Hawaiian Sweet Rolls Recipe

Name: Hawaiian Sweet Rolls
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 2 h 25 min
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 500 g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting; 7 g fast-action dried yeast; 60 g caster sugar; 1 tsp fine salt; 20 g instant mashed potato flakes (optional); 240 ml pineapple juice, lukewarm; 1 large egg; 60 g butter, melted; 1 egg, beaten with 1 tbsp milk, for the glaze; 20 g butter, melted, for brushing

Why This Hawaiian Sweet Rolls Recipe Works

Hawaiian sweet rolls are soft, golden, slightly sweet, pull-apart rolls with a tender, feathery crumb and a faint, fruity flavour, and they have become a staple of American cooking, especially for sliders, where their sweetness sets off the saltiness of ham and cheese. They are modelled on the Portuguese sweet bread that immigrants brought to Hawaii in the nineteenth century, a rich, lightly sweet yeast bread that was adapted with local ingredients, and the pineapple juice in the recipe is the local touch. It adds sugar, gentle acidity and a delicate tropical flavour, and helps the rolls stay soft. The method is a basic enriched dough. Bread flour gives the strength and chew, an egg and butter give richness and softness, and a spoonful of instant mashed potato flakes, which is optional, holds moisture in the crumb and keeps the rolls soft for days. The dough is kneaded until smooth and stretchy, left to rise, divided and shaped into balls, then packed close together in a tin so that they rise into each other and bake into a single sheet of rolls that pull apart at the seams. A brush of egg wash gives a shiny top, and butter brushed on after baking keeps the crust soft. Use pineapple juice at room temperature or lukewarm, since a hot liquid will kill the yeast.

How to Make Hawaiian Sweet Rolls

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Mix the flour, yeast, sugar, salt and potato flakes in a large bowl. Add the pineapple juice, egg and the 60 g of melted butter and stir to a shaggy dough.
Knead on a lightly floured surface for 10 minutes, or for 6 minutes in a mixer with a dough hook, until smooth, soft and elastic.
Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and leave to rise for 1 hour until doubled in size.
Grease and line a 23 x 33 cm tin. Knock back the dough, divide it into 12 equal pieces and roll each into a smooth ball.
Arrange the balls in the tin in 3 rows of 4, close together but not squashed. Cover loosely and leave to rise for 30 minutes until puffy and touching.
Heat the oven to 175°C / 350°F (155°C / 310°F fan) while they rise.
Brush the rolls with the egg glaze and bake for 22 to 25 minutes until deep golden brown, with a thermometer reading 88°C in the centre.
Brush with the 20 g of melted butter as soon as they come out, and cool in the tin for 10 minutes before pulling apart.

Tips for Making Hawaiian Sweet Rolls

Use lukewarm juice, not hot. Above about 45°C the yeast begins to die, and the rolls will not rise.
Pack the rolls close together. They rise into each other, which gives them their soft sides and makes them pull apart easily.
Brush with butter right out of the oven. It is absorbed by the hot crust and keeps it soft, and gives the shiny finish.

What to Serve with Hawaiian Sweet Rolls

Ham and cheese sliders
Pulled pork
Butter and honey

Storing & Reheating Hawaiian Sweet Rolls

Keep in an airtight bag at room temperature for up to 3 days. They freeze well for up to 3 months and can be warmed in a 160°C / 325°F oven for 8 minutes.

Hawaiian Sweet Rolls FAQ: Common Questions

How long does Hawaiian Sweet Rolls take to make?

About 55 minutes of hands-on work — 30 minutes of preparation and 25 minutes of cooking — plus 1 hour 30 minutes of Rising, so allow 2 hours 25 minutes from start to finish. The recipe serves 12.

What are the key tips for making Hawaiian Sweet Rolls?

Use lukewarm juice, not hot. Above about 45°C the yeast begins to die, and the rolls will not rise. Pack the rolls close together. They rise into each other, which gives them their soft sides and makes them pull apart easily. Brush with butter right out of the oven. It is absorbed by the hot crust and keeps it soft, and gives the shiny finish.

What should I serve with Hawaiian Sweet Rolls?

Ham and cheese sliders; Pulled pork; Butter and honey.

Can Hawaiian Sweet Rolls be made ahead or frozen?

Keep in an airtight bag at room temperature for up to 3 days. They freeze well for up to 3 months and can be warmed in a 160°C / 325°F oven for 8 minutes.

Is Hawaiian Sweet Rolls suitable for a special diet?

This recipe is vegetarian. Those labels are checked against the ingredient list, so a dish is only marked when nothing in it contradicts the claim.

How many calories are in Hawaiian Sweet Rolls?

About 247 kcal per serving, with 6 g protein, 40 g carbohydrate and 7 g fat. The figures are calculated from the ingredient list and are an estimate.

Hawaiian Sweet Rolls Nutrition

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.

247Calories

6gProtein

40gCarbs

7gFat

2gFibre

7gSugar

190mgSodium

Vegetarian

Hawaiian Sweet Rolls

How to Make Hawaiian Sweet Rolls

Tips for Making Hawaiian Sweet Rolls

What to Serve with Hawaiian Sweet Rolls

Storing & Reheating Hawaiian Sweet Rolls

Hawaiian Sweet Rolls FAQ: Common Questions

Hawaiian Sweet Rolls Nutrition

Reader Reviews

Cooked this? Leave a review

How to Make Hawaiian Sweet Rolls

Tips for Making Hawaiian Sweet Rolls

What to Serve with Hawaiian Sweet Rolls

Storing & Reheating Hawaiian Sweet Rolls

Hawaiian Sweet Rolls FAQ: Common Questions

Hawaiian Sweet Rolls Nutrition

Reader Reviews

Cooked this? Leave a review

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