For some reason we were talking about Hawaiian rolls at work the other day, and I decided to try them. I changed the recipe a bit, taking a hint from tennis rolls, and came up with something that was quite popular when I brought it back to work.

Ingredients:

• 2 packets active dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup pineapple juice
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• the zest from 1 orange
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 6 cups all-purpose flour

In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in 1/2 cup of the warm water. Let stand 10 minutes until creamy. Beat in the eggs, pineapple juice, remaining water, sugar, orange zest, vanilla, and melted butter.

Stir in the flour gradually.

Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place for one hour. Lightly grease three cake pans. Deflate the dough and turn out onto a well floured surface. Sprinkle the top with flour as well, so that you can handle it without it coating your hands. Divide into three portions. You can do one single loaf per pan, or divide it into smaller buns, that will grow together while they rise and cook, but be able to pull apart to eat.

Cover and let rise until doubled, about 40 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, then bake loaves 25-30 minutes, until the browned and hollow sounding when tapped. Cool on wire racks.

This bread is great with some butter or some cheddar cheese. It’s not as sweet as I expected, although some of my coworkers thought it was nearly sweet enough for dessert. To each their own?

I’ll be submitting this post to yeastspotting!

Hawaiian Bread

Adapted from Allrecipes.

• 2 packets active dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup pineapple juice
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• the zest from 1 orange
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 6 cups all-purpose flour

In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in 1/2 cup of the warm water. Let stand 10 minutes until creamy. Beat in the eggs, pineapple juice, remaining water, sugar, orange zest, vanilla, and melted butter.

Stir in the flour gradually.

Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place for one hour. Lightly grease three cake pans. Deflate the dough and turn out onto a well floured surface. Sprinkle dough with flour. Divide into three portions and place in prepared cake pans.

Cover and let rise until doubled, about 40 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, then bake loaves 25-30 minutes, until the browned and hollow sounding when tapped. Cool on wire racks.