Sourdough McDonald’s Burger Bun Recipe

Sourdough McDonald’s Burger Bun

I was interested in what adapting the McDonald’s Burger Bun recipe to sourdough would look like, using more natural ingredients.

The switch in ingredients is going from the below Current ingredients to the below Proposed ingredients

Current Ingredients

Wheat Flour (Vitamins (Thiamin, Folate)), Water, Sugar, Canola Oil, Sesame Seeds, Potato Starch, Glaze, Wheat Gluten, Iodised Salt, Yeast, Improver (Wheat Flour, Enzymes (Contain Wheat), Antioxidant (300), Malted Wheat
Flour), Emulsifiers (472e, 471), Preservative (282), Natural Flavour

Proposed Ingredients

Wheat Flour, Water, Honey, Olive Oil (if required), Sesame Seeds, Potato Starch, Glaze (if required), Sea Salt, Sourdough Starter & any other ingredients necessary

Recipe

Here’s a sourdough adaptation of a McDonald’s Burger Bun using the proposed ingredients.

Ingredients

Levain:

• 30g mature sourdough starter
• 60g water
• 60g wheat flour

Tangzhong:

• 25g wheat flour
• 125g water

Dough:

• 400g wheat flour
• 100g potato starch
• 250g water
• 50g honey
• 50g olive oil (optional, for a softer crumb)
• 8g sea salt
• 150g levain (from above)
• 150g tangzhong (from above)
• Sesame seeds (for topping)
• Egg wash or glaze (optional, for a shiny finish)

Instructions

Levain (Prepare the Night Before):

1. In a small bowl, mix 30g mature sourdough starter with 60g water and 60g wheat flour.
2. Cover and let ferment at room temperature overnight, or until it is bubbly and has doubled in size.

Tangzhong (Prepare the Day of Baking):

1. In a small saucepan, whisk together 25g wheat flour and 125g water.
2. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens into a pudding-like consistency.
3. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

Dough:

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the wheat flour and potato starch. Mix well.
2. Add the water and mix until no dry bits remain. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes (autolyse).
3. Add the levain, tangzhong, honey, olive oil (if using), and sea salt to the autolysed dough.
4. Mix the dough until it comes together. Knead for about 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. You can use a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment if preferred.
5. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let it rise at room temperature for 3-4 hours, performing stretch and folds every 30 minutes during the first 2 hours.

Shaping:

1. After the bulk fermentation, gently deflate the dough and divide it into 8-10 equal pieces for burger buns.
2. Shape each piece into a tight ball and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
3. Flatten each ball slightly with your hand to create the typical burger bun shape.

Second Rise:

1. Cover the shaped buns with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and let them rise for about 2-3 hours, or until they have doubled in size.

Baking:

1. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) during the last 30 minutes of the second rise.
2. If using, brush the buns with egg wash or glaze for a shiny finish.
3. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top of the buns.
4. Bake the buns for about 20-25 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and the internal temperature reaches around 200°F (93°C).
5. Remove the buns from the oven and let them cool on a wire rack.

Enjoy your homemade sourdough burger buns!