Homemade Hawaiian Bread

Homemade Hawaiian Bread Recipe Homemade Hawaiian Bread Recipe

Soft, slightly sweet homemade Hawaiian bread is a treat to eat, perfect for sandwiches or toast, and so easy to make in your own oven.

I am a firm believer that homemade is always better than store bought, and this Hawaiian bread is no different. Once you try it, you will never go back.

Bread baking has become a Sunday ritual for me. I bake a few loves each weekend to get us through the week, and this Hawaiian bread is the kids’ favorite. Infused with pineapple juice and a hint of vanilla, this bread has a soft, fluffy texture perfect for breakfast, sandwiches, or as a side to your favorite meals.

Homemade Hawaiian Bread Recipe


How to Make Homemade Hawaiian Bread


Preparing the Dough

  1. Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the pineapple juice, warm milk, melted butter, egg, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Mix until well incorporated.
  2. Activate Yeast: Sprinkle the yeast over the mixture, stirring gently to ensure it’s fully dissolved.
  3. Add Flour: Begin by adding 3 cups of flour to the wet mixture. Stir using a sturdy spoon or a dough hook attachment on a stand mixer until a dough starts to form.

Kneading the Dough

  1. Knead the Dough: Continue kneading the dough, adding additional flour a little at a time if the dough is too sticky. Knead until the dough is soft and smooth but still slightly tacky, about 5-7 minutes with a mixer or 10 minutes by hand.

First Rise

  1. Let it Rise: Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turning it to coat all sides in oil. Cover with a damp cloth and set aside in a warm, draft-free area. Let the dough rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Shaping and Second Rise

  1. Shape the Dough: Once risen, punch down the dough to release any air bubbles. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and shape it into a rectangle. Fold the dough into thirds, like folding a letter, and place it seam side down in a greased standard loaf pan.
  2. Second Rise: Cover the loaf pan with a damp cloth and let the dough rise for another 45 minutes, or until it has nearly doubled in size.

Baking

  1. Preheat and Bake: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Once the dough has risen, place the pan in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the top is a dark golden brown and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.

Cooling

  1. Cool: Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

Recipe Notes

  • Pineapple Juice: Ensure the pineapple juice is at room temperature to best activate the yeast.
  • Proofing: Ensure your milk is warm but not hot; too high a temperature can kill the yeast.
  • Checking for Doneness: If you’re unsure if the bread is fully baked, an instant-read thermometer should read 190°F when inserted into the center of the loaf.
  • This Hawaiian bread can also easily be made into rolls – after the first rising, simply divide the dough into 16 pieces, roll, and place in a greased baking dish, cover and rise 45 minutes, and then bake @350 for 15-20 minutes.
  • You can use bread flour, but you will get a chewier consistency – which is why I use all purpose for this recipe.

Homemade Hawaiian Bread Recipe

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Homemade Hawaiian Bread Recipe

Homemade Hawaiian Bread


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4.8 from 15 reviews

  • Author: Heather Kinnaird
  • Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
  • Yield: 1 loaf 1x

Description

Soft, slightly sweet homemade Hawaiian bread is a treat to eat, perfect for sandwiches or toast, and so easy to make in your own oven.


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 cup pineapple juice
  • 1/4 cup milk (warm)
  • 1/4 cup butter (melted)
  • 1 egg
  • 2 Tbsp sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 envelope active dry yeast (I prefer Red Star Platinum yeast)
  • 33 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Instructions

Preparing the Dough

  1. Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the pineapple juice, warm milk, melted butter, egg, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Mix until well incorporated.
  2. Activate Yeast: Sprinkle the yeast over the mixture, stirring gently to ensure it’s fully dissolved.
  3. Add Flour: Begin by adding 3 cups of flour to the wet mixture. Stir using a sturdy spoon or a dough hook attachment on a stand mixer until a dough starts to form.

Kneading the Dough

  1. Knead the Dough: Continue kneading the dough, adding additional flour a little at a time if the dough is too sticky. Knead until the dough is soft and smooth but still slightly tacky, about 5-7 minutes with a mixer or 10 minutes by hand.

First Rise

  1. Let it Rise: Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turning it to coat all sides in oil. Cover with a damp cloth and set aside in a warm, draft-free area. Let the dough rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Shaping and Second Rise

  1. Shape the Dough: Once risen, punch down the dough to release any air bubbles. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and shape it into a rectangle. Fold the dough into thirds, like folding a letter, and place it seam side down in a greased standard loaf pan.
  2. Second Rise: Cover the loaf pan with a damp cloth and let the dough rise for another 45 minutes, or until it has nearly doubled in size.

Baking

  1. Preheat and Bake: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Once the dough has risen, place the pan in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the top is a dark golden brown and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.

Cooling

  1. Cool: Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

Notes

  • This Hawaiian bread can also easily be made into rolls – after the first rising, simply divide the dough into 16 pieces, roll, and place in a greased baking dish, cover and rise 45 minutes, and then bake @350 for 15-20 minutes.
  • Pineapple Juice: Ensure the pineapple juice is at room temperature to best activate the yeast.
  • Proofing: Ensure your milk is warm but not hot; too high a temperature can kill the yeast.
  • Checking for Doneness: If you’re unsure if the bread is fully baked, an instant-read thermometer should read 190°F when inserted into the center of the loaf.
  • Prep Time: 20 mins
  • Rising Time: 105 mins
  • Cook Time: 25 mins
  • Category: Baking, Bread
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: Hawaiian

 

View Comments (25) View Comments (25)
  1. I just put the yeast dry into the wet ingredients. I do warm up the pineapple juice up slightly. This bread is delicious. Just made some today






  2. I doubled the amounts and ended up with three loaves – what a bonus, as they were all absolutely delicious. This is definitely my new favorite bread.






  3. This ended up being a huge success. My first try, I didn’t fully let it rise twice, but on my second attempt I did and it was just so fantastic. Yay! I’m a baker now!






  4. The key to this bread for me was patience. It took 1 1/2 hours for mine to rise. Also when I formed it into a loaf and put it back in to rise it took longer. It’s cold here right now and even though I have a bread proof on my oven I think it effected the time rise. It turned out beautifully. And taste amazing. Totally going to make this again in the future.






    1. Hi Kami, yes you can! But keep in mind that honey is sweeter than sugar and it also adds moisture to the dough. Here are some pointers for making the substitution:

      Ratio: Use about 1/3 to 1/2 the amount of honey compared to sugar. Since the recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of sugar, you can use 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of honey.
      Adjust Liquid: Honey adds more liquid to the dough. To balance this, reduce the other liquids (pineapple juice or milk) slightly. For 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of honey, reduce the pineapple juice or milk by about 1/2 to 1 tablespoon.
      Temperature: Honey browns faster than sugar, so you may need to keep an eye on the bread while it bakes to avoid over-browning. You can cover the top with foil if it browns too quickly.

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