These Sourdough Discard Hawaiian Rolls are a soft, fluffy, sweet roll that is a perfect side dish, or roll to make sliders and mini sandwiches! They have a wonderful sweetness and flavor from the pineapple juice (yes, pineapple juice!) as well as the brown sugar. It may look like a large pan of rolls, but they'll be gone in no time!
If you're looking for a version of this recipe that doesn't use any sourdough, try these Hawaiian Dinner Rolls!
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I've made this recipe three times now, including once for Thanksgiving, and every time they come out picture-perfect, fluffy, and lightly sweet!
- Stephanie
Why you'll love this recipe
- These Hawaiian Rolls are delicious as a side dish or to make sliders and mini sandwiches! They are also amazing for breakfast sandwiches!
- Making full-size burgers? Try these Sourdough Discard Hamburger Buns.
- You'll really taste (and smell) the pineapple juice in the dough, giving these rolls a slightly fruity and tropical flavor.
- You can easily modify this recipe to use active sourdough starter instead of discard, if you prefer.
- These rolls are sweet, but not too sweet, and can be an interesting new flavor for your breakfast or dinner rolls!
- Looking for other bread roll options? Try these Sourdough Discard Rolls, Sourdough Discard Garlic Rolls, and Sourdough Discard Brioche Rolls.
- They freeze well, so you can enjoy some now and freeze the rest for later.
Ingredients
There are a few key ingredients you'll need to make these Sourdough Discard Hawaiian Rolls.
- Pineapple juice: This is the star of the show! The pineapple juice really comes through and gives these rolls a wonderful flavor and sweetness.
- Sourdough discard: The sourdough discard should be unfed and at room temperature for this recipe. This recipe is designed for a sourdough starter with a 1:1 ratio (when you feed your starter, it's with 1 part flour and 1 part water). If your starter uses a different ratio, you may need to adjust some of the ingredients in this recipe.
- Learn more about how to make a homemade sourdough starter.
See full recipe below for detailed directions.
Substitutions & Variations
This is a very adaptable recipe and below are a few easy substitutions and variations you can try.
- Use active sourdough starter - If you'd like to use active sourdough starter instead of discard, you can! To do so, omit the yeast and replace the sourdough discard with active sourdough starter (1:1 substitute). You'll also need to increase the rise times.
- Omit the eggs - If you're not baking with eggs, you can replace the egg in the dough with a liquid vegan egg substitute (like JustEgg) or a flax egg. Instead of the egg wash, brush the rolls with milk or butter.
- Make this recipe without sourdough - If you'd like a version of this recipe that doesn't use any sourdough starter, try these Hawaiian Dinner Rolls.
- Interested in a different roll variation? Try these Sourdough Discard Potato Dinner Rolls.
How to Make Sourdough Discard Hawaiian Rolls
There are just a few easy steps to make these delicious rolls! See the full recipe and detailed directions at the bottom of this post.
- Step 1: Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large mixing bowl) and mix until you have a shaggy dough.
- Step 2: Transfer the dough to a smooth work surface and knead until smooth and soft, about 3-4 minutes. Transfer to a large, oiled bowl and let rise until doubled in size.
- Step 3: Divide the dough into 15 equal-size pieces. This doesn't have to be exact, but you can use a kitchen scale to measure each roll.
- Step 4: Using the palm of your hand for friction, roll each piece of dough into a ball.
- Step 5: Place the rolls in a greased 9x13-inch baking pan, cover and let rise for 60 minutes.
- Step 6: Brush with melted butter, then bake. After baking, brush the rolls with additional melted butter (optional).
Expert Baking Tips
- Make sure you knead the dough long enough. The dough should be smooth and soft (and not sticky) before the first rise. If you don't knead the dough long enough, your rolls may end up looking a bit uneven or shaggy.
- Rise times may vary based on the temperature of your room. Dough will rise quicker in a warmer room, and slower in a cooler room. Give it time!
- When dividing the dough, the pieces don't have to be exactly the same size. You can use a kitchen scale if you do want them to be exactly the same, but you can also eyeball this!
- These rolls freeze well! Enjoy some now, and freeze the rest for later!
- Looking for other side dish ideas? Try these Sourdough Discard Pretzel Buns and this Sourdough Discard Focaccia.
How to Serve Sourdough Discard Hawaiian Rolls
There are many great ways to serve these rolls:
- As a side dish or appetizer. These rolls are delicious on their own and are great as an appetizer or side dish for any meal. You can also spread them with butter, if you like!
- Make a breakfast sandwich. I made an incredible breakfast sandwich with these the other day! The sweetness of the rolls pairs very well with eggs, bacon, and your other favorite breakfast foods.
- Make sliders or mini sandwiches. These rolls are a great size to make sliders or mini sandwiches! Try these Hot Ham and Cheese Sliders, or these Hamburger Sliders.
Storage
Room Temperature Storage: If you plan to eat these rolls within 1-2 days, store them in an airtight container at room temperature. You can reheat them in the microwave for 30 seconds to make them warm and soft again.
Freezer Storage: Once the rolls have cooled fully, transfer them to an airtight container or freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months. When you're ready to serve, let the rolls thaw at room temperature, then reheat in the microwave for 30-60 seconds.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, these are great for making sliders or mini sandwiches! They're also great for a breakfast sandwich.
If you're new to working with sourdough starter, check out these in-depth posts on how to feed sourdough starter, how to use sourdough discard, and tips for struggling sourdough starter.
More Sourdough Discard Rolls
If you tried these Sourdough Discard Hawaiian Rolls or any other recipe on my website, please leave a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I'd love to hear from you! Happy Baking!
Sourdough Discard Hawaiian Rolls
Ingredients
For the Dough
- ½ cup canned pineapple juice room temperature
- ¼ cup non-dairy or regular dairy milk warmed to 110℉
- 1 ½ teaspoons instant yeast
- ¼ cup light brown sugar packed
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 200 grams (about ¾ cup) sourdough discard unfed, at room temperature
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter divided and melted
For Topping
- 1 egg beaten with 1 Tablespoon water for egg wash
- 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter (optional) melted
Instructions
- Combine the pineapple juice, milk, instant yeast and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook*. Add the flour, sourdough discard, beaten egg, vanilla extract and salt. With the mixer on low, slowly pour in 2 Tablespoons of melted butter. Increase speed to medium and mix until a shaggy dough forms, about 2 minutes.
- Transfer the dough to a smooth work surface and knead until smooth, about 3-4 minutes. The dough should be smooth, soft and just slightly tacky (not sticky). If needed, add more flour or milk (1 Tablespoon at a time) to reach your desired consistency.
- Transfer the dough to a large oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise for 90 minutes, or until doubled in size.
- Brush a 9x13-inch baking pan with the remaining 1 Tablespoon of melted butter and set aside.
- Turn the dough onto a smooth work surface and divide into 15 equal-sized pieces. This doesn't have to be exact, but if you do want perfectly identical rolls, weigh the dough on a kitchen scale and divide that number by 15. For me, each roll weighs about 73 grams.Using your palm for friction, roll each piece of dough into a ball, then place the rolls into the prepared baking pan with the seam-side down. Repeat until you have 15 rolls.
- Cover the baking pan with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let the rolls rise for 60 minutes until puffed and doubled in size.
- Preheat the oven to 375℉. Lightly brush the rolls with egg wash. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Let cool slightly in the pan, then brush with 1 Tablespoon melted butter before serving (optional).
Tammy Bailey says
Delicious rolls , it was a fun baking experience vs regular soft dinner rolls . I love these easy sourdough recipes . As I live alone but bake a lot so I can manage your recipes as I’m a senior and disabled .
Sarah says
As usual, your recipes never fail me! These are amazing rolls!! They will pair nicely with our ruben sliders for dinner this evening!!
I proofed them in the refrigerator overnight & baked them fresh this morning.
These dough was a little sticky, but an extra tablespoon of flour did the trick!
Thank you so much for sharing your recipes!
Barbara Moul says
Love, love, love this recipe! I made these for thanksgiving, none were left. I will be making these again and again.
Susan says
I'm not usually one to leave reviews for recipes, but I have made this recipe 4 times this holiday season; to eat as dinner rolls and for slider apps, and this recipe is truly a gem! I have gotten compliments every time I've made them, and I feel so relieved knowing every ingredient in them. They taste a million times better than the store-bought Hawaiian rolls, too!
Andrea says
Can you make these ahead of time and put them in the fridge to bake the next day? Or freeze them?
Jessica Vogl says
You could do the first rise in the fridge overnight, then shape / second rise / bake the next day, if that helps!
Linda says
These really turned out good! It was the first time I have ever been able to make rolls.
They're soft and they're a little bit sweet and tangy and yet the structure is there to make a slider out of them. These will definitely be going into rotation
Joni says
I made these a few days ago using active starter/no yeast. I rarely have discard (intentionally) and they turned out great. I used a muffin pan just for fun! They looked too much like muffins, lol, so next time I'll go with a pan. Planning on doing a double batch next week for a bbq and making them a little smaller, slider sized to go with a smoked brisket. Thanks for a great recipe, it's a keeper!