Sourdough and Such

These gluten-free sourdough hamburger buns are what you have been looking for if you are on a gluten-free diet! They are full of sourdough flavor, soft, and they won’t fall apart as you are eating them, like many gluten-free buns. These hamburger buns are very easy to make, with minimal ingredients and a mature gluten-free sourdough starter. This recipe offers great flexibility and the hamburger buns freeze very well after the second rise, so you can take them out and bake fresh gluten-free sourdough hamburger buns whenever you like!

No More Bun-less Burgers!

When we first found out that my daughter needed to be gluten-free, I went to work right away trying to make from scratch gluten-free recipes for her favorite things. It has taken me quite awhile, but I think I’ve become pretty successful with making many things gluten-free and making them taste good! However, one thing I have struggled with the most is hamburger buns. Every recipe I tried was either gummy, dry, or it completely fell apart while trying to eat it. My daughter was left with a burger and no bun to hold it! I pretty much gave up on them for a long time, but I believe I have finally figured it out and it is because of sourdough, of course!

These gluten-free hamburger buns are actually delicious and they don’t fall apart when you are eating them! My daughter says they are better than the buns she used to eat!! That is how I know they are share-worthy.

Ingredients

• Warm Water – filtered is best for sourdough.
• Psyllium Husks – whole psyllium husks. This ingredient is important because it is what acts as the “gluten” replacement.
• Gluten-Free Sourdough Starter – active/fed is best, but discard will work too
• Melted Butter – Avocado oil works as a good substitute
• Brown Rice Flour – I use Bob’s Redmill Organic, but you can use the brand you like
• Potato Starch – if you don’t have potato starch, you could also use tapioca flour
• Salt – I use Diamond Crystal Kosher salt, it is best to use plain salt with nothing added to it for sourdough

Directions

Mix the Dough

1. Add the warm water to a glass measuring cup and then stir in the psyllium husks. Let sit for about 5 minutes until it forms a gel.
2. To a large mixing bowl, add the gluten-free sourdough starter and melted butter. Then add the psyllium/water mixture. Whisk well to combine. I like using a dough whisk, but a regular whisk or fork will work too.
3. Next, add the brown rice flour, potato starch, and salt. Whisk all of the ingredients to form a loose dough. Then finish bringing it all together with your hands. It will feel quite wet, but don’t worry, that is normal! Form it into a ball and then cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap.

Proof the Dough

1. Let the dough sit at warm room temperature for 3 hours, if it is very cold in your house, it could take closer to 5 hours. My kitchen is usually around 72-74 degrees F.
2. After 3 hours, you can either shape them or place them in the refrigerator overnight, which is what I prefer for maximum flavor and health benefits.
3. When you are ready to bake, preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.

Shape and Bake

1. Turn the dough out onto your counter and cut into 6 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Then flatten each ball a bit with the palm of your hand.
   • If you want to make smaller buns, more like slider buns, shape them into 8 pieces.
2. Cover the buns with greased plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 30 mins (if you didn’t cold proof in the fridge) or 1 hour (if you did cold proof).
   • At this point, you can either bake them all or freeze some or all of them for later use.
3. Place the buns in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, until puffed up and browned. Brush with melted butter when they come out of the oven if you like, and let them cool completely on a wire rack before cutting into them. If you cut into them too early, they might be gummy, so make sure you toast them!

How to Freeze Unbaked Buns

This is what I love most about these hamburger buns! You can freeze them after the second rise and bake them straight from frozen, so you can have fresh buns any night of the week! Here’s how you do it.

1. After the second rise, uncover the hamburger buns, and place the entire baking sheet into the freezer.
2. After about 3 hours, take them out and place them into a freezer bag.
3. When you are ready to bake them, preheat your oven to 425 degrees F and place the frozen buns on a parchment lined baking sheet. When the oven is ready, bake for 30-35 minutes.

Summary

I have shared with you how you can make amazing sourdough hamburger buns at home with simple ingredients and a mature gluten-free sourdough starter. This recipe has been a huge game changer at my house and I hope it will be for yours as well! Please let me know if you have any questions by leaving a comment below. I would also appreciate a rating and review if you try this recipe! Thank you!

More Recipes to Try

Gluten-Free Sourdough Bread

Gluten-Free Buckwheat and Thyme Sourdough Bread

Gluten-Free Sourdough Pizza Crust

Grain-Free Sourdough Bread

Gluten-Free Sourdough Chocolate Chip Muffins