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This Homemade Hawaiian Roll recipe was a true labor of love to get just right. The store-bought ones have quite a few ingredients not available in the home kitchen so it took a LOT of testing.
At first, the rolls weren’t fluffy enough. So we made a bunch of tweaks to get the texture to match the store-bought kind. Then they weren’t sweet enough. 15 batches later (yes, 15!), we finally nailed it.
Honestly, it took over a year to get this copycat recipe perfected. Luckily, we didn’t mind testing these rolls so many times because they’re THAT good.
These Homemade Hawaiian Rolls are so versatile. They’re perfect as a side with dinner or as the main course (think ham and cheese sliders!). Take them as a side to a barbecue. Make little sandwiches with turkey and leftovers after Thanksgiving. The options are endless!
And bonus: the scent that will waft through your house as these bake is utterly intoxicating.
These Hawaiian Rolls are so much better than the prepackaged versions. You’ll never want to buy store-bought again after trying these!
If working with yeast feels a little intimidating, don’t fret. I’ve included a ton of tips and tricks below so even newbie bread bakers can nail this recipe.
How to Make Homemade Hawaiian Bread Rolls
What Are Hawaiian Rolls?
You may have seen Hawaiian Rolls at your local supermarket – but these homemade versions are SO much better! Hawaiian Rolls are distinctly sweet and ridiculously soft and light, perfect for making delicious mini sandwiches, breakfast sandwiches, sliders, and more. Your kids will go crazy for these rolls, too!
Can I Make Homemade Hawaiian Rolls Without a Mixer?
Probably… but it won’t be easy! Your KitchenAid stand mixer does all the hard work in kneading these Homemade Hawaiian Rolls. By hand, it’s going to take a lot of elbow grease, a long time, and give your arms and hands a heck of a workout. Learn more about kneading dough by hand here.
How To Make FLUFFY Hawaiian Rolls:
- Avoid adding too much extra flour to the dough. Since this dough is slightly sticky and enriched with milk, butter, and a lot of sugar, it takes quite a while to come together. These ingredients slow down gluten development. Your instinct might be to add extra flour; however, any extra flour will create a denser, tougher bun instead of the light, fluffy, brioche-style bun we want.
- Know your kitchen climate. This recipe was tested in Arizona, Michigan, and New York. During testing, Emily from Team HTH’s kitchen (in Michigan) was about 87% humidity, Kiersten from Team HTH’s kitchen (in New York) was about 65%, whereas our studio kitchen in Arizona was 14% humidity. The more humid your location, the stickier your dough will be. If your kitchen is about 65% humidity or higher, use the higher range of bread flour listed (4 1/2 cups, or 540 grams). Reduce the bread flour if your kitchen is less than 65% humidity. Begin with the lower range listed (4 cups + 1 tablespoon, or 516 grams) and add additional flour by the tablespoon (8 grams) as needed.
- It’s better to be slightly sticky than dense. This dough shouldn’t be unbearably sticky, but it will be tacky. Resist the urge to add extra flour as this will negatively impact the texture of the rolls. The dough will be easier to work with after the first rise!
Proofing Homemade Hawaiian Rolls Sliders:
- This dough will take some time to proof, especially if your kitchen is cold. The sugars, pineapple juice, eggs, and butter in this recipe add deliciousness but also slow the proofing process.
- The first rise will take about 90 minutes and the second rise will take about 1 hour; however, these times are completely influenced by the temperature of the rising environment.
- You can tell if your bread is well-proofed by giving it a gentle poke with your finger or knuckle. Bread dough that has proofed well will spring back slowly when poked and leave an indent. If it snaps back too quickly, it needs more time.
- Don’t be tempted to speed up the rise time too drastically, as too much heat will kill the yeast and reduce flavor development.
- If you’re lucky enough to have a proofing setting on your oven, you can use that (provided you’ve tested it previously and it doesn’t get too hot!).
- If your kitchen is very cold, turn your oven on and place the bowl nearby, so it gets a little indirect warmth. If your kitchen is very hot, watch the rolls very carefully, as your rise time might be much shorter than specified.
How To Tell If You Have Over-Proofed Your Homemade Hawaiian Rolls
This can happen easily if your kitchen is very hot, or if you’re super busy and forget to check on the rolls. If your rolls have over-proofed, they will likely deflate while egg washing, or look deflated once baking. Over-proofed rolls will look a little sad, but they should still taste fine.
How to Shape Hawaiian Bread Rolls
It’s important to properly shape your bread rolls for beautiful, tall, fluffy rolls.
- Once the dough is risen, press it down to deflate it slightly.
- Place the dough onto a clean surface (not a floured surface). Use a bench scraper to section the dough into 12 equal pieces. Don’t worry if they’re not perfectly equal in size. However, if you’re a perfectionist you can actually weigh the entire mass of dough, divide that number by 12, then portion each piece perfectly by weight.
- As you’re shaping each piece into a round, make sure to pinch the dough into one central point to create a tight ball. This will help the rolls rise beautifully. Don’t flour your work surface when shaping the rolls because you want some resistance to roll them into taut balls.
The Best Pan for Homemade Hawaiian Rolls
- This is my favorite pan for baking Homemade Hawaiian slider rolls, but any light-colored metal pan will work just fine.
- Avoid dark-colored metal pans, as these can cause excessive browning and dry out the edges.
- If using a glass or ceramic baking pan, you may need to extend the baking time. Learn more about baking in Glass vs. Metal Pans here.
For Those Who Prefer Not-So-Sweet Rolls
These rolls are subtly sweet, but please don’t experiment with reducing the sugar (we’ve tested it!), it’s an essential part of this copycat Hawaiian Roll recipe. The texture will dramatically worsen with a reduction in the sugar. Learn more about sugar’s role in baking here. If you prefer a less sweet roll, try my Ultimate Dinner Rolls recipe instead.
Do I Have to Use Bread Flour For These Hawaiian Rolls? Can I Use Just All-Purpose Flour Instead?
For best results, I firmly recommend sticking with both bread and all-purpose flour as written. Here’s why:
- Bread flour contains a higher percentage of protein than all-purpose flour, which helps build gluten and will aid in giving the rolls structure, height, and a little chewiness. Gluten is the backbone of any bread’s structure and since we are adding ingredients that prohibit gluten development (pineapple juice, butter, egg, sugar), that additional protein is needed to develop structure.
- When I tested a batch of Homemade Hawaiian Rolls using only all-purpose flour, the rolls were way too dense, noticeably drier, and took significantly longer to knead and rise.
- I also found that making the rolls with only bread flour yielded rolls that were too firm. The addition of a little all-purpose flour balances this out, making the rolls softer.
If you absolutely must use only all-purpose flour, just note that they’ll take much longer to knead, longer to proof, and they won’t be as soft and fluffy.
How Long Do Homemade Hawaiian Rolls Last?
These Homemade Hawaiian Rolls will keep for 3 days in an airtight container, stored at room temperature. Don’t refrigerate these Hawaiian Rolls, as it will dry them out faster. Refresh in a 300°F oven for 5 minutes, or pop in the microwave for 15-20 seconds, or until warm, before serving.
Can I Make Homemade Hawaiian Rolls Ahead of Time?
Enriched yeast doughs can have issues rising properly if made ahead. Instead, I recommend freezing the fully baked rolls as directed just below.
How to Freeze Hawaiian Rolls:
- Once cooled, place rolls in a ziptop bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
- To thaw, leave at room temperature for a few hours.
- Reheat in a 400°F oven for 5-10 minutes, or pop in the microwave for 15-20 seconds, until warmed through, if desired.
More Bread Recipes You’ll Love:
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Intimidated by bread baking? Download my *free* Beginner’s Quick Guide to Bread here.
-
½
cup
(116 grams) canned pineapple juice,
at room temperature
-
½
cup
(116 grams) whole milk,
warmed, (100-110°F)
-
5
tablespoons
(71 grams) unsalted butter,
melted and slightly cooled to just warm (~85°F)
-
6
tablespoons
(75 grams) granulated sugar
-
2
tablespoons
(25 grams) light brown sugar
-
2
eggs,
at room temperature
-
1
teaspoon
vanilla extract
-
2 ¼
teaspoons
(1 packet) instant yeast1
-
4
cups + 1 tablespoon
(516 grams) - 4 1/4 cups (540 grams) bread flour2,
dependent on kitchen climate, see notes
-
¼
cup
(32 grams) all-purpose flour
-
1 ½
teaspoons
fine salt
For egg wash & finishing:
-
1
egg,
lightly beaten
-
2
tablespoons
water
-
1
tablespoon
(14 grams) salted butter,
melted
-
Combine the pineapple juice, milk, melted butter, sugars, 2 eggs, vanilla, and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add 2 cups (286 grams) of the flour and stir with a wooden spoon until the dough forms a rough, shaggy mass. Stir in the salt. Attach the dough hook to the mixer and turn to medium-low speed. Gradually add the remaining flour JUST until the dough comes together. You may only need some of the flour, depending on your kitchen environment and brand of flour. Continue kneading on medium-high speed for 4 to 5 minutes, until a soft and smooth ball of dough forms.
-
Lightly grease or wet your hands and place the dough in a lightly greased medium-sized bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until puffy and doubled in size, about 1 ½ hours3.
-
Spray a 9x13-inch metal baking pan with cooking spray. Gently deflate the dough. Use a bench scraper or knife to divide the dough into 15 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball and place in the prepared pan.
-
In a small bowl, combine the remaining egg with 2 tablespoons of water. Brush all over the rolls. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise again until doubled in size, about 1 hour**.
-
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375°F.
-
Bake the rolls for 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Brush with melted butter. Serve warm. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
1. If you don’t have or can’t find instant yeast, you can easily use active dry yeast instead. Add it right in with the dry ingredients like instant yeast, just know the dough will take about 20% more time to rise. Or, to speed up that rise time slightly, simply combine it with the warm milk called for in the recipe and allow it to proof for 5 minutes before adding into the bowl with the other ingredients.
2. The more humid your location, the stickier your dough will be. If your kitchen is about 65% humidity or higher, use the higher range of bread flour (4 1/2 cups, or 540 grams). Reduce the bread flour if your kitchen is less than 65% humidity. Begin with the lower range listed in the recipe (4 cups + 1 tablespoon, or 516 grams) and add additional flour by the tablespoon (8 grams) as needed.
3. Rise time may vary depending on kitchen environment and climate.
This post was originally published in 2014 and has been updated with additional tips, recipe improvements, and new photos. Photos by Joanie Simon.
just made these using oatmilk in place of regular milk and AP flour with great success! my dough didn’t double in the first stage, but rose quickly after being rolled into buns on a preheating stove. baked them for slightly shorter amount of time (around 20m) and they’re perfect – best Hawaiian bread recipe I’ve used!
Added a little fresh ginger. They were delightful. They were all gone day two! Thank you for your recipe.
Love this recipe! Thank you so much for sharing it! We use a bread maker to make the dough and substitute coconut oil for the butter and almond milk for the milk, and it’s turned out perfectly every time. Thanks again for the great recipe!
I was worried because the dough was stickier than I anticipated and came nowhere near doubling. However, after baking they looked great and had risen well. I recommend taking them out a tad early if you’re not serving right way, or removing them from the pan because mine got a tad burned on the bottom when I let them cool in the pan. I give it four stars just because I felt like they were a bit dense and not as soft as I would prefer, but warm and with butter/honey they taste great!
Followed the recipe verbatim, got dry, crumbly biscuits I wouldn’t feed to a duck. The dough never formed a ‘shaggy mass/ as described in the first step, stayed like soggy batter. Moved to the next step and using the mixer, dough never came together as a single ball (or anything resembling one). Added approximately 4-1/2 cups of bread flour as described. Again, followed directions verbatim. This isn’t my first time trying to make bread, nor am I incompetent in the kitchen.
I don’t know what went wrong, but this was far more than any slight variation in my kitchen environment could produce. I feel it has more to do with the method of bringing the dough together in the beginning. I won’t be trying this one again for fear of wasting more ingredients.
The dough is sticky, is it true? I am using fresh pineapple juice. Since it is easy to find in Indonesia.
In the ingredients it says fine salt. Is that table salt or kosher fine salt?
These taste amazing and were easy to make. My only regret is that I didn’t double the recipe!
I’ve made this recipe several times and every time the come out perfect. Soft and chewy. Today I made them using Kiefer milk instead of regular milk and they were so moist and soft. Delicious.
Is the dough supposed to be pretty sticky? I’m about to let it rise and it just seems too wet.
Can this recipe be used in a bread machine?
when calls for half a can of pineapple juice what size, kind can did you use? I can get pure pineapple juice cans in 6 oz or 12 oz size cans
I’m rating it only on the video I watched. I do intend to make them in the near future and can only hope they come out as good as hers looked.
They look so good! If i have active yeast instead, the one that has to be diluted in water, can i still do it?
Just made them. Absolutely love them.
They ended up rising for 2-3 hours instead of just one prior to being put into the oven because I had to leave my house for a bit. Right out of the oven, while still warm, they tasted great. However the next day they were a bit dry. Did I do something wrong? Shouldn’t they still have been soft since I sealed it in a bag overnight? Thanks!
To start I’ll say I did use fresh yeast because that is what I had available. Everything seemed to be going fine, the dough was behaving perfectly just like the video. They baked with a pretty soft texture, not perfectly pillow-y, but not dense either. But I can’t get over the taste. It isn’t ANYTHING like Kings Hawaiian Bread, in fact the predominant taste is Yeast. YUCK… I think I’ll have to trash this batch and that breaks my heart.
Could fresh yeast vs dry active have made that much difference?
This recipe made the most dense rolls. Although they tasted pretty good the structure was way off. I am fairly experienced as a baker so this was a bit of a letdown.
These are amazing! My kids want me to make them every week,but this is the second time in 3 weeks we are baking them. So nice and sweet. Thanks for the great recipe
These came out awesome! This was the first time i ever made bread successfully. My only complaint would be if they were a tad sweeter. You can always add honey butter though! Thank you!
could i make this into a loaf instead of rolls
This was my first time making bread and it definitely turned out and was very tasty but there were definitely some things I would note (keep in mind my environment is a little cold and dry):
– Not quite as sweet as I expected, maybe add more sugar and pineapple juice
– I didn’t need as much flour as the recipe called for (though it was mentioned in the recipe that that might be the case!!). I used about 3 and a half cups of all purpose flour and kneaded by hand
– Lastly, maybe because of my environment or the sugar, it took way longer to rise! First pass was about 2½ hours and the second was still 30 minutes but it could’ve stood to be a bit longer
Overall very yummy, soft, and fluffy but needs to be sweeter :-))
Hi Tessa
What if I don’t have a standard mixer – what do you recommend using besides the dough hook?
(For the sweet rolls recipe)
Hi Tessa
What if I don’t have a standard mixer – what do you recommend using besides the dough hook?
How long do these usualy take to make?
Hi Tessa-
How long do these usualy take to make?
Great rolls!!
The bottom was a little crispier than I wanted but I think it was my pan.
Just follow the recipe! These came out perfect! Thanks a million!
I made these for Easter and they turned out fantastic!! This recipe is a keeper!
Could this recipe be made as a loaf, rather than rolls? What might that change about the instructions?
OI am highly allergic to pineapple and do not keep any in the house. Can I substitute orange juice with this recipe?
you totally can!
These are amazing. So fluffy and delicious. Definitely making these again. Thank you for a great recipe.
What if I can’t find bread flour, can I use all AP?
I made them yesterday they are exactly like the read ones they look smell fell and taste like the real thing it’s another of my favorite bread recipes to make
How did they turn out?
Opps. I added both eggs to the mix. Will it still be okay?
I too noticed the comments too late, and made this recipe with REAL PINEAPPLE JUICE. It’s a BAD IDEA.
But, if you find yourself in the same boat, your heavy, cake like dough is Not wasted.
I made dense but delicious mini muffins out of my dough.
Oil the mini muffin tin, spoon on batter and bake for 12-15 minutes at 325.
I just made these and they are super delicious, light and fluffy. But they don’t taste like Hawaiian rolls from the store.
These rolls are absolutely divine.
I halved the recipe and made 8 buns … Perfect
Just made these they didn’t really taste like Hawaiian rolls but they were ok maybe Add more pineapple juice
Can I substitute for canned pineapple juice?
My daughter can not have anything with emulsifiers so that means slim pickings for store bought breads and rolls. I just made these to use on Christmas eve as the bread for Kentucky Hot Brown sliders. That recipe calls for King’s Hawaiin rolls. Out of the oven they look fantastic! Both proofs took 1.5 times the recipe suggestion but I was patient and waited until the dough looked right. I made 17 rolls rather than the 15 even though I weighed each roll as formed them. Just tasted one of the extra. Definitely not as tender as store bought, but I taste the sweetness and a hint of the pineapple juice. I think they will be perfect for my purposes. If I could figure out how to include a picture I would add one.
You are the sweet one young lady. Thank you for sharing your recipes. I do have a question; can any of the sweet breads be made in a bread machine?
I have made this recipe many times and it never fails to get rave reviews. I have some proofing right this minute. It is straight forward and easy. Thank you so much for sharing.
Made this for the tribe for Thanksgiving today. I don’t have a stand mixer. Made by hand. No sweat! Turned out great! And for those asking, never double a baking recipe! Baking is exact, and doubling will create a disaster. Happy Thanksgiving!
Hi Tessa! The rolls turned out amazing. This was my first time making bread, and I was so happy with how simple the recipe was and how they turned out. My mixture was slightly sticky at first, and I read the comments that if you live in a humid area (hello South Florida!) you may have to add in slightly more flour. Once I did that, everything else was exactly as you said. I am planning on making these rolls again to bring to a thanksgiving dinner and I will need to double the recipe. Should I make the dough in two separate batches or can I mix it all together? Thank you for the delicious recipe and Happy Thanksgiving!
Hi Abby! I’m so pleased to hear that. It’s so crucial to use as much flour as your kitchen environment requires!! If you have a high powered stand mixer then you can do it altogether, otherwise it may be too much volume for your mixer to knead effectively. Happy Thanksgiving!
If I would like to make a larger batch. Approximately 3 times the amount. Would I triple all ingrediants including yeast?
Came out with amazing rolls. But not Hawaiian rolls . Not nearly as sweet
CAN YOU MAKE THIS USING THE NO KNEAD METHOD?
I did exactly what I was supposed to do it turned out to be a sticky mess that wouldn’t even raise smelled way too sweet it was more like cake icing then though even after I put an extra cup of flour in it where did it go wrong
Hi Tessa
I gave this a run today – The dough came out super sticky out of the mixer bowl, it is currently sitting rising now before i try to bake.
Just wondering what would make it sticky compared to yours in the video ?
I love this recipe, I eat one of these rolls every day, I also take some to work and everybody loves them.
I’m an a big fan of the kings Hawaiian sweet rolls. Are these like those? Does pineapple juice just add sweetness or does it give it a pineapple taste?
They came out PERFECT! I made the rolls, and my husband smoked a pork butt for pulled pork. They could not have been more delicious
I made these for our 4th of July dinner and they were a big hit with my family. I think my husband ate 7 of them lol. Your recipes never let me down. Thanks so much!
Do you let the yeast sit to have bubbles rise first to make sure it’s active before adding all the rest of the ingredients? In your video I noticed you just added it all at same time.
This recipe uses instant yeast which doesn’t require proofing!
I used the right ingredients, measure to exactly, but didn’t rise, why should I do? And why?
Can you make hot dog buns with this recipe
This dough is way to dry. I see lots of people saying they are hard or not light and fluffy or they didn’t rise. It’s because there is not enough liquid for this amount of flour. My mixer started to bog down the dough was so thick. I had to turn it off before it burned up. I checked all my ingredients and they were right. Trying to stir with a spatula was basically impossible.
I imagine this is why people had ones that didn’t rise and were not light and fluffy. Probably cause and effect. So I added another half cup each of milk and pineapple juice and then it seemed fine, consistency wise. It rose in the bowl fine. The rolls themselves are rising right now. I have no idea what this will do as far as lightness, fluffiness or taste. I have no idea how others say it turned out fine.