Sourdough Hawaiian Rolls (Better Than Store-Bought!)
My sourdough Hawaiian rolls are like a cloud, soft and pillowy on the inside! My life-long love of these rolls inspired me to make a from-scratch version to replace store-bought. They're made with wholesome ingredients and simple steps. I hope my recipe helps you make Hawaiian rolls at home instead of buying them at the store!
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup fed sourdough starter
- 1/3 cup pure pasteurized pineapple juice NOT FRESH (R.W. Knudsen Family Organic Pineapple Juice @ Walmart is what I use)
- 1/3 cup water
- 2 tsp raw honey
- 2 Tbsp avocado oil (or melted butter)
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- melted butter for brushing after baking
Instructions
- BEFORE YOU GET STARTED: If your starter is not active and bubbly, feed your entire sourdough starter jar 4-12 hours before starting this recipe. I recommend feeding your entire starter a 2:1 ratio of unbleached flour to filtered water to get the same results as I do when making this recipe. (Example: Feed entire starter 1 cup flour + 1/2 cup water and let it sit on the counter at room temperature until it's bubbly and has grown in the jar. Your starter needs to be active, bubbly, and a thicker consistency to use in this recipe.)
Make the Dough
- In a mixing bowl, combine fed starter, pineapple juice, water, honey, avocado oil, and salt until combined.
- Add in the flour and mix until combined. Use your hands to finish combining it into a dough ball until all the flour is incorporated. It will feel a little tacky. (If dough is too wet, your starter is more hydrated than mine. Just add a few tablespoons of extra flour. If dough is too dry, your starter is less hydrated than mine. Just add a few tablespoons of extra water.)
- Dust counter with flour and turn dough out. Knead for 2 minutes by hand or with a bread hook on an electric mixer. (If needed add another dusting of flour if the dough is sticky).
- Place dough back in the bowl and cover loosely a lid, damp towel, or Saran wrap.
Bulk Ferment
- Let dough sit on the counter, to bulk ferment, in a non-drafty place at room temperature for 12 hours or until it doubled in size. Since it’s a small amount of dough, it won’t bubble up and fill the entire bowl like regular bread dough does. See notes below!
- OPTIONAL: Once the bulk fermentation is finished, you can place the dough in the fridge for up to 48 hours if you want more fermentation benefits or need more time before baking. You don't have to do this, it's optional!
Shape Rolls
- Line the bottom of a 8x8” or 9x9” metal square pan (brownie pan) with parchment paper.
- Uncover dough, punch it down to deflate gas bubbles, and turn it out on the counter. Dust work space with flour, dough will be a little sticky.
- Roll dough out into a 1 inch thick rectangle. Slice into 6 squares.
- Place squares in 3 rows of 2 so that they’re all touching.
- OPTIONAL: Before the rise, you can place pan of shaped rolls in the fridge up to 24 hours before baking to give yourself more time then continue the recipe.
- Cover pan with a dry kitchen towel and let rolls rise for 3-4 hours on the counter at room temperature or until puffy. (If you chilled the dough, add 2-4 hours on top of this since it is starting cold)
Bake Rolls
- When rolls look puffy, preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit then bake for 22-24 minutes (they should be golden brown)
- When rolls come out of the oven, brush the tops with melted butter and enjoy!
Notes
Fresh pineapple juice kills the sourdough cultures creating dense rolls so be sure to use pasteurized pineapple juice not fresh.
Please see blog post for all kinds of helpful tips and storage information.
2. What to do if your dough won’t double in size even in the warmer place (and your baked good is dense):
Troubleshooting Help for Bulk Fermenting & Rising…
1. What to do if your dough isn’t doubling in size during the bulk ferment and/or 2nd rise:- If your dough doesn’t look like it’s doing anything halfway through the rises, you need to place it in a slightly warmer area.
- This can be in a turned-off oven with the light on and oven door open, or you can slightly warm the oven to about 75-80 degrees Fahrenheit, then turn it off and place your dough inside with the door shut.
- Never leave the oven on, even on the keep warm setting, with fermenting dough inside. Your dough, for both rises, needs to double.
- If your dough doesn’t double even in the warmer area, there is a problem with your starter. It is too weak to ferment the dough even in a warm environment.
- To fix this, you will want to leave your starter out on the counter for 2 days and feed it every 12 hours at a 2:1 ratio of unbleached flour to filtered water.
- For example, 1 cup unbleached flour + 1/2 cup filtered (or bottled) water.
- Make sure you’re using unbleached flour and filtered or bottled water to do this. If you don’t, it will affect your starter strength. Reverse osmosis water (or any water that uses salt in the filter) can make the starter weak.
- This will strengthen the cultures in your starter to give you fluffy baked bread and treats. After the 2 days, you can go back to feeding it like usual (once a week if stored in the fridge or once a day if stored on the counter). Be sure to use the 2:1 ratio feeding from here on out.
Did you make this recipe?
Please leave a comment below or share a photo on social media! If you share a photo be sure to tag me @plumbranchhome
This recipe was developed from scratch in my kitchen by me, Molly LaFontaine, and tested many times by my husband and me to ensure success. Just like all of my recipes on Plum Branch Home. They’re created with purpose, cherished in our own home, and developed with my experiences, trial and error, and skills. NEVER AI (artificial intelligence). Here at Plum Branch Home we’re loving our families and serving God one recipe at a time!
Sourdough Baking Disclaimer
I regularly feed my sourdough starter a 2:1 ratio of unbleached flour to filtered water, this creates a 50% hydrated starter even when I use discard. If you feed your starter differently, results may vary due to a different hydration which will cause a different consistency. No matter how you feed your starter just ensure it’s a thick consistency when you use it for my recipes even if you’re using discard.
The temperature of my home/kitchen is 70°F. If your kitchen is colder, bulk fermentation and 2nd rise/proof may take longer. If it’s warmer, they may be shorter.