These homemade Hawaiian rolls are soft and tender, with a hint of sweetness from the pineapple juice, brown sugar, and honey. These sweet rolls are yeast-leavened until they double in size, then watch them bake into golden pull-part rounds.
Recipe Science
- Instant yeast doesn’t need proofing—simply mix it into the dry ingredients and rehydrate with the warm liquid in the recipe.
- Pineapple juice, honey, sugar, milk, and butter add sweetness and tenderness, creating a slightly tacky dough for soft, fluffy rolls.
- Instant yeast is highly active, cutting fermentation time in half! After shaping the rolls, they take 60 minutes or less to double in size.
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Featured Comment 12
“I love your recipes and especially the wonderful explanations that go along with them.”—Sharon
Why It Works
This homemade Hawaiian roll recipe is an irresistible treat at the dinner table or for making ham and cheese sliders. Most people don’t have the time to bake from scratch, so I cut the preparation time in half by using dried instant yeast when developing this easy recipe. The only time needed to ferment the rolls is after shaping them into rounds.
This bread recipe is an enriched sweet dough that calls for more butter, eggs, and sweetener than lean doughs like my whole wheat dinner rolls. The result is a more tender interior with a nice golden brown, buttery crust.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Flour: All-purpose flour contains 10 to 13% protein, giving the rolls structure and a tender crumb.
- Yeast: A few different types of yeast help bread rise. Dry instant yeast, also called “fast-rising” or “fast-acting,” reduces the fermentation time, where live organisms produce carbon dioxide and create air pockets. It requires no initial proofing step and can be added directly to the dry ingredients and then rehydrated with the warm liquid in the recipe.
- Salt: Salt enhances the taste of the Hawaiian sweet rolls.
- Milk: Milk adds fat and milk solids for a tender texture and improved taste.
- Juice: Pineapple juice adds an island flavor, providing tropical notes and some acidity.
- Butter: Melted butter keeps the rolls soft by reducing some of the gluten formation during kneading. After baking nutter is brushed on for richness.
- Sweetener: Honey and brown sugar add a sweet flavor dimension. They make the dough tackier.
- Eggs: The fat from the egg yolk creates an enriched dough for luxurious rolls.
- Flavoring: Apple cider vinegar and vanilla extract enhance the sweet pineapple flavor of the rolls.
- What makes these rolls delicious and gives them an island twist is the addition of pineapple juice, honey, brown sugar, milk, and butter. This combination adds a hint of sweetness and helps to make the bread more tender, but it also makes it stickier to work with. Add some additional all-purpose flour when kneading, but not too much, or they’ll become too dense. It’s okay for the dough to be slightly tacky.
See the recipe card below for all ingredients and measurements (US and metric).
Ingredient Substitutions
This Hawaiian roll recipe is easy to customize! Try these tasty options:
- Add Herbs: Chives, green onions, dill, rosemary, thyme, oregano, sage, and tarragon add fresh herb flavor. Mix dried Italian seasoning with the melted butter and brush the mixture on the rolls before serving.
- Fruit: Add small pieces of dried fruit, such as pineapple, apricots, cherries, or cranberries, to the dough.
- Sweeteners: Use maple syrup instead of honey. Try granulated sugar instead of brown sugar.
- Juice: Orange juice, peach juice, or guava juice can be used instead of pineapple.
- Vinegar: Use light-colored vinegar like white, white wine, or rice vinegar.
How to Make Hawaiian Rolls
Step 1: Prepare the Ingredients
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 5 cups of flour, yeast, and salt with a hand whisk to ensure even distribution. Add the brown sugar, 1 egg, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla to the dry mixture.
Mix ½ cup milk, pineapple juice, 6 tablespoons melted butter, and honey in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 20-second intervals until the mixture reaches 120 to 130°F. This temperature range activates the yeast without compromising viability, creating the ideal base for fluffy Hawaiian rolls.
Ingredient Chemistry: The yeast used in baking is Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which is dormant when dried but activates in warm and wet conditions that contain carbohydrates like bread dough. It’s imperative to add liquids between 120 and 130ºF (49 to 54ºC) so the dough rises.
This temperature range wakes them up and keeps them alive. Too low, and they don’t activate. Any higher, and they will die. If the dough does not rise, it’s a strong indicator that the yeast was killed.
Step 2: Knead the Dough
Attach a greased dough hook and set the mixer to low. Gradually add the warm liquid, scraping the bowl as needed, and knead until the dough pulls away about 2 minutes.
Increase to medium-low and knead until elastic and smooth, around 7 minutes. If needed, gradually add more flour until the dough forms a slightly sticky ball, using minimal flour to keep it soft.
Step 3: Rest the Dough
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rest for 10 minutes. Grease a 9 x 13-inch pan with cooking spray and set aside.
Step 4: Shape the Rolls
The most accurate way to portion the dough is to weigh it on a digital scale. This formula makes between 2.5 to 2.75 ounces (71 to 78 grams) dough balls, so target that weight. Otherwise, do your best eyeballing 18 pieces of dough, pinching off pieces to bulk up others if needed.
Since they’re all baked together, it’s okay to be close but not exact. Roll the pieces into balls with smooth tops, lightly flouring the work surface as needed.
Step 5: Let the Dough Rise
Arrange the dough balls in the greased pan, 3 balls per row and 6 rows total, leaving about ½ inch of space around the edges. Loosely cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel, and place in a warm, draft-free area. Let the rolls rise for 30 to 60 minutes until doubled in size and touching each other, nearly filling the pan.
Pro Tip: Instant yeast is highly active, cutting rise time in half. Therefore, after rolling into balls, it only needs to rise for about 30 to 60 minutes. I recommend making a simple oven proofing box to create the optimal warm, humid environment for the dough to rise correctly.
Step 6: Preheat the Oven
Position the oven rack in the lower-middle section and preheat to 350°F (177°C). This placement ensures even baking and a consistent golden crust on the rolls.
Step 7: Brush with Egg Wash
Whisk together 1 egg and 1 tablespoon of milk. Gently brush the egg wash over the tops and sides of the dough balls to promote a golden, glossy finish.
Step 8: Bake
Place the pan in the oven and bake until the rolls are golden brown and shiny on the surface, about 18 to 25 minutes. Rotate the pan halfway through baking to ensure even browning.
Step 9: Cool Briefly and Serve
Cool the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes to set the structure of the rolls. Brush with melted butter to enhance flavor and provide a soft, glossy finish. Carefully remove the rolls from the pan to prevent residual heat from overcooking. They are delicious served warm!
Frequently Asked Questions
Active dry yeast can be used instead of instant yeast. About 1.33 times more must be added for the same fermentation power, 18.2 grams for this recipe. This type of yeast requires rehydrating in warm water first between 100 to 110ºF (38 to 43ºC), then two rise steps after kneading and shaping for about 1 hour each.
These homemade Hawaiian rolls taste best served warm the same day, but they can be stored in a resealable bag or airtight container for up to 3 days. They don’t have preservatives like King’s Hawaiian rolls, so they don’t last as long at room temperature.
The Hawaiian rolls can be wrapped in plastic and store in a freezer bag for up to 1 month.
Serve This With
If you tried these Hawaiian Rolls, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
Hawaiian Rolls
Ingredients
- 5 cups all-purpose flour, more as needed
- 4 1⁄2 teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast
- 2 1⁄2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1⁄2 cup whole milk, plus 1 tablespoon
- 1 cup pineapple juice
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, divided
- 1⁄3 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar,
- 2 large eggs, divided
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prepare the Ingredients – Add 5 cups flour, yeast, and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer. Use a hand whisk to combine. Add the brown sugar, 1 egg, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla.In a microwave-safe bowl, add 1⁄2 cup milk, pineapple juice, 6 tablespoons melted butter, and honey, and whisk to combine. Microwave in 20-second increments until the mixture reaches 120 to 130°F (49 to 54°C), about 90 seconds.
- Knead the Dough – Set the mixer with a greased dough hook to low speed and gradually add the warm liquid mixture. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed to incorporate. Knead the dough on low until it begins to pull away from the bowl, 2 minutes.Increase the speed to medium-low and knead until the dough is elastic and smooth in texture, about 7 minutes. The dough should start to clear the sides of the bowl but will be sticky on the bottom. If the dough is still wet or very sticky, add ¼ cup of additional flour, mixing on low speed for 1 minute. If needed, add another 1⁄4 cup of flour until the desired texture is achieved and a slightly sticky ball forms. Use as little added flour as possible.
- Rest the Dough – Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Cover and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Grease a 9×13-inch pan with cooking spray and set aside.
- Shape the Rolls – Cut the dough into 18 even-sized pieces, about 2 ½ to 3 ounces (71 to 81g) in weight. Roll the pieces into balls with smooth tops, lightly flouring the work surface as needed.
- Let the Dough Rise – Place the dough balls into the greased pan, 3 balls per row, 6 rows total. Leave about 1⁄2-inch around the corners of the pan. Loosely cover it with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and place it in a warm, draft-free area. Allow the dough to rise and double in size for 30 to 60 minutes. They should be touching each other and nearly filling the pan.
- Preheat the Oven – Adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position and preheat to 350°F (177°C).
- Brush with Egg Wash – In a small bowl, whisk together 1 egg and 1 tablespoon of milk. Brush the egg wash on the tops and sides.
- Bake – Place the pan in the oven and bake until golden brown and shiny on the surface, 18 to 25 minutes. Make sure to rotate the pan halfway through baking.
- Cool Briefly and Serve – Cool the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Brush the rolls with 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Remove them from the tray and serve immediately while warm.
Notes
- Storing: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month.
- Reheating Room Temperature Rolls: Reheat in the microwave on high power for 30 to 60 seconds. Alternatively, warm in the oven at 300ºF (149ºC) on a sheet pan for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Reheating Frozen Rolls: Reheat in the microwave on high power for 60 to 75 seconds. Alternatively, warm in the oven at 300ºF (149ºC) on a sheet pan for 15 to 20 minutes.
Nutrition Facts
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet. All nutritional information is based on estimated third-party calculations. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
Rita says
It would have been very helpful to have the divided ingredients listed separately, like the brushed egg mixture and butter. It caused me to get some of them wrong, and I didn’t catch it quickly enough. I’m 68 and have baked things since I was 13, but I have to say this was not a successful baking for me, unfortunately. I’ll be going elsewhere.
Jessica Gavin says
Hi Rita- I appreciate your feedback! I only want success for you in the kitchen, so I will evaluate the recipe to make it more clear. Thank you!
Teresa Syring says
Hi can you make these the day before, and can you freeze them?
Teresa.
Jessica Gavin says
Yes, you can bake the rolls, then freeze and reheat in the oven.
Dominque Moon says
Can I use baking powder instead of the active yeast? Can these be made without the yeast period?
Jessica Gavin says
I would not substitute baking powder instead of yeast.
Sharon Larsen says
Hi Jessica! I love your recipes and especially the wonderful explanations that go along with them. Will this recipe work with fresh pineapple juice? Thank you.
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you so much, Sharon! Yes, you can use fresh pineapple juice for the recipe.
Vita says
Can I use bread machine to make the dough?
Jessica Gavin says
You can use the bread machine for mixing, but not for proofing since it goes straight to shaping and rising.
Jessica says
Can these be refrigerated during the proofing process?
Jessica Gavin says
Yes, you can refrigerate the after shaping. Tightly cover the top with plastic wrap for up to 24 hours, then allow to finishing proofing in a warm area until doubled in size.