Making King’s Hawaiian Rolls

Dec
9

Being a curious bear, I was recently fascinated with the notion of creating the perfect sandwich roll. Substantial yet tender, and of course, it had to be delicious. King’s Hawaiian is a brand of rolls that is very popular–for a reason. They’re substantial yet tender….and delicious. What is the secret of these rolls?

I embarked upon a bit of research and hit upon a number of copycat recipes. I analyzed the recipes for the components that made up the distinctive flavor and texture of the rolls. Pineapple juice, milk, egg, oil, ginger, vanilla, sugar. These are sweet rolls with a subtle depth of fruitiness and a delicate hint of spice. But how to get that combination just right? I do know a perfect bread recipe…. So I went back to Grandmother Bread to rock the boat with some Don Ho.

Here’s what I came up with. And I do believe these are the best, most tender rolls I’ve ever made.
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How to make Hawaiian Rolls:

1 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon yeast
1 egg
1/3 cup melted butter or oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
4 cups flour*

*The flour measure is approximate–you may need slightly more or less. Use enough flour to make a good, pliable dough.

Heat the pineapple juice and milk, either in a small sauce pot on the stove or in the microwave. In a large bowl, combine juice, milk, yeast, and sugar. Let sit five minutes.
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Stir in egg, melted butter, salt, vanilla, and ginger. Add the first two cups of flour with a heavy spoon. Add the next cup of flour a little at a time as needed, stirring until dough becomes too stiff to continue stirring easily. Keep adding flour a little at a time and begin kneading. The amount of flour is approximate–your mileage may vary! Continue adding flour and kneading until the dough is smooth and elastic. Let dough rise in a greased, covered bowl until doubled. (Usually, about an hour. You can let it rise longer if you’re busy! Won’t hurt a thing.)

Uncover bowl; sprinkle in a little more flour and knead again before dividing into rolls. With floured hands, shape dough into rolls and place in a 9 x 12 greased pan. Cover and let rise until doubled. Brush tops with a couple tablespoons of melted butter and an egg, whisked together, for a glossy browned finish. Bake in a 350-degree oven.
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This dough can be shaped into dinner rolls, sandwich rolls, sub buns, or even baked whole in a loaf pan. I made a dozen sandwich-size rolls and baked them for about 25 minutes. Your baking time will depend on the size of your rolls.

Look at the tender crumb on these rolls. Seriously.
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Hawaiian rolls–at home!

See this recipe at Farm Bell Recipes and save it to your recipe box.
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Comments

  1. Granma2girls says:

    Thank you so much for sharing your recipe. Here in Canada we don’t have these Hawaiian rolls and I’m always hesitant to try just any copycat recipe. But everything I have made from your recipes turns out fabulous. Can’t wait to try these!

  2. Joell says:

    Thank you so much for this recipe!!
    I was just thinking yesterday if I could find a simular recipe, I love the sndwich buns, but they are quite pricey, and since I make all of our bread, I didnt feel that I wanted to purchase them, so this is just perfect.
    Thank you again :happyflower:

  3. beforethedawn says:

    I was thinking about how to make these just the other day! Thank you for doing all the work for me! I cannot wait to try these out. I wish I could reach into the screen and take one, yum!

  4. bumblebee says:

    WOW! These look just fabulous!!! Picture perfect!!!! I cannot have pineapple juice, so do you think orange juice might work okay? I would LOVE to try these!!!! :snoopy:

  5. rileysmom says:

    I’m anxious to try these, too! I never have any when I want them….and way out here, there’s no running to,the grocery!
    Thank you for perfecting the recipe, Suzanne!

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