Honey Butter Hawaiian Rolls
Fluffy, pillowy homemade copycat King's Hawaiian rolls topped with honey butter and flaky sea salt. Perfect for sliders, as a savory snack, or for leftovers. This recipe guarantees the fluffiest, sweetest, warmest, most delicious buns with a light honey sweetness and buttery richness.
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1
In a heatproof liquid measuring cup, microwave the milk until warm but not hot; it should be 110° to 115ºF. Add the yeast and a pinch of the sugar and stir to combine. Set aside for 5 minutes to allow the yeast to bloom.
Timer: 5m - 2
In a large bowl, combine the flour, the remaining sugar, the lemon juice, honey, and kosher salt. Mix until combined, then add the milk mixture.
- 3
Stir for 5 to 10 minutes, until the dough comes together and is relatively smooth.
Timer: 10m - 4
Stir in the eggs, one at a time, waiting until each is fully incorporated before adding the next.
- 5
Stir in the butter, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time, once again waiting until each bit is fully incorporated before adding the next.
- 6
Lightly flour your hands and knead the dough for about 10 minutes, or until it's glossy and smooth.
Timer: 10m - 7
Tilt the dough onto the counter and shape into a neat ball. Return the ball to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a damp cloth, and set in a warm place to proof until it's about doubled in size, 1½ to 2 hours.
Timer: 2h - 8
Butter a 9 × 13-inch baking dish.
- 9
Once proofed, cut the dough into 15 equal portions (if possible, weigh the portions: they should be about 78g each). Roll each portion into a ball and place evenly spaced in the prepared baking dish.
- 10
Allow the dough balls to proof again, uncovered, until roughly doubled in size and touching each other, 1 to 1½ hours. (An instant-read thermometer poked into the center of the middle roll should read between 70° and 75ºF.)
- 11
With 20 minutes left in the proofing time, preheat the oven to 350ºF. Meanwhile, make the egg wash, whisking until smooth.
Timer: 20m - 12
When the dough is ready to bake, brush each dough ball with the egg wash. Transfer to the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until puffed up, deeply browned, and cooked through, and an instant-read thermometer poked into the center of the middle roll reads 190ºF.
Timer: 30m - 13
Meanwhile, make the honey butter: In a small saucepan, combine the butter, honey, and a pinch of kosher salt and heat over medium-low heat until the butter is melted, 2 to 3 minutes.
Timer: 3m - 14
When the rolls are done, immediately brush them generously with the honey butter and sprinkle with more flaky salt. Let sit in the pan for 15 minutes, then enjoy warm!
Timer: 15m