These Sourdough Hawaiian Rolls are my homemade twist on the classic, and after testing them multiple times, they’ve become a staple in my kitchen. They’re soft, lightly sweet, and perfect for dinner rolls or sliders. The process is simple and reliable, mix the dough, let it rise, and bake. no complicated steps or special equipment needed.
If you like the store bought Hawaiian rolls, you have to try these! They are made with really wholesome ingredients, and our favorite ingredient, our sourdough starter!
These rolls are so versatile! They are so delicious you can really serve them with any recipe, any time of year! Holiday dinner table? Serve these rolls! Summer sliders? They are great in the Summer!
If you like these rolls, you have to try my sourdough dinner rolls too! Make sure you head over to Facebook and join our sourdough Facebook group where we are sharing lots of tips and tricks to perfecting sourdough!
Sourdough Sweet Rolls Ingredients
- Sourdough starter. Your sourdough starter should be active and bubbly. If you are new to sourdough, you can buy a sourdough starter online, make a sourdough starter, or get one from a friend.
- All purpose flour. For this recipe, we are using all purpose flour. That's because it will yield a softer roll since it has a lower protein content. When baking with all purpose flour vs bread flour, sometimes all purpose flour is the better choice.
- Pineapple juice. You can get a jar or a container of pineapple juice for this recipe. You can also grab a can of crushed pineapple and drain the juice. That's what I did. Save the crushed pineapple to make a sourdough carrot cake.
- Milk. Whole milk is best for this recipe because it is higher in fat and it will add to the softness of the rolls.
- Salt. Salt helps control the yeast so it doesn't get out of control.
- Sugar. Plain, granulated white sugar is all you need.
- Butter. We'll be melting the butter so it doesn't have to be at room temperature or softened. Unsalted is best so the rolls aren't too salty.
Be sure to check out the printable recipe card for full recipe information on ingredients and quantities.
Sample Baking Schedule
How To Make Sourdough Hawaiian Rolls
1. In a small saucepan, add the butter, milk, sugar, and pineapple juice. Over medium heat, heat the mixture until the butter and sugar melt. Let that cool to room temperature. The mixture may look like it separates, but don't panic! It will come back together.
2. Once the milk mixture has cooled, pour it into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the flour, salt, and sourdough starter. Turn the stand mixer on and knead the dough for 5 minutes on low to medium-low speed. The dough should come away from the sides of the bowl when it is done mixing.
3. Cover the bowl with a clean, damp kitchen towel and let it rise for 8-10 hours.
Lynn's Tip!
Depending on the temperature of your house will depend on how fast the dough rises. If you house is quite warm, it might only take 6 hours for the dough to rise. If your house is colder, it might take up to 12 hours to rise. The dough should visibly double in size.
Shaping the Rolls
To shape the rolls, cut them into 12 equal pieces on a lightly floured surface after the dough has doubled in size. Take one piece at a time and turn the sides of the dough ball into itself. Keep folding the dough balls onto itself until a tight ball forms.
Place the dough balls into a greased 9x13 inch baking sheet. Cover the baking pan with a clean towel and let them rest for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Brush the tops of the rolls with melted butter. Bake the rolls for 30-35 minutes or until the tops of the rolls are golden brown. Let the rolls cool before enjoying them.
Soft Sourdough Rolls Recipe Tips
- To give the rolls a high gloss or sheen after they are baked, brush the tops of the rolls with 2 tablespoons of melted butter and 1 tablespoon of honey.
- This is a great recipe to make ahead of time. Once the bulk fermentation has been completed and the dough has doubled in size, cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator. You can keep the dough in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. When you are ready to bake them, let the dough come to room temperature, shape them into rolls, and let them rest for 1 hour. Then bake and you normally would.
- If you don't have a stand mixer, no worries! Mix all the ingredients together in a large mixing bowl and mix them with your hands or a wooden spoon. The dough should be smooth and soft and then it is ready to rest and rise for 8-10 hours.
How to Store Soft Sourdough Dinner
Store these rolls at room temperature in an airtight container or a resealable plastic bag. Make sure they are completely cooled before sealing the bag to prevent condensation and mold. They should stay fresh for about 2-3 days.
If you plan to eat the rolls within a day, you can keep them on the counter in the baking pan, covered with a clean cloth to maintain their crusty exterior while keeping them from drying out.
How To Freeze the Rolls
These rolls are great for meal preps or to get ahead of the game because they freeze so beautifully!
Place the rolls that have been cooled to room temperature in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze them until solid (about 1-2 hours).
Then, transfer them to a resealable plastic freezer bag or an airtight container. This method helps prevent the rolls from sticking together. They can be frozen for up to 3 months, though I've had rolls in the freezer long than that and they are perfect!
To defrost the rolls, take the rolls out of the freezer and let them sit at room temperature for a few hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
Sourdough Hawaiian Rolls FAQs
Make sure that your sourdough starter is active and bubbly. Also, give your dough time. If the kitchen is very cold, it might take 12-18 hours for the dough to rise.
Do not overbake the rolls. Overbaking will cause the rolls to be dry and tough.
Yes! Grease two loaf pans. Cut the dough into two pieces and shape the dough into logs. Place the dough into the prepared loaf pans. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the top of the loaves are golden brown.
Not classically. They are not traditionally Hawaiian, but they are similar to the brand of Hawaiian rolls that you find in the grocery store.
They are close to brioche rolls since the dough is an enriched dough. That means that is has butter and milk in the dough. It's heavier than a traditional sourdough recipe or dinner rolls recipe, so it's softer and more decadent.
Really, the only difference between these rolls and a brioche roll is that this recipe has pineapple juice in it while brioche does not.
More Sourdough Recipes
📖 Recipe
Soft Sourdough Dinner Rolls (Sweet Sourdough Hawaiian Rolls)
Ingredients
- 42 g Butter
- 250 g Pineapple Juice
- 100 g Milk
- 75 g Sugar
- 10 g Salt
- 175 g Active Sourdough Starter
- 550 g Bread Flour
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, add the pineapple juice, milk, sugar, and butter. Melt until the butter and sugar just melt. Do not boil. Let the mixture cool.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the flour and salt.
- Pour the milk mixture into the large bowl. Add the sourdough starter. Turn the stand mixer on medium and mix for 5 minutes. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and let it rest for 1 hour.
- After one hour, shape the dough into a smooth ball. Do this by pulling one side of the dough and fold it onto itself. Rotate the bowl and continue stretching until a smooth ball forms. Let it rest for 8-10 hours or until it doubles in size.
- After it the dough has doubled in size, turn it onto a lightly floured surface. Cut the dough into 12 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball and place it into a greased 9x13 inch baking pan. When all the dough balls are shaped, cover the pan with a clean, wet kitchen towel and let it rise for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Bake the rolls for 30-35 minutes or until the top of the rolls are golden brown.
Notes
- When you are melting the butter and sugar together, it may look like the mixture separates. Do not panic! The mixture will come back together with a good stir.
- To make the dough ahead of time, let the dough rise for 8-10 hours. Once it has doubled in size, cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator. You can keep the dough in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. When you are ready to bake the dough, take it out of the refrigerator and shape them into dough balls.
- The internal temperature of the rolls should be 190 degrees F. If you are unsure if the rolls are done, use a thermometer to get an accurate reading.
Steve says
Accidentally let the dough over ferment. Tripled in size. Turned out great.
Candice Brown says
Recipe turned out amazingly well for Thanksgiving. These were a massive hit! I was concerned due to the measurements not being in grams but it all worked out. Did not change recipe at all. I used the juice from a can of Aldi pineapple in juice not syrup. Juice wasn’t super potent tasting so I’m going to try a different brand next time to see if a sweeter juice makes it better. I would like to make this in loaves. How would I bake it? Lower temp? Longer time?