About This Recipe

What are Hawaiian Rolls?

Hawaiian Rolls are a type of sweet bread roll that originated in the United States. The most popular Hawaiian roll is “King’s Hawaiian.” They are characterized by their sweet flavor, soft and fluffy texture, and golden brown exterior. Hawaiian rolls compliment both sweet and savory dishes, and are commonly served as dinner rolls or sliders.

What I love about this recipe:

This recipe features a large sweet stiff starter, which reduces the overall sour flavor of the rolls and helps them rise at a reasonable pace. This recipe also features a tangzhong made with pineapple juice – the secret and unique ingredient that makes these rolls so special. The flavor and texture of these rolls is absolutely spot on; and will leave you yearning for more.

Why this recipe works

Sweet Stiff Starter

“Sweet” and “stiff” both contribute to a reduced sour taste in these rolls. Learn more about sweet stiff starters here. This sweet starter is especially large, in order to help the rolls rise at a reasonable pace. Due to the high sugar content in this recipe, the rolls would not be able to proof without it.

Tangzhong

The addition of a tangzhong creates added softness and fluff, while also helping keep these Hawaiian rolls tasting fresh for days. This tangzhong is unique, made with pineapple juice rather than milk or water. This adds a special sweetness and tropical flavor to the dough. You won’t regret taking the time for this addition! Learn more about tangzhong here.

The Ingredients

You may have gathered by now that the secret ingredient here is pineapple juice, but what else is special? To make this recipe absolutely spot on, I have added an entire cup of sugar to the dough. This, combined with enrichments like eggs and butter, makes these rolls irresistibly mouthwatering (though, not at all healthy).

Gluten Development

Gluten is developed in this recipe by kneading the dough in a stand mixer until it is smooth, glossy, and (almost) passes a windowpane test. This ensures a strong dough with minimum effort on the baker’s part.

Bulk Fermentation

Due to the large amount of sugar + the high fat content, fermentation can take quite a while. A large, sweet stiff starter helps offset this a bit, but it will still take some time. Letting the dough rise as much as possible, but not too much, contributes to the airiest of rolls. Using a proofing aid can speed things along.

Egg Wash

This helps give the rolls their beautiful brown color! Without the egg wash, the rolls would be (almost) completely colorless.

Baking Method

I bake these rolls at 400 F for 20 minutes, then 350 F for 20 minutes more. I find the initial temperature helps with oven spring and browning, while the lower temperature finishes cooking the rolls all the way through.

Suggested Baking Timeline

8 PM (Day 1)

+Make the sweet stiff starter

+Make the tangzhong (option one)

8 AM (Day 2)

+Make the tangzhong (option two)

+Make the milk mixture

8:30 AM (Day 2)

+Mix and knead the dough

+Begin bulk fermentation in proofer set to 75 F

5 PM (Day 2)

+Transfer the dough to the refrigerator

8 AM (Day 3)

+Shape the rolls.

+Allow the rolls to rise until they are puffed up and pushing up against one another

2-4 PM (Day 3)

+Bake the rolls and enjoy!

FAQs

Can I do stretch-and-folds instead of kneading in my stand mixer?

I would not recommend performing stretch-and-folds (on their own) as a method of gluten development on this dough. Due to the high fat content of this loaf (lots of butter!), gluten is difficult to develop. There are methods of developing the gluten by hand, but they are painstakingly time consuming and require lots of muscle power. If your stand mixer cannot take the high power required to knead this loaf, lower the speed and knead for longer. You can even give the mixer (and the dough) a rest if needed, then continue kneading until a windowpane is nearly formed.

Hawaiian Rolls

Recipe by Caitlin VincentCourse: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Dessert, Snack, SideCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Advanced

Prep time

minutes

Resting Time

hours

Baking Time

minutes

Yield

rolls

Hawaiian Rolls are a type of sweet bread roll that originated in the United States. The most popular Hawaiian roll is "King's Hawaiian." They are characterized by their sweet flavor, soft and fluffy texture, and golden brown exterior. Hawaiian rolls compliment both sweet and savory dishes, and are commonly served as dinner rolls or sliders.

Ingredients

Sweet Stiff Starter
80 g active starter (1/4 cup)
160 g all-purpose flour (1 1/3 cup)
80 g water (6 tbsp)
20 g sugar (4 tsp)
Tangzhong
40 g all-purpose flour (3 tbsp)
1 6 oz can pineapple juice (185 g)* [see note]
Milk Mixture
240 g milk (1 cup)
240 g sugar (1 cup)
1 stick butter, cubed (113 g, it doesn’t matter if it’s cold or softened)
Dough
300 g bread flour (2 1/2 cups)
250 g all-purpose flour (2 cups + 1 tbsp)
15 g salt (3 tsp)
2 egg yolks (about 35 grams)
All of the sweet stiff starter
All of the tangzhong
All of the milk mixture
Egg wash
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp water

Directions

Make the sweet stiff starter. Mix together all ingredients for the sweet stiff starter 12 hours before beginning this recipe.* [see note]
Make the tangzhong. Combine all ingredients for the tangzhong in a small saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat, whisking continuously, until the mixture thickens. Cool completely before incorporating into the dough.* [see note]
Warm the milk mixture. In a separate, small saucepan, combine milk, sugar, and butter. Heat the mixture until it reaches 100-110 F, the sugar is dissolved, and the butter is partially melted. Cool slightly before incorporating into the dough.
Begin the main dough. Whisk together the flours and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the remaining ingredients, and give it a rough stir.
Knead in a stand mixer at a low speed (1-2 for a KitchenAid) for 1-2 minutes, until mixed. Increase to a medium speed (4-6 for a KitchenAid) and knead 15-20 more minutes, until the dough begins to slap the sides of the bowl and (mostly* [see note]) passes a windowpane test. The dough will be wet and messy* [see note], and will not completely remove itself from the bottom of the bowl. See 5:16 in the video for visuals.
Once the dough has passed a windowpane, wet your hands and perform a few sets of coil folds (5:38 in video) to form it into a nice, smooth round. Cover with a plastic cling wrap, a lid, or a damp cloth.
Bulk ferment the dough. Let the dough rise in a warm environment until it has increased in size by 50-80%. Optionally, you can give the dough 1-3 sets stretch and folds during this time to help evenly distribute the yeast and temperature for fermentation. The total time for bulk fermentation took me eight hours at 75 F, but will take even longer in cooler temperatures.* [see note]
At this point, you can place your dough in the fridge until the next day. (This is what I usually do.) If choosing this option, the shaping of this dough into rolls will need to happen approx. 6-8 hours before you plan to bake them. Alternatively, shape (with oiled hands, to prevent a sticky mess) and leave at room temperature for another 1-3 hours, until they are puffy and touching one another in the pan.
Shape the rolls. Grease a 9X13 baking dish and shape the dough into 15 rolls, approx. 111 g each, (or 18 rolls, approx 92-93 g each). Let them proof again until puffy and touching one another in the pan.
Preheat your oven to 400 F.
Make the egg wash. Whisk one egg yolk with one tbsp water until smooth. Brush all over the rolls.
Bake at 400 F for 20 minutes. Then, reduce the heat to 350 F and bake for 20 minutes more. Optionally, halfway through baking (when the temperature is reduced), cover the rolls with aluminum foil so that they don’t brown too much.
Enjoy!
How to store: Store on the counter in a Ziploc bag for three, or up to seven, days. Alternatively, flash-freeze the rolls on a sheet pan, then store in the freezer.
To reheat: From room temperature, warm in a low oven (250 F) about five minutes, or in the microwave 30 seconds or less. From frozen, reheat in a 350 F oven for 5-10 minutes, until warmed through.

Watch the Video

Notes

Pineapple juice: The can I am using in this recipe (Dole 6 oz 100% pineapple juice) claims to have 177 mL (equal to 177 g) inside the can. I have weighed the contents of the can multiple times and it always comes out between 185-190 g. This is the amount of pineapple juice you should use.
Sweet stiff starter: Yes, I am aware of exactly how much starter is being made here. This recipe needs a large amount of yeast and moisture to help it rise because of the amount of sugar that we will be adding to the dough. Without this much starter, fermentation would be incredibly slow.
Tangzhong: The tangzhong can be made 12 hours before alongside the sweet stiff starter and kept in the refrigerator until you are ready for it, or it can be made alongside the dough and placed in the freezer to cool completely before incorporation.
Windowpane: Gluten will finish developing during warm fermentation, so the windowpane does not have to be perfect when you are finished kneading. Being able to see through the dough, and maybe even seeing a few small tears, will suffice for this recipe.
Wet and messy dough: Sugar absorbs water from its surroundings, which is why moisture is essential in this recipe. Do NOT be tempted to add more flour. Instead, develop sufficient strength in the dough during the kneading process.
Bulk fermentation: Due to the high sugar content of this recipe, fermentation will be incredibly slow. A proofer can help speed things up, but plan in advance for extended fermentation time, especially if you are proofing at room temperature. If you are not using a proofing aid (or any sort of warm environment), you can let the dough rise completely to double in size.