Bunny’s Homemade Hawaiian Rolls [for Easter Monday Ham & Cheese Sliders]

One thing I miss about California is the proximity of my dad’s place to the King’s Hawaiian Bakery. I particularly miss Hawaiian Bread on the holidays, when there’s quite often a honey-baked ham around. Hawaiian rolls are a great side to a holiday ham. And, they make awesome ham and cheese sliders. [I can personally attest to these sliders as the perfect pyjama food…the ideal midnight movie snack, especially with a beer or a giant glass of cold milk]. Lucky for me, one of my friends in Cali offered me her aunt Bunny’s knock-off recipe for the rolls [yeah, I know…Easter Rolls from Bunny!], which I tweaked to my liking.

Print Recipe

Bunny's Homemade Hawaiian Rolls

makes about 20 slider-sized dinner rolls

Author: Roseanne Carrara, The Lunchbox Season

Ingredients

• Dough
• 2 packets [4.5 tsp] Instant or Active Dry Yeast [I'm coming to prefer instant]
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 c warm water
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 c unsweeteened pineapple juice [I just used the juice from a strained can of pineapple tidbits]
• 1/2 c unsalted butter melted
• 1/2 c coconut milk [save the rest for curry]
• 1/2 c sugar [optional but amazing]
• 1/3 c honey
• 1 tsp salt [optional especially if serving with ham]
• 1 tsp vanilla [optional]
• 6 c all purpose flour
• Eggwash
• 1 egg
• 1 tbs cream or water
• Butter Topping
• 3-5 tbs unsalted butter melted.

Instructions

• Drop the yeast and sugar into the warm water and stir gently.
• Let the yeast mixture proof for 10 minutes or until mixture is gloriously full and foamy.
• [If the yeast mixture does not foam, discard, purchase new yeast, and try again!]
• In the bowl of a mixer fixed with a bread hook, combine, eggs, juice, butter, coconut milk, [sugar], honey, [salt] and [vanilla].
• Add yeast mixture when proofed.
• Slowly add flour by the cup-full until throughly combined.
• When the dough begins to pull away from the bowl, knead on low for 2-3 minutes. [If you end up kneading too much, no worries, you'll just end up with an almost "brioche" style dinner roll!]
• Spray a large glass or non-reactive bowl with oil or dab thoroughly with your used butter wrapper.
• Remove ball of elastic dough to the oiled/buttered bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
• Set aside in a warm, dark place until doubled [about an hour].
• Pat dough down gently.
• Form into 18-24 equally sized balls.
• Grease two 9-inch round pans, two square pans, one very large rectangular baking tray or the equivalent. If you line the pans with parchment, use a little baking spray. [I used a large baking tray lined with parchment]
• Place dough balls inside spaced evenly apart.
• Wrap in plastic and set aside, until doubled in size again [about an hour].
• Heat oven to 350F.
• Spread egg wash over tops of rolls.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown on top.
• Brush with melted butter.
• Serve warm or at room temperature.
• Slice rolls along the edges and remove from pan.
• Enjoy!
• Store in plastic containers or airtight bags for 2-3 days [if they last that long].

Notes

To make an Easter Monday slider, slice roll in half, add a few slices of ham, cheddar or swiss, and hot mustard, and heat in a 350 oven for a few minutes if desired.