Welcome to October and autumn! This month I'm happy to announce that I am the Kitchen of the Month for the Bread Baking Babes. We are playing with sourdough again, making some yummy rolls that are delicious any time of the year.
Although
we’ve made Portuguese Sweet Bread before, I thought we would try our hands at
making an offshoot. Portuguese immigrants came to Hawaii in the mid- to
late-nineteenth century to work on the livestock ranches and sugarcane
plantations. Of course, they brought their love of sweet breads with
them, sometimes using pineapple juice and honey when sugar was scarce or too
expensive. Hawaiian rolls were created in the 1950s by a baker in Hilo,
Hawaii, who found a way to extend the shelf life of the Portuguese bread, which
was notorious for spoiling quickly. The Hawaiian bread became so popular
that the company eventually expanded and moved from Hawaii to southern
California. Several years ago, they expanded again and opened an
additional bakery in Georgia.
Because
the Babes really enjoy using their sourdough starter, I have chosen two
different Hawaiian roll recipes: one uses traditional sourdough starter,
the other uses sourdough discard. I made them both in the name of
science. Both recipes, plus photos, schedules, and notes, can be found on
Amy Bakes Bread.
There are other sources as well, such as King Arthur Baking, in case those
don’t appeal to you. Just Google, and you will be rewarded!
I look forward to seeing which
version you make, how they turn out, and which one you prefer! (And, just
in case inquiring minds want to know – I continue to use the yeast water
method, tweaking it a bit each time to improve the results. I also make
more than I need, which I put in my discard jar in the refrigerator.)
Apologies for the lack of
photos. I get so caught up in the making/baking process that I forget to
take them. Since we’re all experienced bread bakers, I figure you all can
fill in the blanks.
Sweet
Sourdough Hawaiian Rolls
Ingredients
Levain
(1:1:1 ratio, ready in 3-4 hours at 78-80ºF)
- 55 grams ripe and bubbly sourdough starter
about 1/4 cup
- 55 grams all purpose flour about 7 Tablespoons
- 55 grams water about 1/4 cup
Sourdough
Sweet Hawaiian Rolls
- 150 grams ripe and bubbly levain (scant 2/3 cup)
- 115 grams canned pineapple juice (about 1/2 cup)
- 60 grams milk (about 1/4 cup)
- 1 large egg (about 50 grams)
- 5 grams vanilla extract (about 1 teaspoon)
- 70 grams brown sugar (about 1/3 cup)
- 20 grams potato flakes (about 3.5 Tablespoons)
- 8 grams salt (about 1 teaspoon)
- 400 grams bread flour 12.5% protein (scant 3 cups)
Instructions
Levain
(1:1:1, 3-4 hours until bubbly and active at 78-80ºF)
Mix
together 55 grams of ripe and active sourdough starter with 55 grams flour and
55 grams water. Cover and let rise for 3-4 hours until levain has doubled in
size, peaked and is airy and filled with bubbles.
Sweet
Sourdough Hawaiian Rolls
1. To the bowl of a stand
mixer add levain, pineapple juice, milk, egg, vanilla extract, brown
sugar, potato flakes, salt and bread flour. Mix until completely combined and
the dough feels tacky (not super sticky) and pulls away from the sides of the
bowl.
2. Knead together for
8-10 minutes, adding the rest of the flour as needed, until the dough is soft
and smooth. The dough should be tacky to the touch, not overly sticky. If it is
very sticky, add a little bit more flour, about 20-30 grams at a time.
3. Bulk Fermentation: Put
the dough in a container and cover. Set the dough in a warm,
78-80ºF place for 4 hours. Take the temperature of the dough as needed to
maintain the dough temperature right around 78-80ºF
4. At the end of about 4 hours,
the dough should be puffed up and feel elastic. If it doesn't feel this way,
let it bulk ferment for another half hour and check again
5. Overnight Option: At
this point, after the bulk fermentation has finished, you can cover the dough
and put it in the refrigerator for 24-48 hours. Proceed with the recipe the
next day, shaping and proofing the rolls before baking.
6. Shaping: Dump
the dough onto a countertop. Cut the dough into 9 equal pieces. Take each piece
of dough and pull/pinch up the sides until it forms a ball. Roll the ball on
the counter using your hand in a cupping shape (see video here) to seal
the balls and create tension for the roll to rise. Place in an 8 by 8 pan,
fitting the rolls snuggling next to each other in a 3 by 3 grid.
7. Proofing: Cover
the pan with a dish towel and let rise in an 80-85ºF place until puffed up,
doubled in size and risen, about 3-4 hours. Do not bake these rolls if
they have not risen. Warm the dough up and let them rise longer.
8. Baking: Place
a baking stone or baking sheet on the bottom rack of the oven to
prevent the bottom of the rolls from burning. Pre-heat the oven to 400ºF. Brush
the rolls with heavy cream or egg wash if desired. Bake for about 20-25 minutes
until baked all the way through. Top with melted butter if desired and enjoy!
Sourdough
Discard Hawaiian Rolls
Ingredients
- 200 grams sourdough discard (heaping 3/4 cup)
- 200 grams canned pineapple juice (about 3/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons)
- 10 grams instant yeast (about 1 Tablespoon)
- 1 large egg (about 50 grams)
- 30 grams coconut oil, melted (about 2 Tablespoons)
- 5 grams vanilla extract about 1 teaspoon
- 70 grams brown sugar (about 1/3 cup)
- 7 grams salt (about 1 teaspoon)
- 475 grams bread flour 12.5% protein (about 3 1/3 cups)
Topping
(Optional)
- egg wash (one egg plus splash of water) optional
- Butter for topping rolls optional
Instructions
1. Knead Dough: To the
bowl of a stand mixer add sourdough discard, pineapple juice and instant yeast.
Let the instant yeast activate for a minute. You will notice a yeasty smell and
the yeast beginning to dissolve. Add the egg, melted coconut oil, vanilla
extract, brown sugar and salt. Add 415 grams of bread flour, holding back about
60 grams (scant 1/2 cup). Turn the mixer on and knead the dough together. Mix
until completely combined and the dough feels tacky (not super sticky) and
pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Add the remaining flour as needed - making
sure to not add too much flour to the dough as different brands of flour absorb
liquid differently.
Knead together for 8-10 minutes,
until the dough is soft and smooth. The dough should be tacky to the touch, not
overly sticky. If it is very sticky, add a little bit more flour, about 1
Tablespoon at a time. Remove the dough from the mixer and stick in a
medium-sized bowl or container to rise.
2. First Rise: Cover the
dough and set in a warm place for about 1 - 1 1/2 hours to rise. The dough
should just about double in size during that time. If it hasn't doubled in this
amount of time, place it in a warmer spot and give it a little bit more time.
Colder dough will take longer to rise.
3. Shaping: Line a 9 by
13 pan with parchment paper. Dump the risen dough onto a countertop. Cut the
dough into 12 equal pieces, about 85 grams each. Take each piece of dough and
pull/pinch up the sides until it forms a ball. Roll the ball on the counter
using your hand in a cupping shape to seal the balls and create tension for the
roll to rise. Place in the pan, fitting the rolls snuggling next to each other
in a 4 by 3 grid.
4. Proofing: Cover the
pan with a plastic wrap or a dish towel and place in a warm spot until the
dough has risen, puffed up and just about doubled in size place until puffed
up. Do not bake these rolls if they have not risen.
5. Baking: Place a
baking stone or baking sheet on the bottom rack of the oven to prevent the
bottom of the rolls from burning. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Whisk together one
egg with a splash of water in a small bowl and brush the risen rolls with egg
wash. Bake for about 18-20 minutes until baked all the way through. Brush
melted butter on top of the warm rolls and enjoy!
Be sure and visit the other Babes to see which version they made and their honest feedback. If you would like to join the fun, bake some Hawaiian rolls and let me know by October 29, sending a link to your post (jahunt22 dot gmail dot com). You too can proudly display a Buddy Badge!
