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 am going to make this! now that I have an excellent starter.
Hi Lisa,
I love your recipes but I’m having an issue. For most of your recipes my dough is too wet/sticky to shape after the first rise. Have any suggestions? I’m new to baking and using a sourdough starter. Thank you.
Katherine
It sounds like maybe the gluten wasn’t developed enough. It may need a few more stretch and folds to go from shaggy and wet to smooth and glossy. If the dough is too hard to handle, this is usually the case.
Is the overnight rise in the refrigerator? I didn’t see that in the instructions. It didn’t rise much overnight and it is taking a really long time to rise in my fairly warm and humid kitchen. It’s been two hours and they haven’t gone very far.. My dough is very dense but smooth and silky. My starter seemed pretty bubbly when I added it so I am not sure where I went wrong. This also happened with my Broiche bread that I tried from your website. I let it rise almost twice the suggested time and it still wasn’t much over the top of the bread pans. Any suggestions?
I would let it rise at room temp. It will of course vary by the temperature and humidity in your kitchen, but sometimes it takes quite a while. I would just let it continue to rise! I have also had the brioche and hawaiian rolls take quite a long time to rise.
These are delicious! I let these rise for almost 20 hours then shaped and did a 3 hour second rise. They are sweet and fluffy. They will make a great side for our Easter ham.
So wonderful to hear you enjoyed them. They would be the perfect side to Easter ham! Yum
How much do you feed your starter for you to have over a half a cup for recipe?
If you have a quarter cup of starter you can feed it a half cup flour and water and have plenty.
I notice the recipe says 18 rolls but in your picture you have 3 rolls by 5 rolls (15). Just wanted to double check this. Do you usually make the larger tools (15) or the smaller tools (18) total.
Good catch! The recipe can make 18 rolls, but you can adjust based on the size of roll you prefer.
Can I swap out the sugar for honey?
Possibly. It will add extra moisture to the dough so you may have to use less honey and maybe add more flour. I’ve never tried it to confirm.
Can i use gluten free flour?
No I don’t think so. It will probably not turn out due to the lack of gluten. That is what makes it super soft and fluffy.
Ahhh I’m struggling so much with this and i dont know why!! All of my other breads turn out great. This is like a thick sticky cake batter. Ive added so much more flour and it still wont come together! Whats odd is that the first 5 minutes of mixing it gets it to come together and then it falls apart after. Another batch I’m having to throw away. Please help!!!!
I’ve made these twice now and the flavor is so yummy! I have an issue though. Both times I’ve baked these, the rolls did not get done at the 20-25 minute mark. The first time, I baked them for 20 minutes and they were golden on top and looked done. I took them to my grandmother’s for a family gathering and they were still doughy in the middle. This second time, I baked them for 25 minutes and still doughy. Even the outer edge ones were doughy. I am baking them 5 minutes longer with the convection oven on to try and get them finished. I just wanted to let others know to watch for doughiness.
Oh no! I’m so sorry you are having issues with this recipe.