Sweet Hawaiian bread is a special treat, and it is readily available in mainland supermarkets. However, with the help of this recipe for Easy Hawaiian Rolls or Bread, you can create a big batch of homemade Hawaiian-inspired bread at home.
The recipe starts with a packaged cake mix, and is one I often prepare with my children. A Viking Stand Mixer brings this dough together in a snap, and nets you three nice loaves of Hawaiian bread, 16 sandwich rolls or 24 dinner rolls.
The base for the bread is already slightly sweet from the cake mix, but the addition of pineapple juice is a further enhancement. When made into sandwich rolls, the sweetness is the perfect foil to Kalua Pork (look for the recipe on this site).
The dough also can be used to make delicious pineapple sweet rolls. Simply prepare the recipe, let the dough rise and divide it into thirds. Roll each third into a rectangle, spread with pineapple preserves and roll up like a jelly roll. Slice into 1-inch rolls and place on a silicone mat or parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Continue with the remaining rolls, and then let rise for 20 minutes. Bake at 375 for 12 to 15 minutes, until golden, and then drizzle with a glaze of confectioners’ sugar and a tablespoon or two of pineapple juice.
- 1 18.5-ounce package yellow cake mix
- 5 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 packages active dry yeast
- 2 cups pineapple juice, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup hot water
- Flour for dusting the work surface
- 1 tablespoon melted butter or margarine
Combine cake mix, flour and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer bowl. Add the pineapple juice and hot water, and beat for 2 minutes. Cover and let rise in the bowl for 45 minutes.
Dust a clean work surface with flour and knead the dough for several minutes, working in additional flour if the dough is sticky.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Sandwich rolls: Divide the dough in half. Roll each half into a 12-inch log and cut each log into 8 pieces. Form each piece of dough into a smooth ball and place on silicone mat or parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Let rise for 20 to 30 minutes, until almost doubled in size. Brush with the melted butter and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown.
Hawaiian bread: Divide the dough into thirds, place in buttered loaf pans and let rise for 20 to 30 minutes. Brush loaves with the melted butter and bake for 35 to 40 minutes for bread loaves, until top is golden.
Dinner rolls: Divide dough into fourths. Roll each fourth into a 12-inch log and Cut logs into 6 equal pieces. Form each piece of dough into a smooth ball and place on silicone mat or parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Let rise for 20 to 30 minutes, until almost doubled in size. Brush with the melted butter and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown.
Makes 16 sandwich rolls, 3 loaves, or 24 dinner rolls.
