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This is the archived version of the Milk Street website and is no longer up to date.

Please visit 177milkstreet.com to see the current website with all of the latest recipes!

Hawaiian Sweet Bread–Style Dinner Rolls

Makes 15 rolls

4½ hours 45 minutes active, plus cooling

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From its small-town roots in Hilo, Hawaii, King’s Hawaiian Sweet Bread has become a mainland favorite. This is our homemade dinner roll version that delivers the characteristic soft, sweet, feathery crumb. (For a sandwich loaf, see the recipe below.) King’s doesn’t use pineapple juice, but it is called for by a number of copycat recipes. We found it provides depth without adding fruitiness. Milk powder contributes to a loftier rise, making the crumb light and tender, and promotes deeper browning. The rolls are best the day of baking, but they keep for a day or two at room temperature and will hold for up to a week in the refrigerator. To rewarm, wrap in foil and place in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes.

Makes

15 rolls

Tip

Don’t use fresh pineapple juice, which contains bromelain, an enzyme that will affect gluten development. Pasteurized pineapple juice—whether canned, bottled or in a carton—has been heat-treated, which deactivates the bromelain.

4½ hours

45 minutes active, plus cooling

Ingredients

  • 445

    grams (3¼ cups) bread flour, plus more for dusting

  • 71

    grams (⅓ cup) white sugar

Directions

Reviews
DANETTE M.
November 28, 2025
Yummy!
I’ve made these twice now, and they turn out soft, puffy, light, and slightly flavored with pineapple. Beware that rising times are a little longer than usual, but they are worth the wait!

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