Ingredients
224g (1 cup) active starter
1/4 cup warm water
420g (3 1/2 cups) bread flour
3/4 cup buttermilk (can substitute whole milk, yogurt, plant-based milk, or half and half)
2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature, cut into pieces
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Oil for the bowl
2 eggs (1 for dough, 1 for egg wash at end)
Rice flour for hands at shaping
sesame or poppy seeds (optional)
Start your process in the morning for buns in the early afternoon. You can also refridgerate the dough after the bulk fermentation and finish your buns the next day.
Method
- The day before, make sure your starter is fed: Take your starter out of the fridge and feed it the night before you are making your buns.
- In a large bowl, combine the starter, water and 70g of bread flour. Mix until a thick batter has formed. Cover in plastic wrap, and set aside for 30-60 minutes.
- After 30-60 minutes, in a small saucepan, heat the buttermilk with the butter on low/medium until it reaches bath or hot tub temperature (~105F).
- Add the warm milk mixture, 1 egg, sugar, and salt to the dough and mix with a stiff spatula to combine.
- Mix in the rest of the bread flour with your hand.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and let it rest for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, give it a round of stretch and folds: Wet your hands and fold the dough by picking up one side of the dough from underneath with your two hands, stretching it up and folding it over on the rest of the dough. Do this on all four sides. I turn the container each time. When you have completed your folds, flip the dough over, cover and rest for another 15 minutes.
- After the next 15 minutes is up, repeat the stretch and fold process, cover and rest for another 30 minutes.
- After that 30 minutes is up, repeat the stretch and fold process, cover and rest for another 30 minutes.
- After that 30 minutes is up, repeat the stretch and fold process, cover and rest for another 60 minutes (1 hour).
- After that hour is up, repeat the stretch and fold process, cover and rest for another 60 minutes (1 hour). Cover and let you dough proof for 1-3 hours until light, fluffy and, doubled in size.
- At this point, now that your dough has risen, you can refrigerate the dough and finish the process tomorrow. Or continue with the next steps.
- Cut the dough into equal pieces for your buns: 6 pieces for large hamburger buns, 8 for smaller buns, or 12 for sliders. The same for sausage rolls.
- Coat your hands in a thin dusting of rice flour and shape each bun into your desired shape (round for hamburger buns, oval/long for sausage rolls).
- Place your buns on a parchment-lined sheet pan, spray a little oil on the top (or brush with oil) to keep them from sticking, loosely cover in a piece of plastic wrap and a kitchen towel. Let them proof for 1-2 hours, until they have puffed up and pass the proofing poke test. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 400F, and get your egg wash ready.
- Proofing poke test: Use your index finger to poke the side of one of the buns, making a small indentation. If the dough bounces back by 30 seconds, and the indentation dissapears, you need to continue proofing. The dough has proofed correctly when the dough bouces back 1/2 way, but still leaves the indentation visible.
- When your buns are ready to bake, lightly beat your remaining egg and brush them with the egg wash. Sprinkle poppy or sesame seeds on top.
- Bake at 425F for 15 minutes for large buns, could be less for small buns or sliders. Bake until puffed, and uniformly golden brown, and internal temperature is over 200F.
- Cool completely before cutting.
- Enjoy!