Hawaiian Sweet Bread Recipe | Barbara Bakes (2024)

FAQs

What makes Hawaiian bread different? ›

Hawaiian sweet bread is a type of fortified bread, like brioche. Based off of Portuguese sweet bread (Pao Doce), Hawaiian sweet bread recipes call for lots of sugar, up to 1.5 cups per batch in some recipes. Since it's a fortified dough, you'll also find butter and milk or condensed milk in the recipe.

The recipe is based on Portuguese sweet bread, which is super rich from plenty of eggs, butter, and sugar. And, in case you're wondering, yes! King's Hawaiian really did start in Hawaii.

Bake until golden brown, about 20 – 23 minutes, rotating dish halfway through baking. Let rolls cool in dish on wire rack for 10 minutes then brush with remaining butter. Best served warm. TO REHEAT room-temperature rolls, wrap in aluminum foil, place on baking sheet, and bake in 350-degree oven for 20 minutes.

When I came to the US for the first time, I saw bags of “Hawaiian bread” that looked similar to the “pao doce” from my childhood. Only a few years later I learned that indeed those are all the same, brought both to Hawaii and New England by Portuguese immigrants.

The major difference that separates them from other dinner rolls is a distinct sweetness. Big King's Hawaiian fans will also tout the texture, its flaky outside and fluffy interior, as a reason it's so delectable.

Hawaiian bread is so good because it's soft and stretchy, and it's got just a hint of tangy yeastiness, with a slight sweet flavor that just teases your tastebuds.

Are Hawaiian rolls the same as brioche? They are similar since Hawaiian rolls and brioche are both enriched doughs, meaning they include eggs and/or butter. The main difference is that Hawaiian rolls are sweeter and include pineapple juice to give them a super yummy flavor.

Hawaiian bread is similar to Portuguese sweet bread and French brioche bread with the addition of sugar, butter and eggs. The pineapple juice and mashed potatoes set them apart and make them extra sweet, tender and soft!

Yes. However, if you plan to eat our bread within a week or two, you don't have to freeze it. We recommend storing our bread in a cool and dry place.

Proofing Homemade Hawaiian Rolls Sliders:

This dough will take some time to proof, especially if your kitchen is cold. The sugars, pineapple juice, eggs, and butter in this recipe add deliciousness but also slow the proofing process.

Can you eat Hawaiian rolls without heating them up? ›

These rolls can be served warm or cold or... you know what? There are no rules with these. Eat them however you can. They're that good!

Hailing from Milan, panettone is a sweet, dome-shaped bread loaf studded with raisins and candied citrus peels. Interestingly, the dough takes several days to make: like sourdough, it has to be cured.

Sweetbreads are a part of traditional French cuisine. In Henri-Paul Pellaprat's classic Modern French Culinary Art, which was published in English in 1966, he includes six different recipes for sweetbreads, including versions with cream sauce, with ham, presented in pastry cases, and à la Florentine.

“That's a tradition from the old country,” Goretti said. Goretti was referring to her native country of Portugal, where it is customary to eat sweet bread with a hard-boiled egg baked into its center on Easter Sunday. The egg symbolizes new life and the resurrection of Christ.

A sweet, tropical take on the dinner roll

According to Baked By an Introvert, the secret to the flavor of authentic Hawaiian rolls lie in some sweet add-ins. These rolls use a combo of vanilla extract, honey, and pineapple juice to imbue the distinct flavor that sets these rolls apart from their European cousin.

But like many popular Hawaiian foods, they weren't exactly native. Sweetened breads came to the islands with the Portuguese immigrants who flooded Hawaii in the mid-to-late 19th century to work the livestock ranches and sugarcane plantations.