Sourdough Hawaiian Rolls

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These sourdough Hawaiian rolls are incredibly soft and flavorful. These rolls are pillow-like in texture and have a sweet tropical flavor thanks to the pineapple juice. Eat them alone or with a bowl of chili.

We first made these sourdough Hawaiian rolls in the spring. Not only was I inspired to make bunny rabbits (you will see how that experiment turned out below), but I wanted something wholesome to bring to Passover dinner. I thought, what better way to ‘break bread’ together than with pull apart dinner rolls!

Making rolls always intimated me until I started baking sourdough bread. Now I can easily say, baking sourdough rolls is one of my specialties! After a few years of making them, I have come to know and love bulk fermentation and the beauty of second rise (especially with kids around the house).

These rolls have been made with 100% all purpose flour and with a portion of whole grain flour. Both are delicious and a great way to encourage more whole grains into everyone’s diet.

And as a bonus – these were super fun to make and even better to eat. We often enjoy half the batch with dinner and the other half as sourdough sliders made with Swiss cheese, turkey lunch meat and a delicious mustard – butter sauce on top.

If you have ever had King Hawaiian Rolls – this is as close of a ‘dupe’ as you can get. Though this version is made with significantly less ingredients, with the addition of sourdough discard instead of commercial yeast.

These are also great by themselves or topped with butter and honey. And if you make them with whole wheat flour or fresh milled grains, eating them ‘plain’ really allows the nutty flavor of whole wheat continues to shine through.

Kitchen Equipment 

A few pieces of equipment can help ensure these sourdough discard hawaiian rolls are easy to make. If you decide not to use a stand mixer, you can knead the dough by hand.

• Stand mixer (we bought a refurbished Kitchenaid bowl lift mixer and love it!)
• Large mixing bowl
• Tea towel
• Bench Scraper
• 9×13 Glass pan

Ingredients for Sourdough Hawaiian Rolls

These sourdough Hawaiian rolls are made with simple ingredients. The enriched dough is similar to a brioche roll with butter, milk and egg. There are three main ingredients used to make these rolls taste the way they do – including butter, pineapple juice and of course – sourdough discard. For a full recipe list, please refer to the recipe card located at the bottom of the page.

• Butter
  • Unsalted butter provides moisture and a richness to the dough. The butter adds extra depth to this recipe, making it perfectly soft.
• Pineapple Juice
  • Pineapple juice provides the authentic sweet, pineapple flavor within Hawaiian rolls. This provides a depth of flavor and subtle sweetness we love.
  • We have tested this recipe with canned pineapple juice, though it should work with fresh pineapple juice too.
• Sourdough Starter
  • The sourdough starter (either as active sourdough starter or sourdough discard) is the key to helping this dough rise. The wild yeast will ferment the dough without the use of commercial yeast or an additional leavening agent.

How to make Sourdough Hawaiian Rolls

Step 1: Mix wet and dry ingredients together.

Step 2: Mix dough until smooth / stretch and folds.

Step 3: Bulk fermentation complete

Step 4: Shape into balls (pic shown with AP flour only)

Step 5: Allow to rise (pic shown with 3/4 cup whole wheat berries).

Step 6: Bake until puffy and delicious.

Bakers Timeline

Note these timelines are variable to starter strength, temperature of your dough and home, and humidity. This is a general outline for house between 65-70 degrees, with starter which was on the countertop.

Short Fermentation Timeline

I like to think of this as a ‘same day’ recipe. I personally prefer to let my dough rise overnight so I can bake rolls to be ready prior to dinner. You can adjust as necessary.

• 9:00 PM (Day prior to bake)
  • Stir ingredients together in a bowl until no salt granules remain.
• 9:30 – 10:30 PM (Day prior to bake)
  • Stretch and fold until dough can no longer be stretched, turning bowl 90 degrees each time.
  • Complete this 1-2 times during this section.
• 10:30 PM – 1:00 PM – (Overnight / morning of bake)
  • Overnight Rise / Bulk Fermentation on counter
  • Keep dough on counter, allow to rise until doubled in size, or when ready to shape.
• 1:00 PM – (Day of bake)
  • Shape rolls and second rise
• 3:00 PM – Bake the rolls

Long Fermentation (Bulk ferment in fridge)

I like to follow this timeline when I want to make my rolls in advance and let them sit on the counter to rise.

• 9:00 AM (Day prior to bake)
  • Stir ingredients together in a bowl until no salt granules remain.
• 9:30 – 10:30 AM (Day prior to bake)
  • Stretch and fold until dough can no longer be stretched, turning bowl 90 degrees each time.
  • Complete this 1-2 times during this hour (about every 30 minutes).
• 10:30 AM – 9:00 PM (Day prior to bake)
  • Bulk Fermentation on counter
  • Keep dough on counter, allow to rise until doubled in size. When double has doubled in size, place in the fridge.
• 9:00 PM – 10:00 AM (Overnight / morning of bake)
  • Bulk fermentation in fridge overnight
  • In the morning, remove rolls from fridge. Allow them to warm up on the countertop.
• 10:30 AM – 3:00 PM (Day of bake)
  • About 30 minutes before you are ready to shape the rolls, remove them from the fridge. Shape them and allow them to complete a second rise on the counter.
• 3:00 PM – Bake the rolls

These can also be made into sliders or sandwiches for a great sourdough appetizer. If you like sliders, try these Sourdough Hawaiian Roll Sliders made with Swiss cheese and lunch meat. This is a great sourdough appetizer for football season and graduation season!

How to store

Store the sourdough whole wheat dinner rolls on the counter for up to three days within a plastic bag or airtight container. Place in the fridge for up to a week.

To freeze leftovers, allow to cool completely before placing in a ziplock bag or airtight container. Leftover baked rolls can be frozen for up to 6 months. 

To freeze rolls before baking, place them in the freezer after they are shaped (before the secondary rise).  For ease of baking, put them on a similar dish to what you are baking them in. It will take a longer period for them to complete a secondary rise from the frozen stage. 

Sourdough Hawaiian Rolls

Hailey

These sourdough Hawaiian rolls are incredibly soft and flavorful. Enjoyed plain dolled up as a slider, these dinner rolls are a great addition to your meal rotation.

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Fermentation Period 12 hours hrs

Total Time 12 hours hrs 55 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine American

Servings 35 slider rolls

Calories 103 kcal

Equipment

• 1 Kitchenaid Mixer Optional – can knead by hand
• 1 9×13 Glass Baking Pan
• 1 Kitchen Thermometer

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 3/4 cup Whole Wheat Flour
• 4-1/4 cup All Purpose Flour Can swap partial amount or whole with bread flour
• 1/8 White sugar
• 1 stick Unsalted Butter 1/2 cup butter. Can use salted. Can swap for oil.
• 2 tsp Salt If using salted butter, do not add salt
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup Sourdough Discard Sourdough discard or active starter
• 1 Egg
• 3/4 cup Milk Can substitute dairy free milk or water
• 3/4 cup Pineapple Juice About the amount from one 20 ounce can of canned pineapple rings

Instructions

 

Short Fermentation Instructions (Bake within 15-20 hours / no bulk fermentation in fridge)

• Start by adding all ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer or large mixing bowl.

  Having room temperature eggs and melted butter helps the dough come together easier.
• If using a stand mixer, stir first by hand until the mixture comes together. Allow it to sit for 15-30 minutes before turning on the mixer to knead the dough. This step will allow the dough to autolayse and reduce the kneading period.

  Knead the dough using your hands or the dough hook attachment on a stand mixer. Knead until you can take a piece of dough and stretch it like a windowpane. With time, it will not stick to the sides of the bowl as it comes together.

  This will take less time to come together in the stand mixer (about 10 minutes) than when kneaded by hand (about 15-20 minutes).
• Cover the dough with plastic wrap and allow to and on the countertop until the dough has doubled in size.

  Countertop fermentation time range is 4-12 hours. Variability is due to the temperature of your home and amount of whole wheat flour in the dough.
• The next day, or once it has doubled in size, place the dough on the countertop and shape into a rectangle or square by shaping the dough with your hands. Pull on the sides gently to stretch the dough to the desired size.
• Use a pastry cutter, divide dough into equal pieces. The recipe will make about 24 large dinner rolls or 35 slider rolls.

  The King's Hawaiian brand are closer to the slider roll size. You can make larger or smaller based on your preference.
• To shape the rolls, wet your hands and make a circular / cupping motion to roll the dough on the countertop. This will create surface tension.

  Note, the rolls will seem very small until they rise.
• Place the rolls into a prepared baking pan. We used a 9×13 glass pan with a silicone mat.

  Allow the dough to rise and complete a second rise (about 3-5 hours). The rolls are ready to bake within the oven when they have expanded and became quite fluffy. It is vital to this recipe to complete a long enough second proof or the rolls will seem dense!

  To know when the dough has expanded enough, the exterior of the dough will no longer be tacky when touched and may even have a slight film across the top. They will have doubled (or even close to tripled) in size.
• Option to add an egg wash or milk wash to the top of the dinner rolls before baking.

  Milk will not change the color but will create a glossy appearance. An egg mixture / wash will darken the top of the rolls.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook the sourdough rolls for 20-25.

  The rolls are ready when the tops are golden brown in color. If using a kitchen thermometer, they will be 205-210 degrees.
• Allow to cool slightly before eating.

  Option to top them immediately with melted butter, honey, jam or flaky sea salt. These can also be made into sliders or sandwiches.

Long Fermented Instructions (Prepare in advance / Bulk Fermentation Period in Fridge)

• If you would like to prepare these in advance, follow through the recipe through the countertop bulk fermentation time.
• Once doubled in size, shape the rolls and place them into the fridge (covered) and bake later.

  Note, the longer the dough sits in the fridge the more sour the flavor of the rolls will become.
• It will take additional time for the dough to complete a secondary rise when removed from the refrigerator.

  It could take an additional hour or two.

  Follow the steps above in regards to second rise tips (IE when they are ready to bake) and notes on baking temperature and time.

Video

Notes

• If baking to be eat warm / hot at a meal

If baking to be hot at a meal, consider allowing the dough to complete a second rise 3-5 hours prior to when you would like to eat. The rise time will differ depending on how cold the rolls are. If they came out of the fridge and are rising, it will take longer.

• Fluffy Rolls

To achieve fluffy rolls, ensure the second rise length of time is long enough. If the dough does not rise for long enough, they will be dense. We want to achieve those perfect rolls!

• Same Day sourdough rolls

This recipe does NOT use commercial yeast, therefore they can not be made in the morning and baked by dinner time due to the two-step rise required.

Nutrition

Serving: 1sliderCalories: 103kcalCarbohydrates: 17.2gProtein: 2.7gFat: 2.5gSaturated Fat: 1.5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.6gCholesterol: 9mgSodium: 134mgPotassium: 37mgFiber: 0.6gSugar: 2.2gVitamin A: 89IUVitamin C: 0.3mgCalcium: 12mgIron: 0.7mg

Keyword bread, Dinner, discard, fruit, rolls, sourdough

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