Sourdough Hawaiian Roll Sliders

These sourdough Hawaiian roll sliders are the perfect appetizer to bring to your next party or to feed the family on the go. The salty meat and cheese balance the sweet flavor of the Hawaiian rolls, making these sliders absolutely addictive.

It took me a while to get on the ‘sweet and savory ‘ train when it came to anything including meat. When my husband use to make these sliders with Kings Hawaiian rolls, I was not convinced the flavor would be something I would enjoy.

Fast forward a few years and I can now attest to why these were a staple for him in college! Not only are they delicious and there is a sweet / salty balance in each bite, but they are extremely easy to meal prep. Unlike other sandwiches which get soggy if made in advance, these sweet rolls hold up well to the juicy sliders inside.

When I started baking with sourdough, I knew I had to recreate these. Not only are Kings Hawaiian rolls triple the price of what I could make at home, they are not nearly as good.

And I am not just saying that because this is my own recipe. These sourdough sliders truly have a delicious flavor of sweet pineapple, balanced by the tanginess of sourdough.

These sliders would make a great appetizer for any time you need something to share with others. Think cookouts, tailgating, graduation open house, holiday dinner parties or even a baby shower. You name it, these are great.

People can pick their own sandwiches, and add whatever they want on the inside of them. Because of this, you can dress them up with items like mayo, tomato, lettuce and mustard. Or keep them simple with just meat and cheese.

We adore these sourdough Hawaiian roll sliders in our household. And I think you will too!

Kitchen Equipment 

• 8×8 pan or sheet pan
• Bread knife

Ingredients for Sourdough Hawaiian Rolls Sliders

Slider ingredients  

• Sourdough Hawaiian rolls
  • These homemade sourdough discard Hawaiian rolls are the perfect based for these sliders. Because of the fresh pineapple juice, it adds the perfect balance of sweetness to the sourdough dough tang.
• Lunch meat 
  • Option to use whatever lunch meat you prefer. Traditional Hawaiian roll sliders are made with turkey or chicken. They can also be made with roast beef or ham.
• Sliced cheese
  • Use whatever cheese you like, Swiss cheese, American cheese, provolone cheese, cheddar cheese 
  • You can also use shredded cheese as it does melt and is not particularly to one slider 

Melted Butter glaze

• Unsalted butter
• Salt
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Worcestershire sauce 
• Yellow mustard
• Poppy seeds (for topping)

Sandwich toppings

• Lettuce
• Tomato
• Mayo
• Pickle slices

How to make Sourdough Hawaiian Rolls Sliders

The process to make sourdough Hawaiian roll sliders is quite simple. The most time consuming part is making the sourdough Hawaiian rolls, though they can be made in less than 24 hours. If you do not have sourdough Hawaiian rolls, you can use sourdough Hawaiian bread slices or homemade sourdough bread.

Sourdough Hawaiian Rolls (A debrief)

To keep it short and simple, these sourdough Hawaiian rolls are best prepared in advance. The tutorial below will walk you through a brief summary making sourdough hawaiian rolls. For a full recipe and detailed instructions, visit the sourdough discard Hawaiian roll recipe on this website via the search bar.

To start, begin 18-24 hours prior to when you would like to prepare your sliders. You need time to allow this dough to come together (by hand or with a stand mixer) and they need time to complete the first bulk (IE the bulk fermentation) and rise again prior to baking.

The enriched dough has butter, eggs and milk, meaning it will take a bit longer than the traditional sweet sourdough roll to rise. Combine all ingredients for the dough together a dough hook attachment or kneading with your hands. It should pass the windowpane test when stretched.

Next, place in a large mixing bowl and cover with a wet tea towel or plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rise until it has doubled in size.

Once the dough has risen, use a bench scraper to shape into equal sizes. You can use a kitchen scale or eyeball something the size of a tennis ball – making mini sandwiches (i.e. slider sized rolls). Shape the dough using your hands by making a cupping shape to pull it towards you and create surface tension.

Place into a prepared pan / baking sheet. Allow the dough to double in size in a warm place before baking until golden brown.

For best results, allow the rolls to cool completely before assembling. This will ensure the rolls are not doughy if cut too early.

Sourdough Hawaiian Roll Sliders (Assembly)

Heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 8×8 pan or cookie sheet with parchment paper or a reusable mat. 

To start, use a bread knife to slice the Hawaiian rolls in half. If your rolls are separate and not one unit, slice the individual rolls “hamburger style”.

Open the rolls, placing the face/top of the rolls to the side. Begin layering the cheese on the bottom of the rolls. 

Place the cheese slices or shredded cheese on top of the sliced sourdough Hawaiian sweet rolls. Next, layer on the lunch meat. Or if you want cheese sliders, skip the meat!

Alternate layers of cheese and lunch meat until desired filling ratio is complete (we like two layers depending on the thickness of the lunch meat and cheese). Finally, once enough layers are added, place the top over the lunchmeat and cheese, completing the sliders.

In a separate small bowl or small saucepan, melt the butter. Next, add the spices, mustard and Worcestershire sauce to the butter. 

Spread the butter mixture to the top of the Hawaiian sourdough rolls. Sprinkle the tops of the rolls with poppy seeds (or sesame seeds).

Place in the oven in a baking dish for 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the lunch meat is warmed through. Because the rolls have already been baked once, consider adding aluminum foil to the pan to ensure they cook through and are golden brown in color.

When heated, remove from oven and serve warm. Option to add toppings into the sandwiches like mayo, lettuce, tomato or pickle slices.

Finally, enjoy with a side of salty chips, pickles and clementines for a complete meal! 

How to store sourdough Hawaiian roll sliders

To store sourdough Hawaiian roll sliders, wrap them in aluminum foil, place in a ziplock baggie or in an air-tight container for up to 3 days. If you place any of the toppings on the sliders (mayo, mustard, lettuce, tomato, etc.), the sliders may become soggy as they sit.

Because the sliders do have butter on top, they will become a bit cold and sturdy until reheated as it sinks into the dough. The sliders can be re-heated in the microwave or oven.

What toppings do you like on your sliders? Let us know in the comments below.