Hawaiian Sweet Rolls

4.79 from 19 votes

These soft buttery golden brown Hawaiian Sweet Rolls are "close-your-eyes-and-smile" delicious. They're light and fluffy, slightly sweet, and have an ultra-pillowy texture.

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Rest/Proof Time:2 15

Total Time2 45

Course: Bread

Cuisine: American

Keyword: bread, hawaiian bread, hawaiian rolls, kings hawaiian rolls, soft bread, sweet rolls

Servings: rolls

Calories: 175kcal

Author: Callie

Equipment

Stand Mixer with Dough Hook and Paddle Attachment
Nonstick Rectangular Pan, 9 x 13 inch or 12 x 18 inch https://amzn.to/3cdP2A3

Ingredients

½ cup room temperature pineapple juice OR warm water (110°-115°F) *use pineapple juice for traditional hawaiian sweet roll or use water for a soft dinner roll - both taste great!
½ cup warm whole milk (110°-115°F) Or substitute with ½ c warm water and 2 tablespoons of whole milk powder
2¼ teaspoon Redstar Insant yeast (2¼ teaspoon = 1 packet)*
3 tablespoon white granulated sugar
1 egg
⅓ cup unsalted butter, softened (⅓ cup of butter = 5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon)*
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1 ½ teaspoon Maldon sea salt flakes
3½-3¾ cups bread flour *all purpose can also be used as a substitute
1 egg white, beaten (for egg wash)
1 tablespoon cold water (for egg wash)

Instructions

Activate the yeast before adding to balance of dough ingredients. Heat milk to 110°-115°F. Add 1 tablespoon of white granulated sugar and add yeast. Set aside to let the yeast activate (it should rise and get foamy).
While yeast activates, cream the butter, egg, brown sugar, remaining white granulated sugar, vanilla, and sea salt flakes in your stand mixer. When well combined, add in the pineapple juice slowly. Allow it to incorporate with each addition.
Once yeast has activated add it to your stand mixer and combine with other ingredients.
With stand mixer on the lowest speed setting, begin adding flour one spoonful at a time. The dough will start out sticky, but as it continues to mix, the stickiness will subside. Knead the dough with the hook attachment in your stand mixer for 5 minutes after all flour has been added.
After the dough has been kneaded, cover the stand mixer's bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough proof for 1 hour.
While the dough is resting lightly grease a 9x13 nonstick rectangle pan or dish.
After the dough has completed proofing for 1 hour, remove it from mixing bowl. Cut the dough into 15 equally sized portions, and roll each portion into a ball or rounded square shape.
*(if you want smaller rolls feel free to change your portion size, but anticipate a different bake time!)
Evenly space rolls on prepared baking dish, leaving room for them to proof and expand as they bake. Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap or a damp towel and leave it to proof in a warm area for 75-90 minutes. This proofing time is essential for rolls to become airy and light, so don't cut it short.
(Set a timer for an hour and preheat your oven when it goes off. This gives your oven 15-30 minutes to preheat while bread is still proofing). Preheat the oven to 375° F with convection on.
Rolls should double in size and be touching when the second proof is completed. Whisk 1 egg white and 1 tablespoon of cold water together in a small bowl. Brush egg wash on the rolls, lightly coating all the visible areas.
Transfer rolls to the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes until the top of bread turns golden-brown evenly across the top of the rolls.
Optional* while bread is baking melt and brown a couple tablespoons of butter to brush across rolls when they come out of the oven!
Eat, enjoy, and be sure to let me know how you served them!

Notes

To store leftovers make sure rolls wrap rolls well and keep at room temperature for a few days. If you would like to store them longer, wrap and freeze them!

*I have prepared this recipe with all purpose flour, bread flour and a mix of bread flour and all purpose and each recipe comes out equally soft and tasty!

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