Why is Hawaiian bread so soft?

Hawaiian bread is soft from the sugar, pineapple juice, eggs and butter that are added to the dough. The acidity of the pineapple juice also helps tenderize the dough.

Can you bake them from frozen?

I would not recommend baking the rolls from frozen. You can partially bake the rolls then cool, wrap and store in the freezer. Then finish baking the rolls according to the recipe instructions.

How do you tell if you over-proofed these Hawaiian rolls?

If the rolls rose beautifully but then collapse during baking, they were most likely over proofed. The surface of an over-proofed roll will no longer be smooth and the air pockets will be large. Over proofing bread begins to break down the gluten structure to the point where it cannot contain the air bubbles produced during the proofing process. The baked bread will have a slightly sour and very yeasty smell and taste.

hawaiian bread

Description

This easy Hawaiian Bread recipe is soft, tender and slightly sweet. Just like your favorite store-bought rolls, but hot and fresh from your oven! These buttery rolls are flavored with butter and pineapple juice, but the secret ingredient is the instant potatoes!

Ingredients

Units Scale

2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (1 package)
1/4 cup warm milk (65g)
1/4 cup canned pineapple juice, room temperature
1/2 cup instant mashed potatoes, cooled
3 large eggs
1/4 cup unsalted butter, cubed and softened
3/4 cup sugar (172g)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (527g)
2 tablespoons butter, melted for brushing

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Instructions

In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together warm milk (100ºF- 110ºF) and yeast. Let sit for 10 minutes until bubbly.
Add pineapple juice, mashed potatoes, and eggs to the mixer and mix to combine either with a whisk or with the paddle attachment. Add butter, sugar, salt and flour to the bowl. Switch to the hook attachment and mix on low for 10 minutes
Increase mixer speed to medium and mix for an additional 5-10 minutes, or until a smooth dough forms that pulls away from the side of the bowl.
This is an enriched dough, so you should be able to pull a thin, smooth window in a piece of dough. To perform the window pane test grab a piece of dough no larger than a golf ball. Then working from opposite sides, wiggle and gently stretch the dough. Turn a quarter turn and repeat with the other sides. Turn and repeat until you have gradually pulled the center thin enough to see through.
The dough will still be a little sticky and that is okay! A sticky dough will make a soft, supple roll. So feel confident in your dough!
Divide dough into 15 equal pieces. Each piece will be approximately 70g, if you want to divide it using a kitchen scale.
Spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray or grease with softened butter (yum!). Lightly spray your countertop or use a light dusting of bench flour. I find shaping with flour more difficult here because it allows the rolls to slide, which makes it harder to get a nice tight roll.
Shape the rolls by folding each edge into the center, flipping the seam-side down on the counter top and then rolling quickly between your thumb and other fingers. The idea is to create a push/pull motion that gently tightens the roll into a ball. In order to do this, you can’t let the dough actually roll around in your hand. Push it away from you using your thumb and then pull it back in a sweeping motion, then repeat. The key is to do this quickly so it doesn’t stick to your hands or the counter excessively. Allowing it to stick a little to the counter will actually help you here.
Cover with plastic wrap and proof in a warm spot for 45 minutes to an hour until they are tripled in size and feel light and airy when gently touched with your finger. Meanwhile pre-heat the oven to 350ºF convection or 375 ºF conventional.
Bake rolls in preheated oven for 20-30 minutes until they are a dark golden brown. You can also test with an instant read thermometer. This is an enriched dough so it should read 185ºF. The large range in baking time will depend on your oven and the baking dish you choose. A metal dish will cook much faster than the same sized ceramic dish, and these will bake closer to 20 minutes in a convection over verses an oven on the conventional (no fan) setting.
Brush with melted butter and serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

Notes

Yield – 15 Rolls

Variations – You can use prepared mashed potatoes instead of the instant.

Storage – Store Hawaiian rolls in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or frozen well-wrapped for up to 2 months. They will be their best for 2 days following baking.