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Hawaiian Sweet Rolls

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Last updated on June 6th, 2018 at 02:03 pm

Delicious homemade Hawaiian Sweet Rolls, soft, fluffy and fresh from the oven. These Hawaiian sweet rolls have a tropical flavor perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

sweet rolls fresh out of the oven in a baking dish

My love for baking goes back a long time ago. Since I was a little kid really. Which is interesting because my mom was not a baker nor did she really like to bake, but the times that she did, I was right there in the kitchen with her, excited and eager to learn. It’s a passion I’ve had forever. Although I’m not a fancy baker, or a pastry baker, I do love to bake breads, muffins, scones, cookies and cakes. So needless to say, I would never in a million years turn down a dinner roll recipe.

These Hawaiian sweet rolls are one of my favorite rolls. It’s an old recipe I’ve shared with you back in 2014 and wanted to share it with you again with some new pictures, a video and a bit more explanation regarding the dough.

sweet rolls before rising brushed with egg wash in a baking dish

The reason I started making my own Hawaiian sweet rolls is because I can’t find them here in Calgary and eventually I gave up looking for them and decided to make my own. I’m so glad I did because they really are one of the best rolls ever.

You may think that a dinner roll is just a dinner roll. But if you look at the list of ingredients, you’ll notice pineapple juice, coconut extract and ginger which are not too common in bread rolls. At least not in the rolls I’ve made before.

sweet rolls after rising, brushed with egg wash in a baking dish

Needless to say, these sweet rolls are delicious and have great tropical flavors. The rolls are perfect for sandwiches, which is actually how we ate them. Ham and swiss cheese sandwiches, placed them in the oven for a few minutes just until the swiss cheese melted and OMG were these sandwiches delicious. But they’re perfect for breakfast with some jam and butter, or eggs, whatever you want. They are a bit sweeter but they are super soft and fluffy, and honestly, there’s nothing better than hot fresh rolls right out of the oven. I especially love the buttery smell of my Crescent Dinner Rolls! It’s right up there with bacon, in my book. Not sure which is higher. Maybe hot rolls and bread because I love the smell of hot bread, but then I love the smell of bacon too. OK, we’ll leave this debate for a later time. But I’ll probably be thinking of this all night.

sweet rolls fresh out of the oven

When I originally posted this some of you had issues with the dough saying that the dough is too soft or sticky. The dough is supposed to be a soft sticky dough. I didn’t even use the full 4 cups of flour. However, there are many factors that come into play when it comes to making the right dough. Usually though when you have a sticky or runny dough, the more you knead it the less sticky it becomes and eventually it will become glossy and develop a skin as the gluten forms. But this dough is supposed to be quite soft to the touch, but as you mix it in your mixer it should still come clean off the sides of the bowl.

The other issue some people have is with their dough not rising. Pretty much this always has to do with your yeast. In this recipe I’m using instant yeast and not active dry yeast though you could use either. The difference is that instant yeast does not have to be activated, just add it to your dry ingredients, where as with active dry yeast you have to dissolve it in a bit of warm water first. Totally up to you which you use. But always always check the expiration date. Check out the recipe notes for more information.

sweet rolls on fresh out of the oven on a cooling rack

If you try this recipe, please let us know! Leave a comment, rate it and tag a photo #jocooks on Instagram so we can see it. I always love to see what you guys come up with!

Hawaiian Sweet Rolls

Delicious homemade Hawaiian Sweet Rolls, soft, fluffy and fresh from the oven. These Hawaiian sweet rolls have a tropical flavor perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
4.86 from 28 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: bread rolls, dinner rolls, hawaiian food
Prep Time: 4 hours
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 4 hours 25 minutes
Servings: 15
Calories: 232kcal
Author: Joanna Cismaru

Ingredients

  • 8 tbsp butter unsalted and melted (1 stick)
  • 3/4 cup pineapple juice
  • 1/4 cup buttermilk
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
  • 1 tsp coconut extract
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 1/4 tsp instant yeast
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp ground ginger
  • 2 eggs room temperature
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 egg for egg wash
US Customary - Metric
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Instructions

  • Heat oven to 200 F degrees.
  • 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 3 3/4 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 1/4 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 1 1/2 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 degrees. 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 degrees.
  • Brush the rolls with egg. Once heated, bake the rolls for 22-25 minutes or until the tops are golden brown in color.
  • Remove 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.

Watch How To Make It

Notes

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. 
 
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. 
 
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.
 
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.
 
Once your yeast package or jar has been opened, you must refrigerate the yeast or freeze it in an airtight container.
 
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.
 
Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
 

★ Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to give it a star rating below!

Nutrition

Serving: 87g | Calories: 232kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 229mg | Potassium: 84mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 5.2% | Vitamin C: 1.5% | Calcium: 2.6% | Iron: 10.2%
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Nutrition Facts
Hawaiian Sweet Rolls
Amount Per Serving (87 g)
Calories 232 Calories from Fat 63
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 7g 11%
Saturated Fat 4g 20%
Cholesterol 62mg 21%
Sodium 229mg 10%
Potassium 84mg 2%
Total Carbohydrates 34g 11%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Sugars 8g
Protein 5g 10%
Vitamin A 5.2%
Vitamin C 1.5%
Calcium 2.6%
Iron 10.2%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Recipe adapted from Life Made Simple

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Comments

  1. Cjr says

    May 2, 2019 at 6:48 pm

    Can you make the dough in advance and let it ride in the fridge overnight? Made some today and want to get a head start for more tomorrow. Very good btw.

    Reply

    • Joanna Cismaru says

      May 2, 2019 at 7:04 pm

      Yeah you can cover it with plastic wrap, maybe spray it with some cooking spray first so the dough doesn’t dry out, then cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it overnight. You’ll see that the dough will continue to rise in the fridge but at a slower pace.

      Reply

  2. Debbie says

    March 31, 2019 at 11:31 am

    I don’t have a mixer or bread machine. I have a regular old fashion hand mixer (no paddles). Can I use that or just mix by hand?

    Reply

  5. Jessie Norris says

    February 13, 2019 at 11:24 am

    This NC baker is in th process of making this recipe as we love Hawaiian Sweet Rolls, buy them always!
    As I make most of my bread, gave this a go. The dough worked beautifully! Flour amount was perfect!
    It did not raise in warmed oven after 1 hour?! Presently, am waiting longer for it to raise double.
    Will post again later with results. jessie

    Reply

  9. Dean says

    November 23, 2018 at 10:13 am

    It tastes great but mine came out looking more like corn bread consistency (more cakey) instead of a nice dinner roll consistency. Not sure what went wrong.

    Reply

    • Nicole Beaulieu says

      November 23, 2018 at 11:03 am

      That’s very interesting, ours came out incredibly soft. So, they came out dense? That could be one of two issues. Either too much flour (if you added any extra) or your yeast wasn’t good. Did the dough rise significantly like shown in the video? If not, then you need a new jar of yeast. I suggest storing it in the freezer so it lasts longer.

      Reply

      • Dean says

        November 23, 2018 at 1:53 pm

        It rose very well so don’t think it was the yeast. I only added a tiny more flour mainly when forming the balls as it was very sticky and just stuck to my hands. My balls didn’t completely hold their shape either and kind of “melted” some in the pan before baking. I don’t remember my dough pulling away from the walls of the mixer like in the video. I’m thinking there wasn’t enough flour in this recipe. I wouldn’t say mine was dense like cornbread but it had more of a consistency of a cake (somewhat crumbly but not entirely).

  12. dinah bayot says

    September 5, 2018 at 7:26 pm

    I’m excited to do the sweet roll and I want my shipmates to try the bread. if i double the amount of this recipe, should I double the yeast too?. Thank you

    Reply

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