Straight from Hawaii – this Hawaiian Sweet Bread Recipe is light and slightly sweet and goes well with any Hawaiian meal.
Photos Updated March 2014
One of my favorite questions from my Blogger Spotlight series is “What would you eat as your last supper?” And not surprisingly, many of the bloggers that I’ve spotlighted answer with one thing I know would be at my last supper – bread. It sounds like there are a lot of carb lovers out there!!
So when I picked up this month’s Cookbook of the Month about Hawaiian food, I was really hoping there would be a Hawaiian Sweet Bread recipe. And I got lucky, because there was!! I’ve never made a Hawaiian Sweet Bread recipe before, but I will admit that I’m always drawn to those King’s Hawaiian Sweet Bread rolls at the grocery store!!
This recipe was a bit vague straight from the book, so I’m glad that I’m fairly comfortable with making bread. There is only one thing I think is wrong with this recipe. The full recipe makes 1 very large loaf of bread. But I have found that the larger the loaf, the more dry the bread usually is – probably because of the time it takes to bake it. So I wish I would have made this into rolls or divided it into 2 loaves. But it was delicious!! And not too sweet – I could totally use it to make sandwiches with. It also makes great French toast the next day!! I’m so glad I finally made some Hawaiian sweet bread at home!!
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Hawaiian Sweet Bread Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 50 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 mins
- Yield: 1 large loaf 1x
Description
Straight from Hawaii – this Hawaiian Sweet Bread Recipe is light and slightly sweet and goes well with any Hawaiian meal.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup milk, warmed
- 3 1/2 teaspoons dry yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1 cup evaporated milk or light cream
- 5 tablespoons butter
- large pinch nutmeg
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
- 4 cups bread flour
- 4 eggs, lightly beaten, plus 1 egg beaten for glaze
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Mix milk, yeast and 1/2 teaspoon sugar. Allow to stand until the mixture is bubbly.
- In a saucepan, warm the evaporated milk. Add the butter, nutmeg, sugar and lemon peel. Stir until the butter is melted.
- Place the flour in a large mixing bowl. Add the eggs, the yeast mixture and the salt. Add enough of the evaporated milk mixture just to form a soft dough. Knead for 15 minutes.
- Allow the loaf to rise to double it’s size. Punch it down and let it rise again. Form into a round loaf and allow to rise one more time.
- Preheat the oven to 325F. Mix the egg with 1 tablespoon of water and brush it on top of the loaf of bread.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 50 minutes.
Recipe Notes:
adapted from The Food of Paradise
Michelle says
You know, I haven't baked much bread. I probably would have been lost if the directions weren't super specific!
teresa says
my baking hubby would love to try this. i've heard of hawaiin bread, but i've never tried it, it sounds delish!
Joanne says
I adore those Hawaiian sweet rolls and this bread sounds fabulous! I will definitely be giving this a try.
Monet says
Growing up…my mom would sometimes pick up a roasted chicken and a package of Hawaiian sweet rolls from the store. So good! Your bread looks great. Thank you for sharing. Here's to a wonderful weekend!
Georgia (The Comfort of Cooking) says
This is really educational, actually – I've never known the ingredients that make up Hawaiian bread (specifically the lemon peel, interesting!), but I've always really enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing this, Deborah. I'll have to give this recipe a go sometime soon.
Karly says
Oh, I adore those King's Hawaiian Rolls. I'm going to have to try this!
Pam says
Your bread looks very tasty! I love to bake bread and have to try this one. Love Hawaiian bread.
Tasha says
Hawaiian bread is so good, but I can't remember the last time I had any. I'm definitely in the carb-loving camp and this looks wonderful.
scrambledhenfruit says
I LOVE those Hawaiian rolls! Thanks for the recipe. 🙂
Emily says
Yum! I love Hawaiian bread. I could definitely make a meal out of it. 🙂
grace says
i had a stint as a child where i decided i didn't like bread. a slice of hawaiian sweet bread put me on the road to recovery, and i'm not kidding–good stuff!
cmjhawaii says
Thank you for the recipe. I live in Hawaii, grew up in Hawaii and love sweet bread. I'll definitely have to try this. We love to toast it and slather some butter on it.
I'll have to try this out and see how it compares.
Happy Cook says
When i was skyping with my sis inUS she was saying about this bread and I mentioned to her I saw in your place howto make them, I am gonna try this but then in rolls. Looks really yumm.
Mrsblocko says
I can testify that even if you totally screw up this recipe. (Yeast doesn't activate) You can make some pretty awesome flatbread with the dough! I wrote about my would be disaster on my blog here. Thanks for the recipe! I am going to try it again once I get some new yeast.
Jen says
How long would you guess it took for each rise? Trying to plan out how much time I need to set aside to make this!
Ruby (cravingthis.wordpress.com) says
Hello,
Is bread flour necessary for this recipe? I only have all purpose flour.
Thanks!
Deborah says
@Ruby (cravingthis.wordpress.com), I haven’t tried it using all-purpose, so I’m not exactly sure how much difference it will make. Here is one of my favorite blog posts about the different kinds of flours and the differences they make – http://www.completelydelicious.com/2012/01/ingredient-spotlight-how-flour-is-used-in-baking.html
Jonn Norman says
Deborah ~ Looks like it has been quite a long time, since anyone has posted here. Today, I will be preparing your Hawaiian Sweet Bread. I chose your recipe because, I like the lemons that is used in this particular recipe. I see that you did not use any potato flour, as the other recipes I have prepared, uses this ingredient. I so appreciate your publishing this recipe. If it turns out as good as your blog states, I will keep this and prepare this bread each time I begin to crave the sweet savourings of Hawaiian Sweet Bread. Thank you so very much. I live in Salt Lake City, but was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. Once again “Mahalo Nuil Loa.”
Deborah says
@Jonn Norman, it has been so long since I have made that recipe – please do come back and tell me how it turns out for you! Maybe I’ll have to make up a loaf today as well!
Jonn Norman says
Deborah ~ Looks like it has been quite a long time, since anyone has posted here. Today, I will be preparing your Hawaiian Sweet Bread. I chose your recipe because, I like the lemons, that are used in this particular recipe. I see, that you did not use any potato flour, as the other recipes I have prepared, uses this ingredient. I so appreciate your publishing this recipe. If it turns out as good as your blog states, I will keep this and prepare this bread each time I begin to crave the sweet savourings of Hawaiian Sweet Bread. Thank you so very much. I live in Salt Lake City, but was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. Once again “Mahalo Nuil Loa.”
Yvette Green says
I have a bread machine and would use it on the doaugh setting to make the dough. Do you think the same amount of yeast is needed? Should I use the sameyeast or bread machine yeast?
Deborah says
@Yvette Green, I wish I could help you with that – I don’t use a bread machine, so I don’t know the answer.
Carmyn says
Just wondering what you cooked this bread on? Did you place your round loaf directly onto a baking sheet or was it placed in a pie pan? This recipe looks delicious so I can’t wait to try it soon!
Deborah says
I baked it on a baking sheet.
Carol says
This bread looks super yummy! I was wondering if acitive dry yeast could be used instead of regular yeast. It was all I could find at the store,
Deborah says
That will work! Just keep a half an eye on it while it’s rising to make sure it doesn’t go too crazy. 🙂
Manal says
What fo u mean by pakages of dry yeast??? Thanks
Deborah says
I have updated the recipe and listed the amount in teaspoons.
Maria Furna says
Its not a Hawaiin recipe its a Portuguese sweet bread recipe bought there by the Portuguese that settled there just like the , not sure why but before when you bought the rolls it would say Portuguese sweet bread. Just saying 😉
Maria Furna says
Just like the malassadas, sorry left that out😊
Ellie says
Should I warm up the milk first before I mix in the yeast or can I used cold milk straight from the fridge?
Deborah says
Yep, the milk is warmed.
Meemee says
Deborah do you think this will work with apf. Bread flour is hard to find in my country. I really love your site.
Deborah says
Hi Meemee – I’m sure all-purpose flour would work just fine. 🙂
Ruth Miller says
I am trying this today I will let you know how the congregation likes it since it will be served for communion.
★★★★★
Nicole Colonna says
This was my first time making bread and it came out great! I struggled shaping the dough as its extremely sticky and difficult to knead just using my hands, but luckily I had a stand mixer to work with! Great, sweet bread that reminds me of King’s Hawaiian rolls! Thanks for the recipe!
★★★★
Ellen W says
I love Hawaiian Sweet Bread– Can this be made in an Air Fryer? If so, how would I have to adapt this receipe?
Thanks,
Deborah says
I’m afraid I have never made bread in an air fryer, so I don’t have an answer for you. Sorry!
Evette Peterson says
Wow loved it
Yvette says
Great recipe! I did a few minor modifications to what I had on hand. Delicious. Just had been in Kona at the bakery, this proved a close second. I used orange peel(I have a tree) & coconut milk(no evaporated in pantry). Family loved it!
★★★★★