Homemade Hawaiian Rolls
October 15th, 2025
This Recipe creates 20 servings
Prep Time: 02 hours 30 minutes
Cook Time: 27 minutes
Hawai'ian bread is a sweetened bread, much like a brioche, that is commonly found in Hawai'ian cuisine. It is the perfect delivery system for a ham, cheese, and grilled pineapple slider. There are countless variations of Hawaiian Bread recipes, often handed down from your "Kupuna Wahine" (Grandmother). This recipe creates individual, single serving rolls of Hawai'ian Bread. In order to produce a soft and fluffy roll, the dough should be very sticky and will be difficult to handle. Working additional flour into the dough will make the finished bread too heavy. In order to prevent the dough from sticking without adding more flour, you can use frequently applied olive oil or water on your hands. For best results, form each roll into a silicone tray with 2.5 inch cups.
Ingredients:
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Dry Ingredients
4 Cups (500 Grams) All-Purpose Flour
1 Tablespoon (8 Grams) Yeast
1 Cup (7.1 Ounces / 200 Grams) Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
Wet Ingredients
3/4 Cup (6 Ounces) Water
3/4 Cup (6 Ounces) Canned Pineapple Juice (NOT Fresh Pineapple Juice)
1 Egg, warmed to room temperature
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
Egg Wash
1 Egg
1 Tablespoon Water
Shredded Coconut or Sesame Seeds (optional)
Directions:
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Mix Ingredients
Add all the Dry Ingredients into the mixer bowl and stir until fully integrated.
Mix together the Water and the Pineapple Juice. Use the microwave to heat the Water/Juice mixture until it reaches 115° F.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the Olive Oil, the Eggs, and the Vanilla until fully mixed.
Whisk the Water/Juice mixture in with the Oil/Egg/Vanilla mixture until fully integrated.
Add the Wet Ingredients into the Dry Ingredients. Mix the Dough together until fully integrated.
This will produce a very wet, very sticky "Slack Dough" that is too loose to hold a firm shape.
First Rise or Bulk Rise
Cover the Dough and rise for 2 hours in a warm place (about 80°), or until the Dough doubles in size.
Form the Rolls
After the Bulk Rise:
Cover a large sheetpan with parchment paper.
Oil your hands with a few drops of Olive Oil and punch down the Dough.
Separate the Dough into about 20 equal Rolls, weighing about 54 Grams each.
Arrange each Roll on the parchment covered sheetpan so that they are almost touching each other.
Re-oil your hands frequently, as needed, to prevent the Dough from sticking to your hands while you measure and form each Dough Roll.
OR
Measure 54 Grams of Dough into each cup in the silicone tray.
Re-oil your hands frequently, as needed, to prevent the Dough from sticking to your hands while you measure and form each Dough Roll.
Second Rise or Final Rise
Cover the Rolls with a clean tea towel and rest the Dough for another 60 minutes. The size of each Roll should increase by half (to about 150%).
Finish each Roll
After the Final Rise...
Preheat the oven to 325° F.
Whisk together the Egg Wash and brush it on the top of each Roll.
Optionally, you can also sprinkle a pinch of Sesame Seeds or a pinch of Shredded Coconut on the top of each Roll.
Bake
Bake for 27 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown.
The internal temperature of each Roll should reach 190° F.
Remove the Rolls from the oven.
Immediately cover with a clean tea towel and cool for about 10 minutes. This will trap moisture as the Rolls cool, resulting in a softer crust.
Store in an airtight container up to 5 days.
Freeze in a sealed ziptop bag up to 3 months. Thaw in a sealed container on the counter for a few hours.
