Sourdough Hawaiian rolls are a soft, fluffy, sweet roll with a delicious pineapple flavor and classic sourdough tang. These make the best dinner rolls, or you can use them to make mini sandwiches.

sourdough Hawaiian sweet rolls stacked in a white and cream ironstone bowl lined with a white linen towel. The bowl is on a white countertop

Probably one of the easiest bread recipes ever and also one of the tastiest. You simply dump all the ingredients into a stand mixer, allow the mixer to knead, let the dough rise, shape, rise again and bake. 

No folding and stretching. Just mix until stretchy right in the stand mixer.

Hawaiian rolls are one of our familyโ€™s favorite sweet sourdough rolls (itโ€™s a tie between these and sourdough briochewhich is quite similar). 

If we are out of town or traveling and we need to stop by the grocery store to get some bread, we will grab Hawaiian rolls rather than white bread. It is just so much more delicious.

Hawaiian rolls are a great way to feed a crowd. For an easy dinner, I love having this sourdough Hawaiian bread on hand to make ham and Swiss rolls. Slice the rolls in half, add your ham and cheese, top with the other half, then bake until gooey. 

The perfect combination of sweet and savory.

sourdough Hawaiian rolls baked in a white ceramic baking dish

Tips:

  • Make sourdough Hawaiian bread – Usually, we make these into rolls, but you can also make this recipe into a loaf. Just make 6 larger dough balls and bake in a bread pan, rather than in a 9ร—13. Bake for about 25 minutes.
  • Make sure your sourdough starter is super active and bubbly for best results.
  • If you find yourself with risen dough, but donโ€™t have time to shape and rise again before baking, you can stick it in the fridge until you have time. This slows down the fermentation process, allowing you a little extra time.
  • New to sourdough? Check out how to make a sourdough starter here, and see the list of terms you may need to know.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here.

a white ceramic baking dish full of sourdough sweet rolls on a white vintage stove

Why you will love this recipe:

Simple: This recipe couldnโ€™t be easier. Add all the ingredients straight to the stand mixer and let it do all the work. Allow it to rise, then shape the dough, rise again and bake. 

Super delicious: Is there anything better than super soft, fluffy, buttery sweet rolls?

Perfect for mini sandwiches or appetizers: These rolls make the best vessel for ham and Swiss sandwiches or sliders. Yum!

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FAQ:

close up picture of sourdough Hawaiian sweet rolls stacked in a blue and white bowl lined with a white linen towel

Are Hawaiian rolls the same as brioche?

They are similar since Hawaiian rolls and brioche are both enriched doughs, meaning they include eggs and/or butter. The main difference is that Hawaiian rolls are sweeter and include pineapple juice to give them a super yummy flavor.

How is Hawaiian bread different from regular bread?

It includes pineapple juice and more sugar compared to regular bread.

What is special about Hawaiian bread?

It is sweet and fluffy with a slight pineapple flavor.

side view of a bowl full of Hawaiian sweet rolls with a vintage stove in the background

Whatโ€™s the difference between Hawaiian rolls and regular rolls?

They are an enriched roll, meaning that they include butter and eggs. Regular rolls usually do not. Hawaiian rolls also include pineapple juice to give them that tasty, sweet, pineapple flavor.

Why is it called a Hawaiian roll?

Because they originated in Hawaii in the 1950โ€™s. It is actually a twist on the Portuguese sweet bread, which also has a slight pineapple flavor even though pineapple isnโ€™t listed on the ingredient list.

close up of freshly baked sourdough sweet rolls in a white ceramic baking dish

Ingredients

  • Pineapple Juice โ€“ Canned or bottled will work the best. 
  • Milk
  • Sugar 
  • Sourdough starter โ€“ Make sure it is nice and bubbly. Discard or immature starter will not work for this recipe.
  • Butter โ€“ This needs to be softened so it can easily be incorporated. Butter that is too hard will just leave you with chunks.
  • Vanilla extract โ€“ Store-bought or homemade.
  • Egg
  • Salt
  • All-purpose flour โ€“ Nothing fancy here. Plain olโ€™ all-purpose flour will work. Fresh milled or store bought.

Egg wash

  • Egg yolk
  • Water

Tools you may need:

Stand mixer

Measuring cups and spoons

9×13 baking dish

Bench scraper (optional but useful)

overhead photo of sourdough Hawaiian sweet rolls freshly baked in a white ceramic baking dish on a white vintage stove

How To Make Sourdough Hawaiian Rolls

ingredients being added to stand mixer

Add all of the ingredients (except the egg wash) to the stand mixer with a dough hook.

Knead until smooth and elastic, about 10-15 minutes.

Place dough in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a tight lid.

woman wearing a pink apron using a bench scraper to cut a ball of dough in half

Allow to rise overnight. About 8-12 hours.

woman wearing a pink apron making rolls on a white countertop

Divide dough into 18 even rolls and place in a greased 9ร—13 baking dish.

Cover with a towel and allow to rise until doubled. This rise will take about 1-3 hours depending on the temperature of your home.

woman brushing the top of rolls in a baking dish with a egg wash

Once the dough has doubled, create the egg wash and brush over the dough.

rolls topped with an egg wash in a white baking dish on a white stove

Bake for 20-25 minutes at 375 until the rolls are golden in color.

Cool.

bowl of sourdough sweet rolls on a white countertop with a vintage stove in the background

Storage:

Store in an air-tight container. Use within 3-4 days for best results. Or freeze for up to 6 months.

baking dish full of Hawaiian sweet rolls on a vintage stove

Baker’s Schedule:

12 PM: Feed sourdough starter.

8 PM: Create dough and allow it to ferment overnight, covered.

8 AM the next day: Take dough and roll into 16 rolls. Place in a baking dish covered and allow to double in size.

10 AM: Bake and allow to cool before serving.

ham and swiss sliders on Hawaiian rolls

How To Use Sourdough Hawaiian Rolls:

  • Ham and Swiss
  • Pulled pork
  • Mini hamburgers. Growing up my aunt made the best sliders with these rolls. She would brown ground beef with seasonings and onions. Slicing the rolls in half, she would add ground beef, top with pickles, and then replace the other half of the rolls and bake.
  • Chicken parmesan sliders: Add cooked chicken and a little tomato sauce, top with parmesan and mozzarella cheese, then bake until gooey.
  • Fried chicken sliders: Use my sourdough fried chicken recipe and create mini sandwiches.
  • BLT

Find More Sourdough Roll Recipes:

If you try this recipe and love it, I would love if you gave it 5 stars! Thank you! Tag me on Instagram @farmhouseonboone.

Sourdough Hawaiian Rolls

4.58 from 211 votes
A soft, fluffy, and sweet roll with the delicious pineapple flavor and classic sourdough tang. These make the best dinner rolls or use them to make mini sandwiches.
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Additional Time: 12 hours
Total: 12 hours 45 minutes
Servings: 18 rolls
close up picture of sourdough Hawaiian sweet rolls stacked in a blue and white bowl lined with a white linen towel
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Ingredients 

  • 1 cup pineapple juice
  • ยฝ cup milk
  • ยฝ cup sugar
  • ยฝ cup starter
  • ยผ cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 5 cups all Purpose Flour

Egg wash

  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 2 tablespoons water

Instructions 

  • Add all of the ingredients (except the egg wash) to the stand mixer with a dough hook.
  • Knead until smooth and elastic. About 10-15 minutes.
  • Place dough in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a tight lid.
  • Allow to rise overnight. About 8-12 hours.
  • Divide dough into 18 even rolls and place in a greased 9ร—13 baking dish.
  • Cover with a towel and allow to rise until doubled. About 1-3 hours depending on the temperature of your home.
  • Once the dough has doubled, create the egg wash and brush over the dough.
  • Bake for 20-25 minutes at 375 until the rolls are golden in color.
  • Cool.

Notes

  • Make sourdough Hawaiian bread: Usually, we make these into rolls, but you can also make this recipe into bread. Just make 6 larger dough balls and bake in a bread pan rather than in a 9ร—13. Bake for about 25 minutes.
  • Make sure your sourdough starter is super active and bubbly for best results.
  • If you find yourself with risen dough, but donโ€™t have time to shape and rise again before baking you can stick it in the fridge until you have time. This slows down the fermentation process allowing you a little extra time before needing to make.

Nutrition

Calories: 195kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 287mg | Potassium: 70mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 119IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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4.58 from 211 votes (184 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




319 Comments

  1. Ellen says:

    5 stars
    These have become a family favorite! Delicious and uncomplicated to make. Thanks for the recipe

  2. Trista says:

    Hi, could you make the dough and freeze?

    1. Lisa Bass says:

      Yes! I have a post all about how to freeze dough

      1. Amber Shoemake says:

        When freezing do you freeze the dough before cooking or the rolls after cooking?

        1. Lisa Bass says:

          I like to freeze them after cooking.

  3. Ashley says:

    5 stars
    Made the Hawaiian rolls for the first time today. I wonโ€™t be buy the ones from the store ever again! My whole family (family of 10) loved them!!

  4. Sandy says:

    Mine also turned out very dense. Not sure what went wrong? I knew I was in trouble when I saw the dough the next morning after the bulk rise as the dough was just a heavy mass. It hadnโ€™t risen at all. I went ahead and made the rolls and they didnโ€™t rise after 3 hours either. I baked them and the flavor is great but heavy and dense! Would love for these to turn out light and fluffy. What can I do different next time? Thank you!

    1. Lisa Bass says:

      It sounds like something may have gone wrong with your stater.After the first night, it should almost double!

  5. Rebecca says:

    Do you have this in grams VS cups?

  6. Shiori says:

    Mine ended up really dense. 5 cups of flour and followed everything to a T. Is it normal for the dough to be kinda dry and hard?

    1. Lisa Bass says:

      The dough should not be that dense.

  7. Tiffany says:

    Hello, mine turned out more dense and not light and fluffy. Is there something I could have done wrong? The flavor was fine but the 2nd rise didnโ€™t really do much.

    1. Lisa Bass says:

      Hmm how long did they rise for? How cool is your house? Sometimes if you house is cooler it can take much longer than the suggested time.

  8. Sarah says:

    5 stars
    These are so good!! Iโ€™ve made them twice and they turned out so good both times. The dough is super sticky though and hard to handle, am I doing something wrong or is it supposed to be sticky?

    1. Lisa Bass says:

      A little bit of stickiness is normal.

  9. Susan Scott says:

    I made the rolls and they came out amazing. The only problem is that everyone loves them so much I will probably have to make them every week ๐Ÿ˜‰

    I want to make this into bread, which I see can be done. Does this make one loaf? You mention cutting it into 6 balls, but it seems like 6 loaves would be very tiny.

    I’m fairly new to sourdough, and very new to bread baking. Any suggestions you have are greatly appreciated. Thanks!

    1. Lisa Bass says:

      You could turn them into 1-2 bread loaves.

  10. Sylvana says:

    Do you have rhis recipe in grams instead of cups?