Hawaiian Bread made fresh with pineapple juice, ginger and a few other basic ingredients. Simple Hawaiian Bread recipe that is soft, sweet, delicious and easy to make too!
Homemade Hawaiian Bread recipe made from scratch with just the right amount of sweetness and flavor! Nothing beats the taste (or smell!) of homemade bread and I’m always looking for new bread recipes. I had never tried to make Hawaiian Bread before, but I was intrigued by the idea of putting pineapple juice in the dough so I decided to give it a shot.
This bread is fantastic! The consistency is wonderful and it definitely tastes like Hawaiian bread, but the flavor isn’t super strong or overly sweet which surprised me since there are 2 cups of pineapple juice in the recipe.
Each batch makes three round loaves and all three loaves were gone within a couple of days at my house – I consider that a success! This is also a great recipe for those who haven’t had much experience with yeast because you don’t have to proof the yeast or get water to a certain temperature or anything – you literally just add the yeast straight to the dough and it works out perfectly every time. My entire family loves this bread and all three loaves are usually devoured within a couple of days!
Ingredients in Homemade Hawaiian Bread
- 6-7 cups flour
- 3 eggs
- 2 cups pineapple juice
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 pkg. yeast (1 1/2 TBSP)
- 1 stick butter (1/2 cup), melted
How to make Homemade Hawaiian Bread
- Beat eggs, add pineapple juice, sugar, ginger, vanilla and melted butter. Stir until combined.
- Place 3 cups of flour in stand mixer (I use a Bosch). Add the egg mixture and mix until well combined. Sprinkle in the yeast and mix well.
- Add the other 3 cups of flour and mix on low speed for about 2-3 minutes. If the dough is still sticking to the sides of the mixer, add another 1/2 cup flour and continue to mix. If the dough is still sticky add another 1/2 cup. I’ve never had to use more than 7 cups of flour for this bread, but it definitely depends on altitude, etc. so if you have to add a little more, it’ll be fine! The dough should still be sticky to the touch, but not sticking to the sides of the mixer.
- Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover with cloth in a warm place. Let rise for 1 hour.
- Divide the dough into three equal parts, shape into balls, and then place in greased round cake pans. Cover with cloth and let the dough rise for about another hour.
- Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes. As with any bread, it tastes the best straight out of the oven with melted butter!
Enjoy this bread recipe? Here are even more recipes for homemade bread to try:
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- How to Make Homemade Bread
- Homemade Hawaiian Bread
- Honey Oat Bread recipe
- Cinnamon Raisin Bread
- Parmesan Garlic Dinner Rolls
- Fabulous French Bread
- Sweet Orange Dinner Rolls
- Easy Homemade Cheesy Breadsticks
- Tomato Parmesan Flatbread
- Potato Bread Recipe
- Soft Cornmeal Dinner Rolls
- Honey Wheat Bread
- Soft White Sandwich Bread
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AVOID SUNKEN BREAD
The easiest and best way to avoid sunken bread is to use a cooking thermometer to check the inside of the loaf. Fully cooked bread will register 200°F on a thermometer. My all-time favorite thermometer is the Thermapen. It’s super fast and incredibly durable. Another great cooking thermometer is the ThermoPop which is a more basic version that works just as well!
HOMEMADE HAWAIIAN BREAD
Ingredients
- 6 cups flour + 1/2 cup flour
- 3 eggs
- 2 cups pineapple juice
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 pkg. yeast 1 1/2 TBSP
- 1 stick butter 1/2 cup, melted
Instructions
- Beat eggs, add pineapple juice, sugar, ginger, vanilla and melted butter. Stir until combined.
- Place 3 cups of flour in stand mixer (I use a Bosch). Add the egg mixture and mix until well combined. Sprinkle in the yeast and mix well.
- Add the other 3 cups of flour and mix on low speed for about 2-3 minutes. If the dough is still sticking to the sides of the mixer, add another 1/2 cup flour and continue to mix. If the dough is still sticky add another 1/2 cup. I've never had to use more than 7 cups of flour for this bread, but it definitely depends on altitude, etc. so if you have to add a little more, it'll be fine! The dough should still be sticky to the touch, but not sticking to the sides of the mixer.
- Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover with cloth in a warm place. Let rise for 1 hour.
- Divide the dough into three equal parts, shape into balls, and then place in greased round cake pans. Cover with cloth and let the dough rise for about another hour.
- Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. As with any bread, it tastes the best straight out of the oven with melted butter! Enjoy!
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How to Make Bread
If you’ve never baked homemade bread before, here are a few tips:
Weather can affect your ingredients
If you live in a moist climate, chances are you’ll need at least the recommended amount of flour, maybe even 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup more. Bread dough should be sticky, but still manageable, especially after the first rise. While you’re kneading, the dough should come together and pull away from the sides of the bowl, leaving the bowl mostly clean. I usually aim to have the very bottom of the dough still attached to the bowl. Try not to add too much flour because your bread will be more dense. When you pick the dough up, some will stick to your fingers. After the first rise, it will be easier to handle!
Temperature affects how long your bread takes to rise
If your house is cool, your bread will take longer to rise. In the wintertime when my house is cooler than normal, I like to turn the oven on for 2-3 minutes, then turn it off and let the bowl of dough rise in there. The oven traps the heat for a longtime and it’s the perfect atmosphere for rising dough.
How can you tell if bread is fully baked?
I like to use a food thermometer. Mine is digital, so it’s very easy to use. Fully cooked bread will be 190-200 degrees F. Bread recipes that include milk will need to cook until 200 degrees, but since this one doesn’t, I take it out once it reaches 190 degrees. The top will be golden brown.
Homemade Hawaiian Bread is easy to make is soft and delicious. This slightly sweet bread recipe is made fresh with pineapple juice, ginger and a few other basic ingredients.
Kathleen Mauler says
Looks wonderful and easy too!
Nancy Steward says
Sweet Bread was brought to Hawaii by Portuguese Immigrants, it is not Hawaiin, like the ukelele it is not indigenous to Hawaii, I guess because it’s so popular in Hawaii its called Hawaiian Bread.,its actually Portuguese Sweet Bread, Hawaiians did not bake bread, the Portuguese brought their bread and Built Stone Ovens in Hawaii as immigrants who came to work the sugar plantations many years ago !
Salihaa Aritzia says
thanks for the education about the Portuguese origins of this bread! Love learning about the history of foods! I’ll try the Portuguese sweet bread and report back. Just made the sweet braided bread (challah like bread) and it was a huge success. not as rich and flavorful as a traditional challah, probably due to such short proving times, but for a quick sweet braided bread, this was a great recipe. nice as a tear and share too.
Jim McAndrew says
Made this for the first time. Was very good texture and delightful flavour. Reminiscent of an old fashioned sweet roll bread. Makes great toast and would be a good french toast. Warm with melted butter!!!!!!!!!
I was a bit concerned not proofing the yeast before. But mixing it in mid way worked well enough too, raised well gave a full bodied consistancy with fine light texture. All around great bread reminded me of days past and my mom’s sweet dinner rolls.
Chad says
First time I ever made bread and it came out perfectly. Recommend brushing egg wash on top for a great shiny, brown crust.
Jessica says
Great idea- thank you!
Lonnie says
This bread was heavy and dense. It sits hard in your belly. The taste is okay but the texture is horrid.
Jessica says
Sounds like your bread didn’t rise well- was your yeast still fresh?
Baking Punk says
Can I use Instant yeast or does it have to be Active yeast? If so how much of the Instant Yeast?
Jessica says
You’d use the exact same amount of instant yeast.
Cara Gordon says
I can save you a lot of time with a nice hint! I have been baking for over 30 years and was so happy to learn this trick.
Start by preheating your oven to 200 degrees. Mix your bread for 8 minutes then don’t let it rise for an hour just immediately make your loaf or dough balls and place them on the cookie sheet or in a loaf pan whichever you are making.
When oven reaches 200 degrees TURN THE OVEN OFF and put rolls inside. This is called “proofing”. Your oven becomes a “Proof box” like professional bakeries. It will rise in 30-40 minutes. Now they are ready to bake. You don’t need to take the rolls out of the oven just turn the oven to 350 and bake rolls 15 minutes or loaves 30 minutes or till light brown. No more waiting for 2 hours to rise. It works wonderfully!
Jessica says
I’m SO trying this– thank you Cara!!
Angie says
Could you use this for cinnamon roll cupcakes.
Jessica says
I’ve never made cinnamon roll cupcakes, so I’m not sure!
Elie says
The warmer the bread rises and proofs, the less flavor develops.
You can always add more yeast and you can always proof it at a higher temperature.
But, you sacrifice on quality.
You win in one way but lose in another.
I once let dough rise in the fridge and my tasters, not knowing, couldn’t stop commenting how flavorful the bread was.
It’s night and day.
Beverly Dozier says
Good tip must try this.
Cara Gordon says
Your dough tasted great! Your pictures are fantastic! Thanks for sharing!!! Cara
Jessica says
Glad you enjoyed it!
Anshum says
Can you use Active Dry Yeast without proving like mentioned in your recipe i.e just add it in with the ingredients?
Nellie says
I’ve never tried that in this recipe, but it should work fine! Please let us know if you try it!
Judy says
To freeze this bread should I bake it first then let it cool completely before shrink* wrapping it or shrink wrap it without baking?
*food saver
Nellie says
I would bake the bread and cool completely before freezing. Enjoy!
Judy says
Can I use rice flour for this recipe as we have a family with member with wheat and potato allergies? And if so do I increase or decrease amount of rice flour I use? Thank you for any help.
Nellie says
I have never used rice flour so I have no idea-I’m so sorry I’m not much help!
Elie says
No way.
Rice flour gets hard and doesn’t rise.
Take a look at cooksillustrated.com for their comments on gluten free bread baking.
Martha says
I had to throw this recipe in the trash with the bread- it was dense and horrible!! Maybe my yeast was bad but it had a 2019 exp date
Jessica says
It sounds like something didn’t go quite right! Did you use 2 packages of yeast like the recipe calls for?
Linda Catlege says
I made it, it was delicious, but didn’t catch the part about not proofing the yeast so had a extra 1/2c of liquid, had to add flour still was a sticky mess. Will try it just adding yeast to the batter. Maybe it will have a better texture, but was still delicious.
Rochelle says
After making read for the first time, using your basic recipe, The Husband suggested I try making the Hawaiian Bread recipe. I want, to give it a higher rating, but I can’t. I was excited about the ingredients (pineapple juice and ginger!), but the results were just OK. It wasn’t bad, it was just lacking in flavor. Maybe it wasn’t fair to expect it to turn out like King’s Hawaiian bread. I’m going to check out other recipes to compare, and try this one again. Maybe I’ll use pineapple extract, a blend of brown and raw sugar, and fresh ginger. Maybe orange or mango juice? Something’s missing and I can’t figure out what it is.
Ken Williamson says
The word “Hawaiian” is a reserved word pertaining to native indigenous Polynesians who populated the Hawaii Islands. Native Hawaiians did not have ovens nor flour so they never baked bread.
People who live in Hawaii but are not of Hawaiian bloodline are called Hawaii residents.
Pineapple is not native to Hawaii as it was first introduced into Hawaii from South America 1813 first planted by James Dole.
Tourists from the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s tried to mimic Hawaii foods they tried by combining pineapple and ham calling it Hawaii food thus ethnically and racially sterotyping Hawaiians.
Hawaiian Pizza is the greatest stereotype because it was invented by a Canadian Sam Panopoulos a Greek who emigrated to Canada in 1954.
Hawaii Sweet Bread is really Portuguese sweet bread brought to Hawaii Islands during the Portuguese emigration 1878 to 1911 when Portuguese came to Hawaii as paid workers from Madeira and Azores to work on Plantations.
King’s Hawaiian Sweet Bread and Rolls, basically the Hawaii standard for sweet bread and rolls does not list pineapple juice as an ingredient.
Jessica says
thanks!
Fay says
Made it today. It was good
Added a bit more sugar. It is a great recipe.
Ann Jones says
Right Sweet Bread is not Hawaiin it’s Portuguese, so is the ukelele brought to Hawaii by Portuguese immigrants, the Portuguese brought the sweet bread and the malasadas, sweet doughnuts, and built stone ovens to bake the bread, native Hawaiians never made bread !
jo says
i made this today and am very disappointed in how it turned out. it seemed easy enough but for some reason, after following all the instructions and mixing all the final ingredients, the dough was still very sticky and wet, so i had to add more flour.. then more flour again. this then had an effect on how little it rose when sitting, which then forced me to cook it longer (middle was uncooked after 28 minutes).. went back in for three intervals of 4 minutes. the middle was still raw, yet the rest of the cake was very dry from adding so much flour and hardening as it sat due to the extra time tot cook. i will not even consider this touching this recipe again. i would recommend trying another recipe.
Jessica says
Sounds like something definitely didn’t go right Jo! Sorry about that!
Carol Ussery says
This bread had no flavor at all. Won’t try it again.
Nellie says
The bread definitely doesn’t have as strong of a flavor as store-bought Hawaiian bread…the sweetness and flavor is much more subtle.
Russell Thompson says
I am wanting to make this but do you use bread flour or do you use all purpose flour?
Nellie says
I always just use all-purpose flour, but bread flour would probably work fine too!