Sourdough Hawaiian Rolls
These fluffy sourdough Hawaiian rolls are soft, sweet, and fluffy with a delicious sourdough tang that adds depth to the classic tropical flavor.
Equipment
- 1 Stand mixer or large mixing bowl
- 1 9” x 13” pan or 14” cast iron skillet
- 1 measuring cups and spoons
- 1 parchment paper
- 1 Tea Towel
Ingredients
- 1 cup sourdough starter, active or discard
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 ½ cups pineapple juice
- 1 cup melted butter or other fat
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 5 cups flour
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, or in a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Add additional flour if needed until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl.
- Knead in the stand mixer bowl on medium speed for at least 5 minutes, or knead by hand for at least 10 minutes. You want to make sure the gluten in the dough is properly developed. This is why I like to make these rolls in a mixer, because I can start it mixing and work on the dishes or cleaning up the kitchen while the mixer does the work for me.
- Place the lid on the mixer bowl, or cover with a tea towel and allow it to do its bulk fermentation, or first rise at room temperature for 8-10 hours or overnight, depending on the temperature of your kitchen.
- The next day, divide the dough ball into 15 equal pieces and shape them by rolling them around on the countertop to create tension on the dough, or shape by putting your thumb in the center of the roll and pinching the sides together. (See video below).
- Place it in a greased 9” x 13” baking dish.
- Cover with a tea towel and allow to rise in a warm place for 1 to 2 hours or until doubled. If you’re going to be out of the house, you can always raise these rolls in the refrigerator for several hours as well.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a deep golden brown.
- Brush the tops of the rolls with butter and allow to cool a bit before serving. These rolls pair well with sweet or savory. Enjoy them plain with butter, as mini burgers, or cube them for a delicious French toast bake or Hawaiian bread pudding.
- Store leftovers in a ziplock bag or other airtight container for 3-4 days on the countertop or a week in the refrigerator. These rolls can also be frozen for up to six weeks.
Notes
Mix up the dough the night before if you want to serve these at noon the following day, or mix it up in the morning if you want to serve them at night. This will give you the best results and the maximum health benefits of long fermentation. This also makes the rolls fast and easy to shape and bake before serving.
Let the dough rise until doubled, not rushed, this keeps the rolls airy.
If you need your rolls to rise more slowly because you’ll be out of the house, you can always shape them and then let the dough rise in the refrigerator.
Sourdough Hawaiian rolls can be made ahead of time and frozen for up to six weeks. Just thaw, and then warm in the oven for a few minutes before serving.
Knead the dough for at least 5 minutes in the mixer or 10 minutes by hand, so the gluten gets properly developed. You can pull up a section of the dough once it's done mixing and do a windowpane test, where you check to see if you can "see" through it without it tearing. This means the gluten is properly developed and they will rise well.
If you want to make a smaller batch of rolls, feel free to cut this recipe in half. This is just the size that works best for my family.
Place parchment paper in your baking pan before shaping your rolls. This makes the rolls easy to remove from the pan once baked.
You can make these rolls with sourdough discard as long as you add a couple of tablespoons of active dry yeast to the dough.
