Can I prepare the tangzhong ahead of time?

Yes, you can prepare the tangzhong the night before mixing. After cooking the flour and milk, let it completely cool on the counter, transfer to a covered container, and place it in the refrigerator.

Can I make these milk bread hamburger buns vegan?

Yes, substitute the dairy milk, both in the tangzhong and main dough, for any whole-fat nut or soy milk. In place of the butter, use a vegan butter alternative such as Earth Balance. Omit the egg wash completely, and instead, brush the tops of the dough with more nondairy milk before baking.

Can I reduce the amount of sugar in these hamburger buns?

I would not reduce the sugar in the sweet levain because the specified amount is needed to ensure reduced bacterial activity. However, feel free to reduce the sugar in the main dough, though it’s there primarily to ensure the final buns are soft and have good keeping quality.

Can I refrigerate the milk bread hamburger bun dough overnight?

Yes. After shaping the dough into balls and placing them on the baking sheets, cover the dough, let it proof for 30 minutes on the counter, then place the pans in the refrigerator. The next day, take the trays out to finish proofing on the counter for 1 to 3 hours, until very puffy as directed in Step 7.

Can I use this bun for anything other than a hamburger?

These sourdough milk bread buns would be fantastic for egg sandwiches, tuna or egg salad sandwiches, or sloppy joes.

My milk bread hamburger buns had large bubbles form on top, what happened?

This is a telltale sign the dough is overproofed. Next time, reduce the proofing time by 15 to 30 minutes. The dough should feel very light when poked, but not excessively gassed up or delicate. You might also see partially collapsed areas when the dough is overproofed.

Fluffy Milk Bread Hamburger Buns

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

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)

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 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.
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.)
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.