Hawaiian bread rolls are SO POPULAR for a reason! I did tons of testing and research to perfect the BEST homemade Hawaiian dinner rolls recipe, so that you too can make the softest, fluffiest dinner rolls ever!
Even better, this recipe yields bread rolls and slider buns that NEVER become hard the following day. Fluffy, sweet Hawaiian rolls with a subtle pineapple flavor that will soon become a favorite for you too!
What are Hawaiian rolls?
Originally developed by Robert Taira, who lived in Hilo, Hawaii. The original Hawaiian bread rolls were called King’s Hawaiian rolls, because they were made at the King’s Bakery.
First made in the 1950s, Portuguese sweet bread rolls were the inspiration for these sweet, soft, fluffy rolls! The pineapple juice yields these dinner rolls a sweet flavor, and these soon became a super popular treat all over the US.
Having tried these dinner rolls in the US many times, I wanted to replicate the recipe here in Canada, where I couldn’t readily find them anymore. After dozens of batches, many hundreds of buns later, here’s the most foolproof homemade Hawaiian dinner rolls recipe ever! It’s easily one of our favorite homemade bread recipes.
Why these Hawaiian rolls are so good!
- A meticulously tested recipe where I explain the importance of each step. Just like my brioche bread, brioche buns, babka, white sandwich bread, milk bread, focaccia bread etc., this helps me develop a recipe that delivers always perfect, failproof results.
- With the detailed step by step guide, you know what to look for in your dough, so you know that you’re on the right path!
- I show how to make sweet Hawaiian rolls that are so soft and fluffy, but most importantly, they do not become hard the next day! So you don’t need to warm up your rolls to make them soft, unlike other recipes you’ll find online.
- I provide ingredient substitutions where possible, so you can still get amazing results with an adaptable recipe.
- There are notes and pictures to help you troubleshoot any problems or questions you may have!
Ingredients you’ll need
- Canned pineapple juice
- Bread flour
- Instant yeast or active dry yeast
- White sugar & molasses
- Eggs
- Milk powder
- Vanilla extract
- Butter
- Salt
Ingredient notes and their role in the recipe
Pineapple juice
It’s important to use 100% pineapple juice from a can or box. You can use fresh pineapple juice, but ONLY if it’s heated first. That’s because fresh pineapple contains bromelain, which is an enzyme that loves to break down proteins.
In this recipe, these enzymes will break down gluten in the dough which will make it impossible for you to make the buns (check out the image below!). Canned pineapple juice has been heated / pasteurized, which eliminates the enzymes that break down gluten.
Bread flour
I have made this recipe with all bread flour and all AP flour (all-purpose flour). Some recipes online will say that you must use a mix of both to make fluffy rolls, but that is simply incorrect. Both options yield excellent results and soft, fluffy dinner rolls!
The reason is simple. You just have to know how to knead the dough properly. But the bread flour does give the bread rolls a little chew WITHOUT losing that soft and fluffy texture, thanks to the extra protein content.
Using 100% AP flour will give the rolls a slightly more soft texture, and this will be comparatively harder to knead into a smooth ball.
Using 100% bread flour will give the rolls a slightly chewy texture and crumb, but this is easier to knead into a smooth ball.
I’ve also made this recipe with 33% AP flour and 67% bread flour. This ratio provides the best balance of super fluffy rolls while still being easy to manage when kneading. But I do like the more chewy crumb you get with bread flour.
So, you can make this recipe with 100 % bread flour, OR if you’d like a slightly more soft texture, substitute 1/3 of the bread flour with AP flour. The change in texture is very subtle though, so this is not necessary. You can absolutely make this recipe with 100% AP flour or 100% bread flour, for fluffy bread rolls that do NOT become hard the next day.
Instant yeast vs active dry yeast
You can use either of these types of yeast. Instant yeast is more active than active dry yeast, so the bread will proof faster with instant yeast.
If you’d prefer to have an overnight proof, then I recommend going with active dry yeast. If the bread rolls are going to be baked on the same day, then I recommend using instant yeast for faster proofing.
Sugar and molasses
In this recipe, I use white granulated sugar and fancy molasses. The sugar adds sweetness. Molasses add a little extra flavor as well as color.
However, you can substitute all the white sugar with dark brown sugar and skip the molasses as well. I just love the color and flavor that the molasses add.
Eggs
I use large eggs. Eggs add moisture, as well as richness from the yolks. If you don’t want to use eggs, substitute with soy milk or oat milk.
Whole milk powder
This is optional, but adds so much flavor! I previously made this recipe with a combination of pineapple juice and milk, but this compromised the subtle flavor that pineapple adds to the Hawaiian rolls. This flavor is so essential, so I removed the milk from the recipe.
But then I missed the richness and flavor that milk added as well. So I introduced milk powder to still retain that delicious softness and milkiness (like I do with this New England hot dog bun recipe or this Japanese milk bread), while also maintaining the sweet pineapple flavor. Win-win!
Vanilla extract and salt
Both are for additional flavor. While vanilla is optional, salt is NOT optional. I have accidentally forgotten to add salt a coupe of times, and the bread tasted absolutely bland.
Salt brings out the sweetness of all the ingredients, and enhances the flavor of the bread. So it’s not optional.
I do also recommend vanilla as it adds a wonderful fragrance and flavor to the baked rolls. But if you don’t have it, you can add water instead.
Butter
I use unsalted butter for the dough. And use salted butter to brush on top.
The fat from the butter adds flavor and richness to the dough, which also helps to keep the bread rolls soft and fluffy. But butter also inhibits gluten development. Which is why we need to be patient with the kneading process.
You can use a vegan substitute to make this recipe vegan.
How to make the fluffiest Hawaiian bread rolls (step by step overview)
Step 1 – Activate the yeast and make the sponge
If your pineapple juice is cold, make sure that it’s at least at room temperature or heated to about 95 F / 35 C. Mix in the molasses (if using) with the pineapple juice in a medium bowl / or mixer bowl (image 1). Then add the first portion of AP flour (or bread flour) and yeast (image 2), and whisk together to form a smooth paste (image 3).
This will be a very wet mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and let it proof for about 20 – 30 mins. The sponge should start to bubble and rise quite a bit (image 4). When the sponge is nice and bubbly, start preparing the dough.
Why?
The purpose of the sponge is to activate the yeast. I have made this dough without activating the yeast, and the proofing times can be long, especially if you’re living in a cold climate. The sponge allows the yeast to be very active, ensuring proper proofing that will lead to fluffy, soft buns.
Step 2 – Make the dough
Add the eggs, vanilla, milk powder, sugar, and the sponge into the mixer bowl (image 5). Followed by the remaining flour, and finally the salt (image 6). Make sure the salt isn’t in direct contact with the sponge, as the high salt concentration will kill the yeast in the sponge. But when the salt is mixed in with the dough, this won’t be an issue.
Mix the dough together to form a shaggy-looking dough (image 7). Then knead the dough with the dough hook for about 5 mins on medium speed (image 8).
Why?
Kneading the dough without butter gives the gluten a head start to develop, before the butter comes in later. You can add the butter earlier as well, but this just helps to shorten the kneading time a little bit.
Step 3 – Add butter to the dough
After kneading the dough for about 5 mins, you should have a dough that’s sticky, and less shaggy. It will form a smoother, more relaxed dough (see image below).
Add the butter to the dough at this stage (image 9). If you live in a very hot climate, you can add the butter softened. But if you live in fairly cold climate, you can add melted and cooled butter as well.
Change the dough hook to a paddle to help mix the butter into the dough (image 10). Mix the dough on medium / medium high speed, until the butter has incorporated into the dough. This can take about 2 – 3 mins.
Step 4 – Knead the dough
Here is where you need some patience, to make sure you get the BEST fluffy and soft homemade Hawaiian rolls.
The dough will look like very stiff cake batter at this stage (image 10). This is NORMAL. Knead the dough on medium speed for about 10 – 15 minutes. Make sure to regularly scrape the bowl with a dough scraper or spatula. Do not leave the mixer unattended.
The dough will go from a lumpy and sticky mess to a smooth and shiny dough (images 11 – 12). Trust the process. There is enough gluten in the flour that you added to form a cohesive dough, but you must let that gluten develop through the kneading process.
Many recipes call to add flour until a dough ball starts to form. DO NOT DO THIS here! We want the dough to be soft, rich, and sticky, so that we end up with fluffy rolls.
If you add more flour to form a dough, the bread rolls will be soft while hot, but will feel dry and hard when they cool down. This is why some recipes require the rolls to be heated when you use them the following day to make them softer.
Step 5 – Check the dough consistency
As you knead, it will form a smooth, shiny dough as the gluten develops. Stretch the dough during the kneading process to find out if the gluten if developing. Make sure that your hands are either lightly greased or moistened with water when doing this.
At the start, you will not be able to stretch the dough at all. The dough will simply break when you try to stretch it.
Halfway through the kneading process, the dough will be easier to stretch. Try to stretch a portion of the dough into a thin film, but the dough will break before you can do this.
When the dough is ready, the dough can be stretched out until it’s fairly thin. It doesn’t need to be completely see-through (like in the window pane test), but there should be a nice elasticity in the dough without it tearing.
Another test is to use the dough hook to lift the dough out of the mixing bowl. Use the dough hook to “hook” into the dough and lift it out of the bowl. If the dough comes out in one piece, with very little dough left in the bowl, you’re done!
Why?
This test will help you determine when the dough is done kneading. The correct indication that this dough is done kneading isn’t if the dough “comes together”, but if enough gluten has developed to form a sturdy matrix for good bread.
Having the proper amount of gluten will allow the bread to proof and hold lots of air without collapsing, resulting in a soft and fluffy bun.
Step 6 – Proof the dough
Lightly grease your hands and shape the dough into a ball (images 13 – 14). Lightly grease the mixing bowl (or any other big bowl), and place the dough back. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let it proof in a warm environment until doubled in size (images 15 – 16).
I like to use the proofing function in my oven for this, but any warm environment will work. Ideally between 75 – 80 F. If it’s cooler than 75 F, the proofing time will be longer. Active dry yeast can also make the proofing time longer.
Why?
This initial proof helps strengthen the gluten in the dough further, and to make the buns fluffier at the end by “aerating” the dough through yeast fermentation.
Step 7 – Shape the buns
Line a 9 x 13 inch pan with parchment paper and butter the sides that are not lined. Set aside.
When the dough has proofed, turn the dough out onto your work surface. Fold the dough over itself to gently deflate it.
This dough will be enough to make 15 Hawaiian slider buns. Each portion of dough should weigh between 56 – 60 g (image 17). You can “eye-ball” the amount as well, but I prefer to weigh each portion for accuracy. Keep the dough portions covered.
Take each portion and form it into a smooth, round dough ball with a taut surface. To do this, fold over the edges towards the middle, until the dough feels tight. Pinch the bottom to seal the edges (images 18 – 20). Then dab the top of the dough ball with a little flour and place it on the work surface, with the floured surface facing up.
Cup your palm over the dough ball and roll it on your work surface using your cupped fingers to keep the dough in a ball. Turn the dough over and pinch the bottom to seal. Place the dough on the lined baking pan.
Repeat with the other 14 portions. Arrange the bread rolls (evenly spaced) in a 3 x 5 configuration in a 9 x 13 inch metal baking pan (image 21).
Why?
It’s important to de-gas the dough so there are no large air bubbles in the dough when you’re forming the final buns. This will help create a more even crumb as well.
The buns must be shaped into tight balls, with a taut skin. This is possible BECAUSE we kneaded the dough properly and there is enough gluten to maintain the shape.
If you do not have enough gluten, the dough balls will tear easily when you try to shape them into smooth balls. The tightly formed smooth dough balls will help create well shaped buns that rise properly.
Step 8 – Final proof
Cover the dough in the baking pan with plastic wrap. Keep it in a warm place to proof one final time before baking (image 22).
The proofing time will depend on the temperature of the dough and of the room. But the proofing temperature should ideally be between 75 – 80 F. It takes about 60 minutes for the rolls to proof properly at around 78 F.
Foolproof proofing test (finger indentation test)
Doubling in size isn’t always the best indication of whether the buns are ready to be baked. The best way to test this is to use your index finger to gently poke the dough to just under 1 cm depth. Make sure your finger is lightly coated with flour to prevent the dough from sticking to your finger.
- If the dough springs back completely and leaves NO indentation mark – Underproofed dough.
- Dough springs back about 90% of the way, leaving a shallow indentation – Perfectly proofed and ready to be baked.
- The indentation remains and doesn’t spring back at all, or only very slightly – Almost overproofed, and must be baked ASAP.
- The dough deflates – Overproofed and cannot be used.
You can also place the pan in the fridge overnight – up to 24 hours. The dough will cold ferment slowly which can help develop more flavor. But the buns should still be proofed in a warm place before baking. Make sure the buns pass the indentation test after proofing, even if the buns were stored in the fridge overnight.
Step 9 – Bake the buns
When the buns have proofed properly, they are ready to be baked. Preheat the oven to 350 F / 180 C.
You do have a few options before baking these.
- Egg wash – Whisked egg and then brushed on top. Results in a shiny glaze.
- Milk wash – Heavy cream or milk brushed on top. Results in a matte top.
- Butter wash – Melted butter brushed on top. Results in a slightly glossy top (image 24).
- Nothing brushed on top. Results in a matte crust.
Bake in your preheated oven for about 25 minutes until the top is a golden brown color, and the internal temperature of a bun (in the middle), registers between 200 – 205 F (image 25).
Once the buns are baked, brush the top with (more) melted butter (optional) (image 26).
Step 10 – Serve
You’ll be tempted to eat these while they are hot! And I don’t blame you…
But let the buns cool down for about 10 minutes, and then transfer the buns onto a wire rack to cool down further before serving. The gluten in the dough needs to set. Otherwise you may end up with a gummy crumb. They can be eaten slightly warm if you like though!
Serve as is, or with some salted butter. These can even be toasted in the oven too.
Expert tips and recipe troubleshooting
- The number one tip for this recipe is to be patient.
- Make the sponge to activate the yeast at the beginning. Not activating the yeast can still produce fluffy rolls, but you have a better chance of getting fluffy rolls if you do so.
- Avoid adding extra flour to “make the dough come together”. Yes, this dough is sticky. Yes, it looks very wet. But it’s this higher hydration that will create the soft, fluffy texture.
- Knead until the dough becomes elastic and smooth. Developing the gluten properly will ensure you have a chewy and soft texture. Not kneading properly will result in a drier, more crumbly texture, and buns that become hard the following day.
- Proof the dough properly before baking. Underproofing or overproofing will produce less than desired texture and consistency.
- Use canned or processed pineapple juice for the recipe and make sure it’s 100% pineapple juice. If you use fresh pineapple juice, heat it up to 200 – 212 F to deactivate the enzymes.
Type of flour
I use bread flour here. But I also routinely use 33% AP flour and 67% bread flour. Both these options produce excellent results, with very minor (hardly noticeable) differences. I’ve had both versions taste tasted blindly, and no one could tell the difference immediately. The key is to make sure the dough is properly kneaded, and for bread flour to be the main flour used in the recipe.
While you can absolutely make this with 100% AP flour as well, I find that these rolls are a little too soft for my liking. Hawaiian rolls are known for a slightly chewy texture, and not be cake-like. So I personally don’t recommend making these with 100% AP flour, if you can help it.
Why is my dough not proofing?
Usually dough doesn’t proof because the yeast isn’t active or the dough isn’t warm enough.
This is why I recommend making the sponge first to ensure that the yeast is active, and is given a head start to ferment. If the yeast isn’t hydrated and activated properly, the yeast activity can be very slow.
Likewise, if the dough is cold, the yeast will also slow down in activity.
If the yeast was active in the sponge, and the dough is kept in a warm place during proofing, there is no reason why the dough should not proof.
Why is my dough sticky?
Hawaiian rolls are made with an enriched dough. This is when a dough includes sugar, eggs, and butter to add more fat, flavor, and sweetness. This results in a higher liquid component in the dough compared to the flour. Therefore, enriched dough (like brioche dough for another example) has the consistency of high hydration doughs, which are sticky!
This is normal and expected and desired. This ensures a lovely, fluffy, soft, sweet, rich-tasting bread roll. The more you knead the sticky dough, the more gluten that will develop and make the dough smoother. Still sticky, but cohesive and smooth.
Best type of pan to make Hawaiian rolls
I prefer to use a 9 x 13 inch metal pan. Metal conducts heat better to form soft and fluffy buns with lovely caramelized crusts. The 9 x 13 inch pan also allows you to make Hawaiian rolls that bake while maintaining contact with each other, so that it results in soft-sided buns.
You can also use a half sheet pan to space the buns further apart, so that each bun is baked individually with a crust. If you bake the buns this way, the bake time will be much shorter. So keep an eye on the buns to prevent over-baking.
If you use a glass pan, usually the oven temperature should be reduced and the buns should be baked for longer. You can try this method with this recipe as well. Or, you can keep the temperature at 350 F, but check on the buns periodically.
Why are my Hawaiian rolls dense and dry?
There are 4 main reasons why these rolls can end up dense and dry.
- Underproofed or overproofed dough
- Under-kneaded dough
- Over-baked rolls
- Adding too much flour
Underproofed dough is dense because the dough hasn’t proofed enough to create the fluffy crumb, leaving the crumb very dense. Overproofed dough can collapse as it bakes, creating a dense crumb as well.
Underkneaded dough doesn’t have sufficient gluten to create the matrix for proper proofing. Without the gluten, the crumb will have poor structure that can seem crumbly and dense. It can also seem dry or gummy, depending on whether the bun is warm or cold.
Overbaked rolls can cause too much moisture to evaporate from the dough, creating a dry texture. While this doesn’t create a dense roll, if underproofed or underkneaded dough is overbaked – it can also make the buns dense.
Finally, the most common reason for dense and dry rolls is simply too much flour in the dough. I am a firm believer of measuring ingredients, rather than using volume / cup measurements. Here’s why.
Why it’s important to use weight measurements to make this dough
In my measurement conversions page, I talk about how to convert grams into cups for different ingredients. When it comes to dry ingredients like flour, 1 cup of flour can vary greatly depending on HOW you fill the cup with flour.
The method that is most consistent is the spoon and level method. Where you fluff up the flour, spoon it into the measuring cup until overfilled, and then use a flat blade to scrape off and level the cup. With this method, 1 cup of flour is between 120 – 125 g.
BUT, most people simply scoop the flour directly from the flour bag / container. This method will pack in the flour, which will result in more flour in 1 cup. 1 cup of scooped flour can result in 150 – 160 g of flour! So if you use cup measurements, you could easily add up to 25% extra flour in the recipe, if you measure it this way.
Alternatively, some might add extra flour to the recipe because the dough is wet, and add enough flour to make the dough come together. This also results in unnecessary extra flour in the dough.
Here are rolls from two different batches. One roll is made according to the recipe, where the flour is weighed. The other bread roll is where I added 25% more flour to the dough, and then followed the recipe. See image below.
Straight out of the oven, it’s harder to tell the difference between the two. This is because the heat naturally softens the texture of the buns. But, once cooled down, the difference is very clear!
Adding extra flour causes the bun to be way too chewy and dry! The bun is also more firm and more dense in texture, and as a result it’s very unpleasant to eat. Since the salt level was not adjusted, it also tastes very bland.
Storage (and how long homemade Hawaiian rolls last)
Once the homemade Hawaiian rolls are baked and cooled down, you can store them away. They should be stored in an airtight container. If you store warm rolls in an airtight container, the condensation can make the buns soggy.
Keep the baked buns at room temperature for about 2 – 3 days. But keep them in a cool, dark place, out of direct sunlight.
Fridge
They can also be stored in the fridge for about 5 – 7 days, but bread can go stale in the fridge pretty fast as well.
Freezer
If you want to keep the buns fresh for longer, the freezer is the best option! Wrap the bread in plastic wrap and place in an airtight container. Frozen Hawaiian rolls can be thawed out at room temperature, or heated at a low temperature setting in the oven until heated through.
I have stored these rolls overnight at room temperature in an airtight container and eaten them straight the next day. The rolls are still super fluffy and soft! These homemade Hawaiian rolls do not become so hard overnight that they MUST be heated before eating them.
They can be eaten at room temperature. However, if you want to warm them up before serving them, you can absolutely do that too! After all, warm Hawaiian buns as dinner rolls make for an amazing treat.
How to serve Hawaiian rolls
These rolls are so delicious, they can be eaten on their own! They disappear FAST in our home!
I personally love to eat these Hawaiian buns with salted butter and a slice of cheddar cheese. But there’s so much potential for these bread rolls as dinner buns too.
They pair wonderfully with roasts recipes, and soups and stews recipes. They are soft, and can sop up soup, stews, and gravy beautifully. Which makes these bread rolls a Thanksgiving favorite for us!
These are also perfect to make Hawaiian roll sliders and party sandwiches. Take a bread knife and slice the buns horizontally all the way through, while they are still connected. Just like the store-bought King’s Hawaiian rolls. Then, you can place all kinds of flavors and fillings in the middle.
- Ham and cheese – Spread butter and mustard on each half. Layer ham and slices of cheese on the bottom half, and then place the top half. Brush the tops with melted butter and sprinkle some shredded cheese. Heat in a preheated oven until the cheese melts and starts to caramelize and toast. Cut the sliders into individual servings and serve.
- Pulled pork – Replace the ham and cheese with your favorite pulled pork recipe. I personally LOVE my pork carnitas recipe for these. Add some salsa on top, with some pickled onion and optional mozzarella cheese, and bake and serve!
- Hamburger sliders with Hawaiian rolls – Either cook some mini beef meatballs or small burger patties. Halve the sliders and toast each part on the griddle, and add some cheese to melt on the bottom half. Then place the mini meatballs or burger patties, along with other hamburger toppings and mayonnaise.
- Grilled cheese Hawaiian rolls – Place your favorite combination of cheese between the bread roll halves and then bake in a preheated oven. First with a foil covering them to melt the cheese, and then without the foil to toast the buns. This way, you can make multiple grilled cheese sliders with these Hawaiian rolls.
- Chicken sandwiches – Make mini fried chicken patties to make mini chicken sandwiches! I know my Nashville style hot chicken or fried chicken sandwich would pair SO well with these Hawaiian bread rolls!
- French toast Hawaiian rolls – When your Hawaiian bread rolls get a little stale, they are perfect to cut in half and make mini French toast.
- Bread pudding – Replace the croissants (in this croissant bread pudding recipe) with stale Hawaiian rolls to make delicious chocolate and raspberry bread pudding.
- Or dry the stale Hawaiian rolls and process them to make sweet bread crumbs!
Commonly asked questions
The biggest difference is the flavor, thanks to the addition of pineapple juice. This adds a lovely sweetness to Hawaiian bread rolls (that is more complex than simply adding sugar).
The second difference is that Hawaiian rolls are made with an enriched dough. There are other dinner rolls that can also be made with enriched dough (like these brioche buns), but some dinner rolls are also made with water or milk, with just a small amount of butter or eggs.
They are different types of homemade bread. They are both enriched doughs, but to a different degree. Brioche bread is HIGHLY enriched, and has a much greater amount of butter and eggs, and is also made with AP flour, as it’s meant to be a pastry with a cake-like softness.
Hawaiian rolls are also soft and fluffy, but not as rich as brioche or babka. Plus, it should be made with bread flour, because these rolls should have a more chewy texture as well.
Absolutely!
The eggs can be replaced with a high protein plant-based milk, such as oat milk or soy milk. For each egg, add 50 g of plant-based milk.
Replace the butter with a good quality vegan butter, that is ideally not margarine. The milk powder can be left out, or a vegan milk powder can be used instead. There are oat milk powders and soy milk powders in the market now too.
Looking for more recipes?Sign up for my free recipe newsletter to get new recipes in your inbox each week! Find me sharing more inspiration on Pinterest and Instagram.
Hawaiian Dinner Rolls
Yield: 15 slider buns
Cuisine: American, North American
Prep: 1 hour 10 minutes
Proofing time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Total Time: 4 hours 5 minutes
Servings: slider buns
Prevent your screen from going dark
Instructions:
Making the sponge
-
Heat the pineapple juice just for a few seconds until it’s just lukewarm (between 80 – 90°F / 27 – 32°C). It should only be slightly warm on your skin. Place the juice in a medium-sized bowl or jug that is at least 3 cup capacity.
180 mL pineapple juice
-
Add the molasses (if using), and stir to mix in.
15 mL Fancy molasses
-
Add the yeast and the first measure of flour (about 1 cup). Whisk to form a smooth paste.
7 g yeast, 120 g bread flour
-
Loosely cover with plastic wrap and place the bowl in a warm place for about 30 minutes.
-
The yeast should be activated, and the sponge dough should be bubbly and at least double in size. Now you’re ready to make the Hawaiian bread dough.
Making the bread dough
-
In your stand mixer bowl, place the eggs, vanilla, sugar, and milk powder. Scrape all of the sponge into the mixture as well.
2 large eggs, 66 g sugar, 20 g milk powder, 15 mL vanilla
-
Add the flour on top, followed by the salt. Make sure the salt is not in direct contact with the sponge.
300 g bread flour, 10 g fine sea salt
-
Use a dough whisk or a spatula to mix the dough to form a shaggy looking dough. Place the bowl in your stand mixer with the dough hook attached. Keep the paddle attachment close by, as you may need it later.
-
Knead the dough for about 5 minutes on medium speed (4 – 5). Don’t leave the mixer unattended.
-
The dough should start to look a little smooth as the gluten develops. Make sure to scrape the bowl halfway through the kneading time.
-
After 5 minutes, scrape the dough from the sides and bottom of the bowl. Then add the melted and cooled down butter into the dough.
70 g unsalted butter
-
Switch from the dough hook to the paddle to help mix the butter into the dough. Mix on low speed at first, and as the butter starts to mix in, increase the speed to medium – medium high speed. This will take about 2 – 4 minutes.
-
Once the butter is mixed in, switch to the dough hook again. The dough will look like thick cake batter. Please do not add any extra flour as the dough SHOULD be very wet and sticky at this stage.
-
Knead the dough on medium speed (4 – 5) for about 10 – 15 minutes. Making sure to scrape the bowl periodically to ensure that the dough is mixing evenly. I like to scrape the bowl at least twice during a 5 minute period.
-
The dough should look like thick, lumpy cake batter after adding the butter, and then the dough should start to look smooth and shiny and form a more cohesive shape. The dough should go from being sticky on the sides of the bowl as you’re kneading it, to pulling away and leaving very little on the sides of the bowl.
-
Periodically (every 5 minutes or so), check if enough gluten has developed. To check this, take the dough hook and use it to “hook and lift” the dough out of the bowl. If the dough comes out of the bowl fairly cleanly, leaving very little behind in the mixer bowl, the gluten has developed well.
First proof
-
Turn the dough out onto a very lightly floured surface. The dough will be very soft and a little sticky. Keep your hands lightly greased with oil or butter to prevent the dough from sticking.
-
Fold the edges of the dough towards the middle to form a tight ball of dough. Pinch the edges to seal and turn the dough over to make sure the surface is tight and smooth.
-
Lightly grease the mixer bowl and place the dough back in the greased bowl. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let it proof in a warm place (between 75 – 80°F), until doubled in size. This will take 1 – 2 hours, depending on the temperature.
Portioning, shaping, and final proofing
-
Butter and line a 9 x 13 inch metal baking pan with parchment paper. You can also use a 9 x 13 quarter sheet pan, but the taller sides will help keep the rectangle shape as the bread rolls rise.
-
When the dough has proofed, turn it out onto your work surface. The dough should not stick to the surface, though it will be tacky.
-
Gently flatten or fold the dough over on itself to gently de-gas it. Use a dough cutter / knife to portion the dough into 15 equal pieces. Each portion should weigh between 50 – 58 g. There might be a small portion left over depending on the weight of the dough. Keep the dough portions covered with plastic wrap to prevent them from drying out.
-
Take each portion and gently flatten it to make sure there are no large gas bubbles. Fold in the edges of the dough towards the middle, and repeat until the dough ball feels tight. Pinch the seams to seal and to create a small tight ball of dough.
-
Holding the dough by the pinched seams (the bottom), tap the surface of the dough on a light dusting of flour. Place it back on the work surface, floured side up, and with a cupped palm, roll the ball to help tighten and shape the dough into a smooth round ball (see video in the post for reference). Make sure the bottom seam is pinched and sealed, and place the dough in the prepared baking pan.
-
Repeat with the remaining 14 portions, and arrange the dough balls in a 5 x 3 configuration, inside the baking pan. Make sure the rolls are evenly spaced out.
-
Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap and let it proof one more time before baking. Ideally the proofing temperature should be between 75 – 80°F.
-
To check if the buns are ready to be baked, the buns should proof to about double the initial size. Mostly importantly, check with the finger indentation test to see if the bread is properly proofed.
Baking
-
When the dough is ready to be baked, preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C (conventional oven).
-
OPTIONAL – Brush the tops of the buns with an egg wash (a whisked egg), or cream wash (heavy cream), or melted butter. You can also leave the buns plain as well.
-
Once the oven is preheated, place the buns in the oven (in the middle rack where there is even heating), and bake for about 25 minutes. The bake time can vary depending on the baking pan you use or your oven, so keep an eye on them.
-
The buns are baked when the crust is a lovely golden brown color, and the internal temperature registers between 200 – 205°F.
-
Remove the buns from the oven and brush the tops with salted butter or unsalted butter with a sprinkling of salt on top (optional).
extra salted butter
-
Let the Hawaiian rolls cool down in the pan for about 10 minutes, and then gently move them onto a wire rack to cool down completely.
-
Serve at room temperature or slightly warmed.
Tips & Tricks
Note about molasses
You can skip the molasses and replace the sugar with dark brown sugar if you like. The molasses add some flavor AND give the Hawaiian buns a lovely color.
Note about ingredients
You can use instant yeast or active dry yeast. Substitute 1:1.
You can substitute the flour in the sponge with AP flour instead of bread flour if you like. But making these dinner rolls with 100% bread flour will produce great results IF the recipe is followed and the hydration level is maintained and gluten is developed properly.
To make the recipe vegan
Substitute the butter with a good quality vegan butter that is NOT spreadable margarine.
Substitute the eggs with soy milk or oat milk. 50 mL / 50 g per 1 egg.
Use a plant-based milk powder (like soy milk powder or oat milk powder) instead of the milk powder. Or you can leave it out.
Overnight proofing
The bread rolls can be shaped and placed in the baking dish, and then stored in the fridge overnight – up to 24 hours (covered).
However, the dough will not proof properly in the fridge, and therefore must be proofed at room temperature the following day before baking. Otherwise, the rolls will be dense and dry.
Important information
Recipe tips and troubleshooting
How to shape the bread rolls
The dough consistency change, before and after kneading
Step by step recipe with images
How to store the bread rolls for later
Finger indentation test
Nutrition Information:
Serving: 1bread roll / bunCalories: 182kcal (9%)Carbohydrates: 28g (9%)Protein: 5g (10%)Fat: 5g (8%)Saturated Fat: 3g (19%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 36mg (12%)Sodium: 275mg (12%)Potassium: 98mg (3%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 7g (8%)Vitamin A: 166IU (3%)Vitamin C: 1mg (1%)Calcium: 26mg (3%)Iron: 0.5mg (3%)
“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”
