absorbed. Use a spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl as needed. Once all the butter is added, about 4 to 6 minutes later, the dough will be in a cohesive ball in the mixing bowl with the sides mostly clean.

At this point, the dough will be very soft to the touch and a bit sticky. 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. I like to use the bench scraper at a high angle to the work surface to help shape the dough. A high angle tightens the dough more assertively.

6. Proof – 2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Cover the baking sheets with reusable plastic or these life-changing snap-on baking sheet covers (see image above) and let the dough proof for 2 ½ hours.

7. Bake – 4:30 p.m. (preheat oven at 4:00 p.m.)

After 2 ½ hours the dough pieces should have puffed up, and feel very light and airy when poked.

If you’re used to using the poke test to determine when your bread dough is ready for baking, this dough will feel different. It will feel more like poking a marshmallow or balloon that’s not fully inflated. If the dough feels dense or tight, give it another 15 minutes to proof, then check again.

Below, you can see how jiggly the dough is and the texture when I poke it to determine how well proofed it is.

30 minutes before you want to bake, preheat your oven to 450°F (232°C), with racks in the upper and lower third.

If making the egg wash, whisk together 1 whole egg and 1 tablespoon of whole milk in a small bowl until no lumps remain and the mixture is frothy.

Uncover the baking sheets and, using a pastry brush, brush on an even, thin layer of the egg wash. Liberally sprinkle on sesame seeds if using.

Place the baking sheets in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Rotate the pans back to front and top to bottom, then reduce the oven temperature to 425°F (220°C). Bake for 5 to 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.

Fluffy Milk Bread Hamburger Buns

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• Author: Maurizio Leo
• 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

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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.

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Ingredients

Levain

• 93g high-protein white bread flour
• 28g superfine white sugar
• 83g water
• 37g ripe sourdough starter

Tangzhong

• 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)

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Instructions

1. 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.
2. 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.
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.

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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.

Milk Bread Hamburger Buns FAQs

What’s Next?

Since you’re likely making these milk bread hamburger buns during the summer, why not make an easy sourdough starter discard pie or galette to house all that excellent summer produce and complete your cookout?

Buon appetito!