Soft Sourdough Potato Burger Buns

I have been baking Potato Burger Buns for several years with instant dry yeast before being exposed to sourdough starter baking. I have been asked by many followers for a Sourdough version of the Potato Burger Buns recipe.

This Soft Sourdough Potato Burger Buns is especially soft, moist and fluffy yet sturdy. It has a very mild sourness to me though some of my family members couldn't really taste any sourness. It is so much better than store-bought burger buns.

Why are potato buns the ideal burger bun?

The starch in the potato makes the bun a soft yet sturdy structure that is perfect to hold a patty with. Potato starch also absorbs more water than wheat starch and this makes the bun more moist and have better shelf live.

What type of potato is good for this Sourdough Potato Burger Buns?

I used Russett potatoes in this recipe.

How to store leftover buns?

It is better to be eaten fresh. However, if you need to store any left overs, wrap the bun properly with plastic or store in an airtight container. For tropical climate, it may be left out in room temperature for a maximum 2 days or kept in refrigerator for up to a week. Reheat the buns in a preheated oven at 150C for 8 - 10 minutes or toast before eating.

If you are looking for Chicken Burger Patty recipe, please click Healthy Chicken Burger.

If you have any questions regarding this recipe or any other post, please leave me a comment in the “LEAVE A COMMENT” link and I will reply you as soon as possible.

Recipe - Soft Sourdough Potato Burger Buns

Yields: 8 buns (Bun size: about 9.5 cm diameter)

INGREDIENTS:

Levain - 150g total (ratio 1:1:1):

50 sourdough starter (100% Hydration)

50g bread flour (I used Japan High Gluten Flour)

50g water

Main Dough:

250g bread flour (I used Japan High Gluten Flour)

100g mashed potato (I used russet potatoes)

150g levain (above)

24g (2 Tbsp) brown sugar

1 tsp salt

38g butter, room temperature

40g egg, whisked ((from large egg, balance use for egg wash)

20g full cream milk (whole milk) or fresh milk

Egg Wash:

Balance from the above 1 egg + 1/2 tsp water

Topping:

Some white sesame seeds

Utensil:

Baking tray

METHOD:

OPTION 1 - BAKE IN THE MORNING

Levain (7.00 pm)

Mix all ingredients in a jar and cover.
Let it ferment in room temperature in tropical climate (approximately 29C - 30C) until tripled. It took about 3 - 5 hours.

Main Dough (Around 11.00 - 11.30 pm)

Put all ingredients (except butter) including the 150g sourdough starter (levain) into a bowl of stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment, mix for 2 minutes or until all incorporated. Change to hook attachment and knead for another 3 minutes or until the dough comes together. Add in butter and continue knead for 10 - 12 minutes or until reach window pane stage. During the whole kneading process, I stopped few times to scrape down the dough from the hook to be sure it is evenly kneaded and also to prevent the motor from overheating.
Let the dough rest for 15 minutes - 60 minutes in the same bowl, covered with cling film or the lid. (I rest this dough for 15 minutes).
Punch down the bread dough to release the air. Transfer to a floured table top.
Divide dough into 8 equal portions and shape into balls.
Place bun onto the baking pans lined with non-stick baking paper. Make sure they are about 1 ½ to 2 inches apart.
Let it proof overnight at room temperature (25C - 27C) until doubled in size. I placed in an air-conditioned room.
These buns took approximately 8 hours.

Baking (Around 9.00 am)

Preheat oven at 190C (top & bottom heat) or 170C (fan-forced) for 10 - 15 minutes.
Brush with egg wash and sprinkle some white sesame seeds.
Bake in a preheated oven for 15 - 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
Remove bread from oven and let them cool on rack.

OPTION 2 - BAKE IN LATE AFTERNOON OR EVENING

Levain (the night before)

Mix all ingredients in a jar and cover. Ration 1:3:3 = 22g starter + 66g flour + 66g water. You will get slightly more than 150g. But, you will need only 150g.
Let it ferment in aircond room temperature (approximately 25-27C) overnight until tripled. It took about 10 - 12 hours.

Main Dough (The next morning)

Put all ingredients (except butter) including the 150g sourdough starter (levain) into a bowl of stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment, mix for 2 minutes or until all incorporated. Change to hook attachment and knead for another 3 minutes or until the dough comes together. Add in butter and continue knead for 10 - 12 minutes or until reach window pane stage. During the whole kneading process, I stopped few times to scrape down the dough from the hook to be sure it is evenly kneaded and also to prevent the motor from overheating.
Let the dough rest for 15 minutes - 60 minutes in the same bowl, covered with cling film or the lid. (I rest this dough for 15 minutes).
Punch down the bread dough to release the air. Transfer to a floured table top.
Divide dough into 8 equal portions and shape into balls.
Place bun onto the baking pans lined with non-stick baking paper. Make sure they are about 1 ½ to 2 inches apart.
Let it proof in room temperature (29C - 30C) until doubled in size. It will take approximately 3 - 5 hours or longer.

Baking

Preheat oven at 190C (top & bottom heat) or 170C (fan-forced) for 10 - 15 minutes.
Brush with egg wash and sprinkle some white sesame seeds.
Bake in a preheated oven for 15 - 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
Remove bread from oven and let them cool on rack.

GENERAL NOTES:

SOURDOUGH STARTER

Please click this link for "How To Make Sourdough Starter" and "Sourdough Maintenance"

A healthy starter is very crucial as advised by Baking with Gina. It is advisable to feed your starter regularly if you want your bread to rise nicely and to use the starter (levain) at its peak. A starter that is fed regularly will be more active in general. If the mother starter is not strong, the bread dough will not rise a lot even though the starter is used at its peak.

GLUTEN DEVELOPMENT & WINDOWPANE TEST

Gluten forms when flour comes in contact with water. Hydration of the flour causes the sticky and stretchy protein to form, giving structure to the bread. This makes your bread trap air and rise.

Gluten in dough can be developed by autolyse, resting, kneading or folding.

The windowpane test is used to determine whether the dough has been sufficiently kneaded. By gently pulling the dough (or you may pinch off some dough) and trying to stretch it into a thin membrane. If you are able to stretch the dough paper thin and translucent without tearing, then the gluten is fully developed. However, if you can stretch it without tearing but the membrane is not transparent, then the gluten is not yet fully developed.

However, from my experience not all the recipe can achieve a thin and translucent window pane stage easily. For example low hydration and low fat dough. For such recipes, a reasonable window pane is good enough and it can be left to rest. Gluten will continue to develop while resting. Exercising restraint to not over-knead the dough prevents the gluten from being overworked and broken. Some of you may have experienced the dough breaking during the second proofing. It is because the dough is over kneaded.

The total kneading time for me is usually 15 minutes at low speeds except brioche dough with high fat percentage or dough using liquid fat which usually takes a little longer (maybe 18-20 mins).

From my experience, I found that high hydration dough with high percentage of fat will be easy to stretch and achieve a paper thin windowpane stage.

MILK POWDER

Why do I use milk powder?

Milk or milk powder will enhance the flavour of the bread and makes the bread texture softer due to the fat content of the milk.
Milk powder is shelf stable and you can have it anytime when you want to use. Unlike liquid milk you need to finish within a certain time before it spoils.

KNEADING TIME

For kneading, please regard the timing provided as an indication only. It is only meant as a guide. Timing may differ depending on the brand of flour and electric mixer used. The protein content may vary from one brand of flour to another.

FLOUR

The right flour plays a very important role in bread making. To achieve fluffy, soft and light bread, I used Japan High Gluten Flour in most of my bread baking. The protein content is around 12 - 13%.

HYDRATION

The liquid measurement given is also a guide. It is advisable to always reserve some liquid and not add it all in one go. This would give you the opportunity to adjust if necessary. If dough is too dry, add the reserve liquid one tablespoon at a time until the right consistency. This is because each flour absorbs water and hydrates differently.

PROOFING

Please note that the proofing timing may also vary depending on your climate, environment, flour and your starter.

If you are unable to judge by just looking at the dough, you can do the finger poke test:

Proofing:

Lightly press the side of the proved dough with your finger. If it bounces back immediately without any indentation, it means the dough is under proved and needs more time before baking.
If the indentation stays and it doesn’t bounce back, it means it has been over proved.
If the indentation slowly bounces back and leave a small indentation, it is ready to bake.
There will be a final burst of rising once the bread is placed to bake in the oven and it is called oven spring.

WRINKLE TOP OR SHRINKING

If your bread collapses or gets wrinkled on top after removing from oven, it could be because your dough over proved during the second proofing. Please proof until the tip of the dough just reaches the rim of the pan, around 80% - 90% in size.

BAKING TEMPERATURE AND TIME

Do also note that the baking temperature and timing provided are what works for my oven and should also be regarded as a guide only. Every oven behaves a little differently, so please adjust accordingly for your oven.