Sourdough Hawaiian Rolls

These sourdough Hawaiian rolls are a great substitute for the ones you buy at the store. 

 

Have you ever looked at the ingredients in a package of Hawaiian rolls? The list is endless and I have difficulty pronouncing half of the ingredients.  This post on bad ingredients in food is full of great information on reading ingredient labels and why we should care about it. 

 

All the more reason to eat Hawaiian rols sparingly and when you do, make them yourself so you can ensure you know what is in your food.

 

I originally got this recipe from Farmhouse on Boone. Lisa has so many great sourdough recipes and is a great place to start if you are looking to begin your sourdough journey.  

 

Please leave comments on how this goes for you and if you do any substitutions, I’m always game for ways to change things up!

 

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Why Homemade Sourdough Hawaiian Rolls are the Best

 

Sandwiches are good, but ham and cheese or pbj on a Hawaiian roll? Even better!

 

These honestly could be used as sandwich rolls, dinner rolls, or anytime rolls to warm up and eat with a slice of butter. 

 

They are perfectly flaky while being a tad sweet and oh-so delicious. 

 

Better yet, they are made from sourdough starter, which has its own health benefits, and a few ingredients from your kitchen. 

 

Why You Need to Make Your Own Sourdough Hawaiian Rolls

 

Making something from scratch can be daunting, especially if this is not your typical skill set.

 

If you are reading this far into the post, my guess is you’ve probably gotten your feet wet with sourdough recipes already. Chances are you’ve already been making bread and have ventured into a few other recipes. 

 

These sourdough Hawaiian rolls are a great recipe to add to the mix.   If you are completely new to sourdough and have no idea what a starter is but want to try it, see Emilie’s post from the Clever Carrot: Beginner Sourdough Starter Recipe.  

 

Clean

 

If you haven’t read the labels of the packaged and processed food you buy, you should start.  There are often multiple ingredients that we not only don’t know but can’t even pronounce! 

 

While it is more time-consuming to make something from scratch, the benefits are tremendous for your and your family’s health.  If the task of clean eating feels daunting, start with my post on clean eating for beginners and you will see it’s much simpler than you may think!

 

With only a handful of ingredients, these sourdough Hawaiian rolls are free from preservatives, and artificial and natural flavors that often sneak into our processed food options. 

 

Delicious

 

They truly taste amazing.  I honestly could just eat the roll all by itself. They are so darn good!

 

When you taste how good these are, you will have a hard time keeping up with the demand for them or going back to the packaged rolls.  

 

Little tip here, we live in a world of convenience where everything is at our fingertips.  When you start making food from scratch, it can feel very overwhelming to keep up with the variety of things you are eating, especially when it comes to baked goods.   

 

Don’t try to do too much as you will burn out and be more likely to toss in the towel completely.  I make bread weekly but only do 1 other recipe per week, sometimes only one every other week.  

 

While it feels weird to tell your family, we’re not having these rolls or this breakfast this week, it becomes such an enormous treat when you do make it!

 

Health Benefits

 

The sourdough craze is officially here.  You may as well jump on board!

 

Sourdough has become popular because it is often much easier for people to digest than regular bread which is often made with commercial yeast. 

 

Sourdough starter goes through a fermentation process that breaks down the gluten content of the flour, which makes it easier for your body to digest. 

 

In lieu of using yeast to make bread or dough rise, you use your active sourdough starter to help the bread to rise with naturally occurring bacteria that is good for your digestive tract. 

 

Tools You’ll Need

 

9 x 13 Baking Dish

 

This is my favorite dish to bake these sourdough cinnamon rolls in.  I have tried the cast iron skillet, but they never seem to come out right. 

 

I like the glass because it is a very clean option and the cinnamon rolls seem to bake very evenly. 

 

Measuring Cups and Spoons

 

Stainless steel is always better than plastic.  

  

Spatula

This brand is awesome.  You get 4 shapes with this pack and you will use them daily, I promise. 

 

Stand Mixer

 

This is not a must to complete this recipe, but it will make your life so much easier if you plan on doing more with sourdough. 

 

I specifically link to this mixer because of the watts of power.  It has 500 watts.  You NEED this power to mix different variations of sourdough bread.  

 

The smaller one is really nice for cookies and such but does not have enough power to mix the bread.  

 

Again, if you are not really getting into sourdough, don’t worry about it.  You can totally knead the dough by hand. 

 

But, I’d hate to see you buy the less expensive one (like I did), and regret it when you really want to use it every week to make your sourdough sandwich bread! 

 

Ingredients For Sourdough Hawaiian Rolls (night before baking)

 

Active Sourdough Starter

 

This recipe calls for an active bubbly starter, one that has been fed in the last 4-8 hours. 

 

All-purpose Flour

 

I use organic and suggest you do as well.  

 

Butter (softened not melted)

 

Salted butter works great. 

 

Pineapple Juice

 

This is one of those rare times I buy canned pineapple. 

 

Milk

 

Any type of milk will work here, we use almond or coconut milk. 

 

Vanilla

 

Salt

 

Pink Himalayan Sea Salt is best.

Eggs

 

Local eggs are always the best.  If buying at the store, look for organic, pasture raised eggs. 

 

Sugar

 

Organic Cane Sugar.

 

Ingredients for Egg Wash

 

Egg Yolk

 

Water

 

How To Make Sourdough Hawaiian Rolls (night before baking)

 

• In a stand mixer with the dough hook, combine the sourdough starter, butter, flour, pineapple juice, milk, vanilla, eggs, salt and sugar.

 

• Mix until all is well combined and the dough is coming away from the sides of the bowl.  The dough will be quite stiff and that is okay. Should be about 10 minutes.  If you are kneading by hand it may take a little longer.

 

• After the dough is mixed well, form it into a nice ball and leave in the bowl of your stand mixer.  Cover the top loosely with plastic wrap (this is more important in the winter so a hard crust doesn’t form on top), and then cover the bowl with a tea towel or bowl cover that is breathable.

 

• Let the dough sit overnight or 8-12 hours in a warm place.  I haven’t had a problem with these overproofing in the summer months, so that shouldn’t be an issue.

How To Make Sourdough Hawaiian Rolls (day of baking)

 

1. Turn your dough out onto a lightly floured surface and press or gently roll into a rectangle.   I use my silicone baking mats as it makes clean up easier. 

 

1. Cut your dough into 18 equal sections using a large sharp knife or a dough scraper. I usually cut it in half, then thirds and thirds again. 

 

1. Put the rolls into a greased 9×13 baking dish, cover with a loose towel and let rest for 1-4 hours or until the rolls have doubled in size.  Make sure to watch them, in the warmer summer months they will rise quickly!

 

1. Once they have doubled, preheat the oven to 375 degrees and brush the rolls with your egg wash. 

 

1. Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes or until they are cooked through.  I usually stick a thermometer or toothpick in the middle roll just to triple check they are good. 

 

1. When the rolls are browned on top they are usually done.

 

1. Let them cool a bit before cutting or serving. 

Storage

 

These sourdough Hawaiian rolls will keep well in a plastic bag on the counter for up to 3 days, maybe 5.  I do not recommend putting them in the fridge as they will harden.  

 

If you cannot use them quickly you can freeze them for up to 3 months.