Hawaiian Sweet Bread Recipe | Barbara Bakes (2024)

FAQs

What makes Hawaiian bread different? ›

Hawaiian sweet bread is a type of fortified bread, like brioche. Based off of Portuguese sweet bread (Pao Doce), Hawaiian sweet bread recipes call for lots of sugar, up to 1.5 cups per batch in some recipes. Since it's a fortified dough, you'll also find butter and milk or condensed milk in the recipe.

The recipe combines milk, sugar, yeast, flour, and sometimes pineapple juice to add that delightful sweetness to the roll, and reflects the strong Portuguese influences in Hawaiian cuisine.

But in general, people no longer refer to them as Portuguese sweet bread. Instead, most now simply refer to them as sweet bread. Some enterprising companies even refer to them as Hawaiian sweet bread. But make no mistake, the latest generation of sweet breads in Hawaii owe their existence to Portuguese immigrants.

Keep the product inside the container and just remove the plastic wrapping! Place this into a preheated oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 2-3 minutes for the rolls and 3-5 minutes for the bread, depending on how warm you want it. You will then have a sweet smelling home to enjoy your rolls.

But like many popular Hawaiian foods, they weren't exactly native. Sweetened breads came to the islands with the Portuguese immigrants who flooded Hawaii in the mid-to-late 19th century to work the livestock ranches and sugarcane plantations.

Hawaiian Rolls are distinctly sweet and ridiculously soft and light, perfect for making delicious mini sandwiches, breakfast sandwiches, sliders, and more. Your kids will go crazy for these rolls, too!

Are Hawaiian rolls the same as brioche? They are similar since Hawaiian rolls and brioche are both enriched doughs, meaning they include eggs and/or butter. The main difference is that Hawaiian rolls are sweeter and include pineapple juice to give them a super yummy flavor.

The recipe is based on Portuguese sweet bread, which is super rich from plenty of eggs, butter, and sugar. And, in case you're wondering, yes! King's Hawaiian really did start in Hawaii.

King's Hawaiian Bread was first baked and sold in Hawaii beginning in 1950, and the current company was started in California in the late 70s. The bread itself seems to be based on Portuguese sweet bread, an even older style of soft, sweet bread.

Purple bread is a unique type of bread that is made using purple sweet potatoes, which are commonly found in Hawaii. The purple sweet potatoes are used to create a vibrant purple hue in the bread, and they also add a subtle sweetness to the flavor.

What's in King's Hawaiian bread? ›

Hawaiian sweet bread is similar to breads like challah and brioche in that it is enriched with both egg and butter. Unlike those two, however, it has a tiny bit less added fat and a lot more sugar.

Hailing from Milan, panettone is a sweet, dome-shaped bread loaf studded with raisins and candied citrus peels. Interestingly, the dough takes several days to make: like sourdough, it has to be cured.

Sweetbreads are a part of traditional French cuisine. In Henri-Paul Pellaprat's classic Modern French Culinary Art, which was published in English in 1966, he includes six different recipes for sweetbreads, including versions with cream sauce, with ham, presented in pastry cases, and à la Florentine.

Are Hawaiian rolls the same as brioche? They are similar since Hawaiian rolls and brioche are both enriched doughs, meaning they include eggs and/or butter. The main difference is that Hawaiian rolls are sweeter and include pineapple juice to give them a super yummy flavor.

A sweet, tropical take on the dinner roll

According to Baked By an Introvert, the secret to the flavor of authentic Hawaiian rolls lie in some sweet add-ins. These rolls use a combo of vanilla extract, honey, and pineapple juice to imbue the distinct flavor that sets these rolls apart from their European cousin.

But sometimes, only the squishy sweetness of a King's Hawaiian roll will do. The appeal comes from the balance of texture and flavor: The sweetness delicately offsets any salty sandwich fillings, like ham and cheese, while its fluff envelops those fillings into itself and is just fun to bite.

Brioche leans heavily on the added heft of eggs and butter, whereas Hawaiian bread embraces extra sweeteners like sugar, honey, or even pineapple juice, as well as a smaller quantity of eggs and dairy.