Have you ever had Hawaiian bread? I sure hope your answer was yes, because if you haven’t, you have been missing out on something really special. The texture is similar to a soft, buttery brioche, but the flavor is much sweeter though. I am not talking dessert sweet, but definitely sweeter than most other breads are.
Hawaiian bread gets its sweetness from the pineapple juice that is added to the dough, but do not worry if you are not a big fan of pineapple flavors! You won’t taste pineapple specifically, but a rich sweetness that is hard to describe, but easy to fall in love with.
Let’s get these rolls started…
To make these delicious Hawaiian sweet rolls, you will need bread flour, 1 packet of instant yeast, 2 eggs, salt, sugar, butter, milk and pineapple juice. The list of ingredients do give a little heads up to how decadent this bread is, but the texture is so very light that the decadence is welcome. You are going to love these rolls…
Start by weighing out 20 ounces of bread flour. This is approximately 4 1/2 cups, but I do recommend measuring the flour, as it will help you avoid dense rolls.
In a large bowl, combine 1/2 cup of pineapple juice (at room temperature), 1/2 cup of whole milk (warmed to 100 degrees), 4 tablespoons of butter (melted), 2 eggs, 1/2 cup of sugar, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 packet of instant yeast. Whisk until everything is fully combined.
Slowly begin adding flour 1/2 cup at a time. Mix the dough each time you add flour and only add enough flour to form a soft dough. I still had about 1/2 cup of flour remaining once my dough was where I wanted it to be.
Transfer the dough onto a floured surface and begin kneading. If the flour is sticky, add the remaining flour a little at a time until the dough is smooth and can be formed into a ball. Avoid adding too much flour to this dough. Only add enough to keep it from feeling too sticky as you knead.
Once the dough is soft and smooth, form it into a ball and transfer it into a large glass bowl that has been lightly greased with non-stick cooking spray. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and rest the dough in a warm place for 60-90 minutes or until it has doubled in size.
Transfer the dough onto a lightly flour surface and divide it into 15 equal portions. The easiest way I do this is by cutting the round into 3 sections and then dividing each section into 5 pieces. Just do your best. Mine are never perfect, but close it fine…
Form each portion into a ball by tucking the sides under a few times until the top is round and smooth. Butter a 9″x13″ cake pan and place the balls of dough into the pan in five layers of three, so all fifteen portions are evenly spread throughout the pan.
Whisk 1 egg with 1 tablespoon of water and brush the egg wash all over the surface of the dough. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and rest the dough in a warm place for 30-45 minutes or until the dough is puffed up and near doubled in size.
Bake on a middle rack at 375 degrees for 20-24 minutes or until the rolls are a deep golden brown…
Transfer the rolls out of the pan and directly onto a cooling rack to cool for about 15 minutes before serving.
Aren’t they beautiful? You want them to be this deep golden brown color on the outside. The crust will be soft and springy to the touch, but the interior of this bread is something you will have to taste to appreciate…
They are just so soft and when you break off a roll, you will see these layers of buttery bread that are just begging to be smothered in some soft butter or rich jam.
The sweetness that these rolls have work really well with many different savory recipes. They are my absolute favorite vessel for roast beef sliders. Just cut them in half horizontally, add some roast beef, havarti cheese and mayonnaise and you have a fabulous little slider!
I hope you enjoy these delicious little Hawaiian sweet rolls and find many fun ways to use them! Enjoy!
Hawaiian Sweet Rolls
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup pineapple juice, room temperature
- 1/2 cup whole milk, warm (between 100-110 degrees)
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 packet of instant yeast
- 20 ounces bread flour, plus some for kneading
Instructions
- Weigh out 20 ounces of bread flour and set it aside
- Combine 1/2 cup of pineapple juice (at room temperature), 1/2 cup of whole milk (warmed to 100 degrees), 4 tablespoons of butter (melted), 2 eggs, 1/2 cup of sugar, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 packet of instant yeast in a large bowl and whisk until combined
- Add flour 1/2 cup at a time, mixing with each addition, until a soft dough forms
- Transfer the dough onto a floured work surface and knead until the dough is soft and smooth. Add flour if the dough is sticky, but only add what is necessary
- Form the dough into a ball and transfer it into a large glass bowl that has been lightly greased with non-stick cooking spray
- Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and rest in a warm place for 60-90 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size
- Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 15 equal portions
- Form each portion into a smooth ball by tucking the side under 3-4 times
- Place the dough into a buttered 9"x13" cake pan in 5 rows of 3
- Brush the dough with egg wash (1 egg and 1 tablespoon of water whisked) and then cover the pan with plastic wrap
- Rest the dough in a warm place for 30-45 minutes
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees
- Once the dough has puffed up and is about doubled in size, uncover the pan and bake on a middle rack at 375 degrees for 20-24 minutes
- The rolls are done when the top is a deep golden brown
- Transfer the rolls out of the pan and directly onto a cooling rack
