There are some recipes that become instant favorites—these burger buns definitely fall into that category. I'll never again want anything else!
Made from 100% wholewheat flour and baked with sourdough, they're not only flavorful and wholesome, but also surprisingly soft and fluffy. The mix of sunflower seeds, sesame, poppy seeds, and flax seeds gives them a wonderfully nutty bite and makes each burger special. After many attempts, I've finally found the perfect recipe—and I'm finally sharing my secret today.
No One is Born a Master
Are you familiar with Golden Toast's Seedy Harmony sandwich bread? I always thought this supermarket sandwich bread had something special due to the grains and seeds it contained. Of course, it doesn't taste as good as my homemade bread anymore, but I always loved this grainy version. And I felt the same way about burger buns, too! Bread made with wholewheat flour is naturally healthier and more nutritious, so I soon set myself the goal of baking a seedy 100% wholewheat sandwich bread that still has a soft and fluffy texture. Setting goals? My strong suit ... But in this case, I actually succeeded!
I developed this recipe by combining two recipes I found online. First, I have to tell you about the 100% Whole Wheat Sourdough Sandwich Bread with Maple and Oats recipe by Ruth Mar Tam. It was only because I stumbled across her recipes on Instagram in 2021 that I started baking with sourdough!
I was particularly impressed by the above-mentioned 100 % wholewheat sandwich bread recipe because it looks incredibly soft and fluffy in the pictures, which isn't easy to achieve with 100 % wholewheat flour. I tried baking the sandwich bread using her recipe so many times, but the first five or so attempts were nowhere near as soft and fluffy as it looked in her pictures, and I was very disappointed... But with every attempt I made some changes and learned something along the way!
At some point I dared to take a “step back” and baked “only” a 50 % wholewheat sandwich bread, following the 50% Whole Wheat Sourdough Sandwich Breadrecipe from Bread By Elise. That actually worked reasonably well, but my goal was still to get this result with 100 % wholewheat flour.
So my next idea was to combine these two recipes! I wrote them down, side by side, compared them, and quickly came up with a hybrid version. For example, I kept the tangzhong from Bread By Elise, but followed Ruth Mar Tam's recipe more closely in terms of preparation and instructions. This approach wasn't immediately successful either, and after a bit more research on flours and further experimentation, I finally achieved my goal! A 100 % wholewheat sandwich bread with seeds, baked with sourdough! And today I'm sharing this wealth of experience with you!
And who would have guessed? You can use the same dough for sandwich bread and burger buns! So it wasn't a big stretch from 100 % wholewheat sandwich bread to this burger bun recipe! And I'm guessing it should even work for bagels! Should I try it? Would you also like a recipe for bagels? Then just leave me a message in the comments!
Flours Used for the Seedy Wholewheat Burger Buns with Sourdough
As already mentioned, the flour makes a huge difference if you want a soft and fluffy result! I highly recommend using this exact flour combination if you want to achieve the same baking results!
In this recipe, I use two different flours, each with a 50% ratio. One is the extra-fine, strong wholewheat flour* (see remarks) from the organic mill Eiling. I'm always delighted when I receive a package from them; so far, every order included a small handwritten note, which feels very special and not like mass production!
The other flour I used is Aurora's light wholewheat flour** (see remarks), which I discovered at my local supermarket. Unfortunately, the packaging doesn't reveal exactly which grain the wholewheat flour is made from, and the website doesn't provide any further information either... My guess would be Kamut flour, although I didn't ask for more details. But: it works wonderfully in this recipe, so I'm happy to use it and share this tip with you!
Long Fermentation – THE Advantage of Baking with Sourdough!
Compared to recipes with yeast, sourdough recipes often require significantly more time. Extending the dough rise time makes the dough more flavorful, and the fermentation during the rising process also makes the baked goods easier on the digestion. Another advantage is that baking with a longer proofing time also keeps the bread fresh and moist for longer, meaning it doesn't dry out as quickly.
More Sourdough Recipes
This isn't the first sourdough recipe I've shared with you here on "sizzling & frizzling. You can find all my sourdough recipes in the category sourdough.
There you will find my Favorite Bread Recipe (also with 100 % wholewheat flour) and my recipe for Sourdough Pizza (Neapolitan style).
Baking Schedule
In terms of timing, I prefer to follow the following baking schedule for this recipe:
- Day 1, afternoon: Feed sourdough so that it is active and ripe in the evening
- Day 1, evening: Prepare the soaker, levain and cook the tangzhong
- Day 2, morning: Prepare the main dough, autolyse, knead and let it rise (bulk fermentation)
- Day 2, noon: Shape the burger buns and let them rise
- Day 2, afternoon / evening: Bake the burger buns
Fluffy 100 % Wholewheat Seeded Burger Buns with Sourdough
Moist and soft burger buns made from 100% wholewheat flour, refined with sunflower seeds, sesame, poppy seeds, and flax seeds. The use of sourdough and a long fermentation give them an intense flavor and exceptionally good digestibility. Ideal for hearty burgers where flavor and stability matter.
Ingredients:
For the Soaker:
For the Levain:
For the Tangzhong:
For the Main Dough:
For the Egg Wash:
Instructions:
Baking Preparations (day 1, afternoon)
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Feeding the Sourdough Starter
"Feed" your sourdough starter as you normally would. Let it rise until it peaks by the evening to prepare the levain.
Baking Preparations (day 1, evening)
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Prepare the Soaker
Place all the ingredients for the soaker in a small bowl and cover it.
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Make the Levain
Combine all the ingredients for the levain in a small bowl and mix well until you have a sticky water-flour-mixture. Then cover it, not completely airtight, and let it rise for 10-12 hours at a warmer room temperature (23.5 - 24.5 °C / 74 - 76 °F). It should have approximately tripled in size and just begun to flatten.
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Cook the Tangzhong
Place all the ingredients for the tangzhong in a small saucepan and mix well with a small whisk. Then place the pan on the stove and heat the water and flour mixture, stirring constantly, until it reaches 150 °F (65 °C) or the mixture has a pudding-like consistency.
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Then transfer the tangzhong to a small bowl and cover it tightly with cling film. The cling film should be touching the tangzhong to prevent a skin from forming. Let it cool (overnight).
Prepare the Main Dough (day 2, morning)
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Prepare the Main Dough
For the main dough, add both flours, wheat gluten, and (skim) milk powder to the bowl of your food processor and mix well. Make a well in the center and fill it with the water and maple syrup, as well as the tangzhong and levain from the night before.
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Autolyse
Now, using your stand mixer with the dough hook attached, mix these ingredients on the lowest setting until a shaggy dough forms. You shouldn't see any dry flour afterward. Turn off the stand mixer and cover the bowl with a ktichen towel. Let the dough rest for 45 minutes.
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Knead the Dough
Add the salt and let the stand mixer knead it in on low to medium speed for 3-4 minutes. Then gradually add the room-temperature butter on low speed and let it knead into the dough.
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Then increase the speed of the food processor (I use speed 3) and let it work for about 10 - 15 minutes, until the dough has pulled away from the sides of the bowl and has come together. It should pass the windowpane test (see video).
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Then add the entire soaker and knead it in on the lowest speed until it is well distributed throughout the dough.
Bulk Fermentation
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Now remove the bowl from the stand mixer and cover it. Let the dough rise at room temperature (24 - 25°C / 75 - 77 °F) for 2-3 hours, until it has increased in volume by 60-75%. Stretching and folding the dough is not necessary. It should appear airy and puffy after the bulk fermentation, but still strong. Don't over-prove it, as the wholewheat flour can cause the dough to quickly overferment.
Shaping the Burger Buns (Day 2, lunch)
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Measuring the Burger Buns
Weigh your dough and calculate the weight for a single burger bun, 1/6 of it (in my case, about 177g). Measure out each burger bun, then let the dough rise again on a floured surface for 10 minutes.
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Prepare the Baking Tray and Burger Bun Rings*** (optional)
While the dough is briefly rising, you can line your baking sheet with parchment paper. This recipe works best when using burger bun rings*** (see remarks). Place 6 of these rings on the baking sheet and grease the inside with a little butter or coconut oil.
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Shape the Burger Buns
Now, for each portion of dough, pull the dough from the outside toward the center to create surface tension on the underside. Then turn the burger bun over and use the work surface to shape them roundly (see video for the hand motion). Place the shaped burger buns on the prepared baking sheet (inside the burger bun rings***, see remarks). Cover them with cling film.
Let the Dough Rise
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Now let the burger buns rise again for approximately 3.5 - 4.5 hours at warm room temperature (23.5 - 24.5 °C / 74 - 76 °F). They should have significantly more volume afterwards and, if using burger bun rings, should extend well over the edge in the middle.
Preheat the Oven (day 2, evening)
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Preheat your oven to 180 °C (350 °F), top / bottom heat, for about 45 minutes. Please note that the burger buns should be baked immediately after preheating, so preheat the oven while the burger buns are still rising.
Egg Wash
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Separate an egg and add a teaspoon of milk to the yolk. Mix well and brush the mixture onto the burger buns. Finally, you can sprinkle them with more of the seeds we used for the soaker (i.e., sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, and flax seeds).
Bake the Burger Buns and Let Them Cool
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Now place the tray of burger buns in the oven to bake for 25-30 minutes. Once they're golden brown, remove them from the oven and let them cool for about 10 minutes. If you used burger bun rings, you should now remove them from the burger buns by running a knife along the edges to loosen them. Let the burger buns cool completely before using them.
Nutritional Information
servings 6
- Amount per Serving
- Calories 447.67kcal
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 16.5g26%
- Potassium 134.77mg4%
- Total Carbohydrate 54.32g19%
- Dietary Fiber 10.2g41%
- Sugars 6.35g
- Protein 16.75g34%
** The daily percentages are based on a 2000 kcal diet. Your daily figures might be higher or lower according to your caloric need.
Remark
Tip: If 6 burger buns at once are too many for you, they freeze wonderfully. You can keep them in the freezer for up to 3 months, but I bet you'll have to restock before then!
*Advertisement: You can order the extra-fine, strong wholewheat flour from the Eiling organic mill here . This is my recommendation (advertisement). However, I am not sponsored or financially supported by the organic mill Eiling . I paid for all ingredients myself.
**Advertisement: The second flour that I can recommend for this recipe is called "light wholewheat flour". I found it in my local Edeka supermarket. This is my recommendation (advertisement). However, I am not sponsored or financially supported by Aurora or Edeka. I paid for all the ingredients myself.
***Advertisement (Affiliate): For this recipe, I highly recommend baking the burger buns in burger bun rings. The rings I use have a 10 cm diameter. You can find and order them here .