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hawaiian rolls in a baking pan.
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4.64 from 135 votes

Hawaiian Sweet Rolls

Delicious homemade Hawaiian Sweet Rolls. They're soft, fluffy and fresh from the oven! These Hawaiian sweet rolls have a tropical flavor perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Prep Time4 hours
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time4 hours 25 minutes
Course: Rolls, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: bread rolls, dinner rolls, hawaiian rolls
Servings: 15
Calories: 232kcal

Ingredients

  • 8 tablespoon butter unsalted and melted (1 stick)
  • ¾ cup pineapple juice
  • ¼ cup buttermilk
  • ½ cup brown sugar packed
  • 1 teaspoon coconut extract
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • teaspoon instant yeast
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
  • 2 eggs room temperature
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 egg for egg wash

Instructions

  • Heat the oven to 200°F or if your oven has a proof setting, turn it on.
  • In a medium size bowl, combine the melted butter, buttermilk, pineapple juice and brown sugar. Slightly whisk so that it's all combined. Wait a bit until mixture cools a bit (if it's too warm from the melted butter) then add the extracts.
  • Meanwhile, in the bowl of your mixer, combine 3¾ cups of flour, yeast, salt and ground ginger. Using the paddle attachment, turn the mixing speed on low and slowly pour in the wet ingredients. Continue mixing while adding the 2 eggs and egg yolk. A sticky dough will begin to form. Switch to the hook attachment and knead the dough for 7-8 minutes, adding ¼ cup more of flour if necessary. Do note that this is a very sticky dough, so don't add any more than 4 cups of flour total!
  • Once the dough has been kneaded, form into a ball and place in a large metal or glass bowl that has been lightly greased. Cover with a clean towel or plastic wrap, turn OFF your oven, place inside and allow to rise for about 1 to 1½ hours or until doubled in size. I use this trick all the time to speed up the rising time.
  • Once the dough has doubled, remove and gently deflate. Divide into 15 equal pieces. Roll into circles and place in a parchment lined 9x13 pan. Heat oven to 200°F. Generously butter the tops and sides of each roll. Place a clean kitchen towel over top. Turn OFF your oven and place the covered rolls inside to rise until doubled in size.
  • Remove the rolls from the oven and turn on your oven to 350°F.
  • Brush the rolls with egg. Once heated, bake the rolls for 22-25 minutes or until the tops are golden brown in color.
  • Remove the rolls from the oven. Another option is to skip brushing them with the egg wash and bake them, then brush them with melted butter once out of the oven.

Video

Notes

  1. This is a very soft and somewhat sticky dough. Keep mixing/kneading the dough until it comes clean from the sides of the bowl, but you should not have to add more flour than the 4 cups. 
  2. If using active dry yeast, please make sure you activate it first by dissolving it in a bit of warm water. If it does not begin to froth up, do not continue with the recipe. 
  3. Always check the expiration date on your yeast and make sure it hasn't expired. All your yeast products whether it’s in a jar or a package should be stamped with a “Best if Used by” date. Always make sure you check this date, even when you purchase the yeast, who knows it could have been on the shelf past its expiry date.
  4. To keep your yeast fresh and longer lasting, unopened yeast packages or jars should be stored in a cool or dry place such as your cupboard. However, you can also store your yeast in the fridge or freezer. If you do store it in the freezer and need to use yeast for your baking, make sure you take out the amount you need and let it sit at room temperature for at least half hour before using.
  5. Once your yeast package or jar has been opened, you must refrigerate the yeast or freeze it in an airtight container.
  6. One thing to remember about your yeast, is that it is a living organism and over time it will lose activity, even if you’ve never opened the jar or package. So if you don’t bake often, buy the smaller yeast packages rather than a big jar of yeast.
  7. These rolls can be stored right on the counter covered in either tin foil or plastic wrap for 3 - 4 days.
  8. You can freeze these rolls in an airtight container for up to 3 months, just thaw at room temperature overnight before warming back up in the oven at °F for 10 minutes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1roll | Calories: 232kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 176mg | Potassium: 84mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 260IU | Vitamin C: 1.2mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 1.8mg