Hawaiian Rolls have their origins on the Big Island of Hawaii. They are so soft and flaky. Brown and white sugar, along with pineapple juice, give them that delicious taste that makes it so hard not to eat the whole pan. If you can resist and save some for later, they make the best Hawaiian Ham and Cheese Sliders you will ever have. Perfect for dinner, sliders, or a midnight snack.
Key Takeaways:
- Big Island Origins: Hawaiian Rolls originated in Hawaii and are famous for their soft, fluffy texture and sweet flavor.
- Secret to Softness: A high moisture content, long mixing time, and envelope folding technique trap air in the dough, creating a pillowy finish.
- Flavor Boosters: Pineapple juice, brown and white sugar, and butter give the rolls their signature sweet, tropical taste.
- Yeast Matters: SAF Gold instant yeast is best for handling the high sugar and moisture in the dough, ensuring a great rise.
- Envelope Fold Method: Repeated folds at 5-minute intervals add more air, improving the dough structure and lightness.
- Perfect for Sliders: These rolls are not just for dinner—they’re ideal for Hawaiian Ham & Cheese Sliders or a late-night snack.
Overview
Hawaiian Rolls are a beloved treat that originated on the Big Island of Hawaii, known for their irresistibly soft, fluffy texture and subtly sweet flavor. Infused with pineapple juice and a blend of brown and white sugars, these rolls deliver a tropical twist that makes them a favorite for everything from holiday dinners to midnight snacks. What sets these rolls apart is their incredibly light and pillowy interior, achieved through a high-moisture dough, potato flour, and an envelope fold technique that incorporates extra air. Using a stand mixer and SAF Gold yeast ensures the dough stays airy despite its richness from eggs, butter, and juice. Once shaped, the rolls undergo long rise times to develop their signature texture and are finished with a buttery coating that gives them their golden shine. Whether enjoyed warm out of the oven or repurposed as Hawaiian Ham and Cheese Sliders, these rolls are sure to be a crowd-pleaser.
What Makes These Hawaiian Rolls So Light and Soft?
If these rolls were any lighter, they would float right out of the pan. What’s the secret? Air and water! The stand mixer adds air with an extended mix time. Then the envelope fold technique adds even more air. The dough also has high moisture to flour ratio. The potato flour in the dough absorbs more moisture than regular flour, adding extra moisture to the dough. Once the rolls are baked, the result is a soft, pillowy, light as air roll.
- How Do I Make Hawaiian Rolls.
A stand mixer is a necessity for making these rolls extra soft and light. Add all the dry ingredients to the stand mixer. Add the wet ingredients. Unlike a baguette, with water as the sole source of moisture, these rolls receive moisture from water, pineapple juice, eggs, and butter. All that moisture makes for a heavy dough initially. Use SAF Gold instant yeast instead of the regular SAF instant. The GOLD yeast was designed for dough with high sugar and moisture levels. Mix the dough for 7 minutes in a stand mixer.
Once the dough is mixed, stretch and fold/envelope fold the dough 3 times at 5-minute intervals to fold extra air into the dough.
Envelope Fold Technique:
- Flatten the dough, stretch the bottom portion down, and then fold it up to the midpoint of the dough.
- stretch the top half up and then fold it down over the bottom half of the dough. It will look like the back of an envelope.
- Rotate the dough 90 degrees and repeat steps 1 and 2.
- Cover and let the dough rest 5 minutes and repeat steps 1-4.
- Do a series of 3 Envelope folds with 5 minutes rest period between each envelop fold.
For a video on how to do the envelope folds click here. Note the video uses a 20 minute rest period instead of 5 minutes between the envelope folds.
Shaping and Baking the Hawaiian Rolls
Once the rolls are mixed, time to let them rise. The rise time can be as long as two hours after mixing and another two hours after shaping. Be patient as the long rise times make for light as air rolls.
Shaping – split the dough into 15 equal pieces and shape into balls. The rolls are coated with melted butter both before and after baking. All that butter soaks into the top of the rolls, keeping them extra soft. Bake the rolls until the center of the pan is 190 degrees F. Usually, about 20 minutes. Once baked, the delicious aroma and shiny buttery top will be almost impossible to resist. So go ahead, have one or two, or three. ENJOY!
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FAQ:
Q: Why do Hawaiian Rolls taste slightly sweet and tropical?
A: The combination of pineapple juice, brown sugar, and white sugar gives them their distinctive flavor.
Q: Can I make these rolls without a stand mixer?
A: A stand mixer is strongly recommended to properly incorporate air and develop the dough’s structure, making the rolls soft and fluffy.
Q: What is the envelope fold technique?
A: It’s a method of stretching and folding dough to trap air, improving lightness. You do it three times with 5-minute rests in between.
Q: How long do I need to let the dough rise?
A: The dough needs a first rise of up to two hours and another two hours after shaping for best results.
Q: Why use SAF Gold instant yeast instead of regular yeast?
A: SAF Gold is formulated for sweet, moist doughs and gives a better rise in recipes like this with high sugar and moisture.
Q: How do I know the rolls are done baking?
A: Bake until the center of the rolls reaches 190°F, typically around 20 minutes. The tops will be golden and buttery.
Hawaiian Rolls
Equipment
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Ingredients
- 5 cups all-purpose flour (21 ounces)
- 4 tbsp Brown Sugar
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar
- 4 tsp yeast 2 packages, SAF Gold is best if you have it.
- 1 tsp salt,
- 2 tbsp potato flour If you don't have potato flour use 1/4 cup of instant potatoes.
- 3/4 cup pineapple juice canned
- 4 tbsp melted butter
- 1¼ cup water mix water with pineapple juice and warm to 110 degrees.
- 2 large eggs
Instructions
Make the Dough.
- Put the flour, sugar, salt, yeast, and potato flour in the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Add together the warm pineapple juice and water and melted butter. Mix and add to the dry ingredients. Add the eggs, then mix on low to combine.
- Increase the speed to medium, mix for seven minutes more. The dough should be smooth and very soft. It will stick to the bottom of the mixing bowl.
- Remove the dough from the bowl and shape it into a ball. Use a little flour to keep the dough from sticking to your hands and the counter. Envelope fold the dough 3 times at 5-minute intervals to fold extra air into the dough - See notes for technique.
- Put the dough back into the lightly floured mixing bowl and cover with Plastic Wrap. Let rise for two hours. At the end of the two hours, the dough should be more than double in size.
Shaping and Baking The Rolls.
- Once the dough has more than doubled in size, turn it out onto the counter and divide it into 12 rolls. Gently shape the pieces into balls and place them in a parchment-lined 11 x 13-inch baking dish.
- Cover and let rise in a warm place for another hour, or until very puffy. Preheat oven to 375 degrees during the last 30 minutes of rising. Brush the rolls with melted butter and bake for 20 - 30 minutes. The middle roll should be 190°F in it's center. Check with an instant-read thermometer.
- Remove from the oven and brush with melted butter once more. These Hawaiian rolls can be made the day before and rewarmed just before serving.
- Freeze in a ziplock bag for up to 2 weeks. During thawing remove from the ziplock bag to keep the rolls from getting soggy.
Notes
- Flatten the dough, stretch the bottom portion down, and then fold it up to the midpoint of the dough. stretch the top half up and then fold it down over the bottom half of the dough. It will look like the back of an envelope.
- Rotate the dough 90 degrees and repeat steps 1 and 2.
- Cover and let the dough rest 5 minutes and repeat steps 1-4.
