.................. Cooking with Barry & Meta: Hawaiian Yeast Rolls -- Homemade!

Golden brown outside, soft, fluffy and tender inside, these rolls are very similar to the store-bought ones. And like their counterparts, they taste buttery, sweet and slightly tropical. Perfect for dinner rolls or use them as slider buns.

Homemade Hawaiian Yeast Rolls Makes about 29 to 30 rolls

1 cup pineapple juice (room temperature)

1 cup warm milk (120 to 130°F; higher temp is used because the “rapidmix” method is used in this recipe, where the yeast is added directly to ingredients vs. proofing in water before adding)

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

4 whole eggs, lightly beaten

¾ cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon table salt

2 scant tablespoons (two ¼ oz. packets) instant yeast*

8 to 9 cups bread flour

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1 large egg + 2 tablespoons water

Combine the pineapple juice, milk, melted butter, eggs, sugar, salt, and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer.
Add 2 cups of the flour and stir until the dough forms a rough, shaggy mass.
Attach the dough hook to the mixer and turn to medium-low speed.
Gradually add the remaining flour, kneading until dough begins leaves the sides of the bowl and the dough holds together.
Continue kneading on medium-high speed for 4 to 5 minutes, until a soft and smooth ball of dough forms.
Place the dough in a clean bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until puffy and doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Spray a large baking pan with cooking spray.
Gently deflate the dough. Use a bench scraper or knife to divide the dough into 29 to 30 equal pieces—about 2 ½ oz. each
Shape each piece into a ball and place in the prepared pan.
In a small bowl combine the egg with 2 tablespoons of water. Brush all over the rolls. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise again until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

Rolls have been shaped and covered ABOVE.
BELOW -- after rising, the rolls are now ready to bake.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375°F.
Bake the rolls for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

In case you want to MAKE AHEAD, here are some possibilities.

· You can freeze 10 minutes after your shape the dough into rolls. Defrost overnight in the fridge, let sit at room temperature for about an hour, until puffy and not so cold, before baking as the recipe directs.

· You can also let the shaped rolls rise overnight in the fridge. Let sit at room temperature for about an hour, until puffy and not so cold, before baking as the recipe directs.

· You can freeze the fully baked rolls in an airtight container.

There is often confusion about types of yeast, so here’s the run down:

Active Dry Yeast is activated shortly after being hydrated or combined with water (sometimes referred to as “blooming”). It works slower but eventually catches up with the instant.
(Active Dry) Instant Yeast becomes active the “instant” it contacts moisture. It is ideally suited to the Rapidmix method of yeast dough preparation (where the yeast is added directly to the flour) but will not be harmed if added directly to water in the Traditional mixing method. Instant yeast does make the bread rise a bit faster than plain active dry yeast. THIS IS WHAT I PREFER. It is interchangeable with Active Dry; both can be used in recipes that don’t specify the type of yeast to use.
Rapid or Quick Rise Yeast (“Fast-Rising” or “Fast-Acting”) is more granulated and can cut the rising time in half. Like instant yeast, it is ideally suited to the Rapidmix method and can shorten the rising time of traditional recipes by as much as 50%. To adapt a recipe that calls for either of the above two types of yeast — mix the “Fast-Rising” yeast with dry ingredients and heat liquids to 130°F.

Recipe without photos . . .

Homemade Hawaiian Bread Rolls Makes about 29 to 30 rolls