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.
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 family’s favorite sweet sourdough rolls (it’s a tie between these and sourdough brioche, which 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.
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 9×13. 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 don’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.
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Why you will love this recipe:
Simple: This recipe couldn’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!
FAQ:
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.
What’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 1950’s. It is actually a twist on the Portuguese sweet bread, which also has a slight pineapple flavor even though pineapple isn’t listed on the ingredient list.
Ingredients
- Pineapple Juice – Canned or bottled will work the best.
- Milk
- Sugar
- Sourdough starter – Make sure it is nice and bubbly. Discard or immature starter will not work for this recipe.
- Butter – This needs to be softened so it can easily be incorporated. Butter that is too hard will just leave you with chunks.
- Vanilla extract – Store-bought or homemade.
- Egg
- Salt
- All-purpose flour – Nothing fancy here. Plain ol’ all-purpose flour will work. Fresh milled or store bought.
Egg wash
- Egg yolk
- Water
Tools you may need:
Measuring cups and spoons
9×13 baking dish
Bench scraper (optional but useful)
How To Make Sourdough Hawaiian Rolls
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 9×13 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.
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.
Storage:
Store in an air-tight container. Use within 3-4 days for best results. Or freeze for up to 6 months.
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.
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
Ingredients
- 1 cup pineapple juice
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup starter
- ¼ 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 9×13 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 9×13. 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 don’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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I make regular Hawaiian rolls all the time the only thing I would change in your recipe is I would use coconut extract in place of vanilla. Really gives it a wonderful flavor to your rolls I use 1.5 tsp.
Great idea! Thank you for sharing!
Turned out great, delicous! I read reviews ahead of time, thank goodness, and so I kneaded for a very LONG time, Still needed to add a bit more flour. They rose perfectly. I have the Artisan Sourdough bread recipe in the mixer kneading now! Thank you for the recipes!
So glad it worked out for you and you enjoyed them!
I am going to give these a try any thoughts on how long you kneaded the dough?
Ok I kneaded for 45 minutes this time and it never looked different than times before. I finally added a little more flour and it balled up some but not like other doughs. It would be helpful see the consistency of the dough when it’s done kneading. Your video only shows after it risen. Also it shows you measuring flour with a cup. I have done a scale at 600g every time. So maybe I’m not adding enough flour and that’s why it doesn’t come together and I’m either under or over kneading? I had similar results with the challah bread and could not braid it at all because it was so sticky and not formed. My starter seems healthy and active and I’m following your recipe but do you think it is my starter or kneading? Please help.
I followed the recipe and the dough was very sticky and wet. I added extra flour and knead for probably 30 minutes. A video would be appreciated as I was very confused on what the dough should look like being so sticky. It just didn’t seem right. When I checked on it in the morning it had not risen much at all. It had been 12 hours at that point and 69 degrees in my home. I definitely could use a video on this one!
You just have to keep kneading! It will eventually become smooth and elastic but it takes forever in the Kitchenaid, way longer than even the kitchenaid site says is normal. I do have a short video that shows the consistency of the dough here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOu527pF1WE
Hey Lisa! Love all of your recipes, especially this one and your brioche and French bread. I have made this recipe 4-5 times and cannot get it to rise like yours. My starter is very active and bubbly and I follow the recipe exactly with my kitchen scale. It is so sticky when I try to make balls, even with dusting with flour. Is that a sign that it is not kneading long enough? It tastes great but is just not as pretty or fluffy as yours. Please help. Thanks!
You just have to keep kneading! It will eventually become smooth and elastic but it takes forever in the Kitchenaid, way longer than even the kitchenaid site says is normal!
OK I needed for 45 minutes this time. Finally added a little bit of flour but now I’m worried over next. It’s been rising for 9 hours and hasn’t risen much. It would be helpful to see your consistency in the mixer when you’re done kneading. I did notice that you measured your flour with measuring cups and not with the kitchen scale. I do a kitchen scale and do exactly 600 g. I wondered if maybe that was part of it but feel like that wouldn’t affect the rising portion of it, correct?
I kneaded this time for 45 minutes. It never changed appearance of how it has looked before so I finally added flour. It finally balled up some but not like the other doughs I have done. It would be helpful for a video or picture of the consistency it is supposed to be in the mixer when it is done kneading. It has been rising for 13 hours but has not risen much at all so I’m assuming it will be the same as before and not fluffy like your pictures. Please help.
I know you are a busy person, but I tried these 2 times, I did let them knead a very long time and it was still sticky. Followed directions exactly, starter was bubbly and they didn’t turn out either time. I used frozen pineapple that had to be made into juice, it was all I could find at the store. I use a lot of your sourdough recipes and they all turn out. I really would like to know when you say they have to knead a really long time to not be so sticky, how much time are you saying? Do you think it was the wrong kind of juice or any ideas why it isn’t turning out for me? I really want them to turn out, but don’t know what I am doing wrong. Thank you, love that you are so relaxed about this, it is the only reason I even tried sourdough.
You just have to keep kneading! It will eventually become smooth and elastic but it takes forever in the Kitchenaid, way longer than even the kitchenaid site says is normal! I do not have a set time because there are a lot of factors that go into it. So, it could take you much longer.
I hate to say it, because I really love it, but I have greatly reduced using my Kitchen Aid with the dough hook with these wet doughs. I just put the water and starter in a 6 qt tub, swish it around, then dump in the rest of the ingredients, mix it with one hand until it is all congealed and let it sit for about a half hour. It will be a mess and stick all over your hands the first time. I come back 3 or 4 times every half hour, sprinkle a light dusting of flour on my cutting board, stretch it out, fold it over a few times and toss it back in the tub, takes 30 seconds to a minute. In two hours or so of this it gets vert smooth and sticks to itself more than your hands. Wet doughs are tougher to work with, but if you want the big airy result you just have to learn to work with it.
I made these yesterday for dinner with friends & they were a big hit! I don’t have a mixer so I kneaded them by hand & they turned out absolutely delicious! Love your recipes & your YouTube channel.
Woo hoo! I love hearing that!
I have tried these twice and don’t know what I am doing wrong, the dough is always wet and doesn’t raise. I make the sourdough sandwich bread all the time with no problems, but this is not turning out. I followed the recipe exactly, the only thing I used was frozen pineapple juice concentrate that I had to dilute. I couldn’t find bottled anywhere. Is that the problem? I would love to get these to turn out. I also have made the bagels with no problem either. I think my starter is bubbly, I fed it at noon like the recipe said second time just to be safe (I usually feed in morning). Any ideas??
You just have to keep kneading! It will eventually become smooth and elastic but it takes forever in the Kitchenaid, way longer than even the kitchenaid site says is normal!
Made these yesterday turned out delicious! Thanks for the recipe.
Yay! Wonderful.
Hi Lisa,
I love your recipes. I started making your sourdough sandwich bread pretty much weekly and your sourdough pancakes have been a staple in our home for years.
I have made this recipe twice now and both times my dough didn’t rise well. I have baked lots of sourdough artisan and sandwich bread and it always rises well and has nice oven spring. I don’t know why this recipe is giving me such a hard time. The flavor is so delicious and I wish that I could get them to rise to enjoy them even more. Any pointers? How many hours after feeding your starter do you use it for this specific recipe?
Blessings, Chrissy
I put mine on top of my stove that has two pilot lights, and they rise beautifully, so maybe they just need a warmer location. With your experience in sourdough baking, it sounds like you probably have no trouble with other things rising, so I can’t be completely sure what is causing this issue for you.