Soft Sourdough Potato Buns for Burgers and More

Last Updated on August 28, 2023 by TheFarmChicken

So, this is a spin-off of my Sourdough Potato Bread recipe. I wanted a bun recipe that was soft and… flat. ha-ha I mean that in a good way. An ideal burger and sandwich bun! Hear me out on this one. Sometimes when you go to make buns, they are tall and too much to even fit in your mouth. So here is a Sourdough Potato Bun with special attention to not have it be too tall, which makes for an ideal sandwich bun or hamburger bun. Freeze them for later too for a great springs work tractor lunch option. You could also take this bread and make it into dinner rolls. We’ll talk more about that later in this post. For now, let’s talk about Soft Sourdough Potato Buns for Burgers and More.

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The Dough:

This is a similar sourdough bread dough to my potato bread recipe. It is slightly higher in hydration but not so much to make it too sticky and difficult to work with. It is still a very easy dough to work with.

Preparing the Potato:

Here is one of the key ingredients for these Soft Sourdough Potato Buns for Burgers and More. The potato gives it such a soft texture and full flavor. Especially when paired with sourdough. So, what kind of potato should you use? Mashed is best. They don’t have to be fresh mashed potatoes; you can use leftover or even frozen (that have been thawed).

However, I have found myself liking potato bread so much I have made mashed potatoes just for the bread! You only need just shy of 1 cup of mashed potatoes so if you have the leftovers great! If you don’t then you can easily boil up and mash 1-2 potatoes, depending on their size and you have the mashed potatoes for the recipe! Make sure that you cool your potatoes down some if you make them fresh. You don’t want to kill the wild yeast in your bread with hot potatoes.

How to do an envelope fold:

It is called an envelope fold because it looks kind of like the back of an envelope while you are performing the fold. Envelope folds are helpful in gluten development in your bread dough. I wanted to explain it in more detail here because I left it fairly vague in the recipe.

• Take one side of the dough with both hands and stretch up, go as far as you can without ripping the dough. Do not rip the dough! Then fold it over.
• Next rotate to the next side and repeat. Doing this on all four sides.
• Once you have completed the folds flip over the dough, so the folds are on the bottom. You have completed the envelope fold!

Shaping

This step is very important! One of the main ways to prevent your buns from being too thick.

When you get to this step in the baking process here is what you do:

• Divide dough into 16 pieces (you can use a gram scale if you want them to be equal portions of dough)
• Shape lightly with hands (See Video Below)
• Roll on the counter with your hand cupped 4 times. DON’T do it too much otherwise they will rise too high.
• Transfer to a lightly greased baking sheet, flatten them slightly and they are ready to rise!

What kind of wash to use on the potato buns:

I tried a couple of different washes. I know I always hear about the egg wash, but it seems like a waste of an egg to me. From the washes that I tried it turns out if you want a nice golden color for your potato buns you are going to have to sacrifice that egg. Here is what I tried and what I found out:

• Water wash – made very little difference – resulted in a very pale bun.
• Cream wash – added some light golden-brown color once baked.
• Egg wash – added the most color and browning (see picture)

So, if you don’t mind having a paler bun then go ahead and use water or cream to do a quick wash on your potato buns otherwise go ahead and crack into that egg.

Ways to use these Soft Sourdough Potato Buns for Burgers and More:

• Sandwiches
• Burger – Have you ever made a smash burger? – Toast the bun before eating it and it is so good used for a burger.
• Sloppy Joes
• Dinner Rolls – with Butter or Honey Butter
• Egg Salad Sandwich

Baking Schedule:

• 10 am the morning before you bake the bread feed your starter.
• 4pm-5pm Mix up the dough and perform the folds on the dough.
• 10ish pm Put in the fridge for bulk fermentation and rise.

The Next Day – Bake Day

• 9 am take the bun dough out of the fridge and shape.
• 9:30 am let rise in a warm spot 1 hour.
• 10:15 am preheat oven.
• 10:30 am Bake!

The Recipe for Soft Sourdough Potato Buns:

• 360 grams active sourdough starter
• 140 grams distilled water, room temperature
• 30 grams sugar, granulated
• 720 grams bread flour
• 180 grams buttermilk
• 200 grams mashed potatoes, leftover is just fine – a little less than 1 cup.
• 35 grams canola oil
• 14 grams kosher salt
• Egg Wash:
• 1 egg
• 1 T water

Instructions:

• In a large bowl of a stand mixer, measure and stir the starter, sugar, and water until combined.
• Then add the rest of the ingredients except the kosher salt.
• Mix together with the dough hook attachment on low speed for 1-2 minutes, until it is just coming together. You want it to be shaggy.
• Cover with a clean towel and let autolyze (dough rest) for 45 minutes.
• After autolyzing, add the salt to the bowl and either knead by hand or mixer for 4-5 minutes until the dough fully comes together. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed with a spatula. When it is done the dough should have an elasticity to it.
• Next, move the dough to an oiled low sided container (I use a dash of olive oil and spread it around.
• Next, you will complete an envelope fold. Basically, take one side of your dough and pull/stretch it up and to the center of the dough. Do this on all four sides and then flip it over. Be careful not to “rip” the dough.
• After the first time doing the envelope fold let sit for 50 minutes then repeat the envelope fold.
• Do these two more times for a complete time of 200 minutes. (The last fold is done at 150 minutes and followed by a rest for 50 minutes.)
• After the final 50-minute rest, transfer your dough to a clean counter and shape into a smooth ball. (Do not flour counter.)
• Place dough ball in a lightly oiled bowl top side up then flip so that the dough is lightly coated with oil. Place in a bag and tie the end shut or cover well with plastic wrap.
• Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour then transfer to the fridge for the bulk ferment and proof for 10-12 hours.

Bake Day

• The next morning take the sourdough bun dough out of the fridge and transfer to a clean counter or work surface. Again, no flour.
• Here is where we size and shape the buns. I usually want about a 100-gram bun which is pretty good size. Divide the dough evenly to make 16 rolls. You can use a gram scale if you would like to get equal pieces. (If you prefer a smaller bun I would say go ahead with 80 grams of dough and you will get about 20 buns.)
• After you have finished sizing and dividing the buns it is now time to shape them. Starting with one dough ball shape into a ball by working the dough down and around the bun. Then with your piece of dough on the counter cup it with your hand and roll it in a circular motion, no more than 4 times. (You don’t want it to be too tight. Then you will have really tall buns.) Place on a large sheet pan/cookie sheet that is lightly greased.
• Continue this until you have shaped all the buns. Flatten slightly with your palm. (This is a great way to help them not be too tall.)
• Let rise 1 hour in a warm place. With 15 minutes left of the rise time preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Then crack the egg, add a little water, and beat together. Using a pastry brush, brush the egg mixture on the bun tops.
• Bake for 23-25 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown on top and bottom of the buns.
• Cool on a cooling rack and enjoy! Great fresh or you can freeze these buns for future use.

Pin this for Later:

Soft Sourdough Potato Buns

Just like the name says these buns are so soft! The potato flavor and sourdough are such a flavorful combination, making these buns perfect for hamburgers, sandwiches and more!

Print Recipe

Prep Time:18 hours hrs

Ingredients

• 360 grams active sourdough starter
• 140 grams distilled water room temperature
• 30 grams sugar granulated
• 720 grams bread flour
• 180 grams buttermilk
• 200 grams mashed potatoes leftover is just fine – a little less than 1 cup.
• 35 grams canola oil
• 14 grams kosher salt

Egg Wash

• 1 egg
• 1 T water

Instructions

• In a large bowl of a stand mixer, measure and stir the starter, sugar, and water until combined.
• Then add the rest of the ingredients except the kosher salt.
• Mix together with the dough hook attachment on low speed for 1-2 minutes, until it is just coming together. You want it to be shaggy.
• Cover with a clean towel and let autolyze (dough rest) for 45 minutes.
• After autolyzing, add the salt to the bowl and either knead by hand or mixer for 4-5 minutes until the dough fully comes together. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed with a spatula. When it is done the dough should have an elasticity to it.
• Next, move the dough to an oiled low sided container (I use a dash of olive oil and spread it around.
• Next, you will complete an envelope fold. Basically, take one side of your dough and pull/stretch it up and to the center of the dough. Do this on all four sides and then flip it over. Be careful not to “rip” the dough.
• After the first time doing the envelope fold let sit for 50 minutes then repeat the envelope fold.
• Do these two more times for a complete time of 200 minutes. (The last fold is done at 150 minutes and followed by a rest for 50 minutes.)
• After the final 50-minute rest, transfer your dough to a clean counter and shape into a smooth ball. (Do not flour counter.)
• Place dough ball in a lightly oiled bowl top side up then flip so that the dough is lightly coated with oil. Place in a bag and tie the end shut or cover well with plastic wrap.
• Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour then transfer to the fridge for the bulk ferment and proof for 10-12 hours.

Bake Day

• The next morning take the sourdough bun dough out of the fridge and transfer to a clean counter or work surface. Again, no flour.
• Here is where we size and shape the buns. I usually want about a 100-gram bun which is pretty good size. Divide the dough evenly to make 16 rolls. You can use a gram scale if you would like to get equal pieces. (If you prefer a smaller bun I would say go ahead with 80 grams of dough and you will get about 20 buns.)
• After you have finished sizing and dividing the buns it is now time to shape them. Starting with one dough ball shape into a ball by working the dough down and around the bun. Then with your piece of dough on the counter cup it with your hand and roll it in a circular motion, no more than 4 times. (You don’t want it to be too tight. Then you will have really tall buns.) Place on a large sheet pan/cookie sheet that is lightly greased.
• Continue this until you have shaped all the buns. Flatten slightly with your palm. (This is a great way to help them not be too tall.)
• Let rise 1 hour in a warm place. With 15 minutes left of the rise time preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Then crack the egg, add a little water, and beat together. Using a pastry brush, brush the egg mixture on the bun tops.
• Bake for 23-25 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown on top and bottom of the buns.
• Cool on a cooling rack and enjoy! Great fresh or you can freeze these buns for future use.

Servings: 16 buns

Shop this post:

• Kitchen Shears
• Baking Sheet
• Cooling Rack
• Kitchen Scale – cheaper than you would think!
• Pastry Brush – the one that I have.

Can you make these Soft Sourdough Potato Buns for Burgers and More into dinner rolls?

Yes, I believe that you can. Just make them roughly into 60-gram rolls each and put them in a lightly greased 9” x 13” pan. Let rise for 1 hour and bake!

Here are more recipes like this sourdough recipe:

• Sourdough Potato Bread
• Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls with Sweet Cream Icing

Don’t have a sourdough starter learn all about it here:

• Learning Sourdough with Agnes

And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed, to you it shall be for meat. 
Genesis 1:29