We eat a lot of bread in our house. Like, a lot. With four kids, and making my own bread, my husband recently asked me to just buy loaves of bread again. However, I still like to make dinner rolls from scratch. Having canned pineapple in the pantry gives me the option to use it randomly with meals and also incorporate it into an attempt at Sweet Pineapple dinner rolls. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, and one in which my impulsiveness can often serve me badly, and recipe redo’s can help improve skill and teste. So here is a way that my mistakes are your learning experiences!

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Published December 1, 2021
Updated March 29, 2022
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Just a typical dinner roll

With making rolls from scratch, developing the yeast with sugar in warm water is typical. I decided to strain the can of pineapple and collect the juice and use it to bloom the yeast. Any other time I made these easy dinner rolls, they rise up to double their size while baking. This recipe, however, did not rise up like they should have done. They were dense rolls and yet still super pineapple tasting and sweet.

With dinner, to stretch the budget, making dinner rolls and also vegetables, helps to enhance your dinner menu. Dinner rolls are really easy to make and do not require much skill, however this recipe is one that needs some tinkering to get just right. All you need is a good mixer to make sure the flour gets completely blended with the water mixture.

If you do not have a mixer, a fork or large spatula can be used to mix the ingredients together. When it is blended, without a mixer, knead the dough for a few minutes before shaping each dough ball.

Why this recipe fell flat

The main reason, I believe, that this recipe for Sweet Pineapple dinner rolls fell flat was because I used pineapple juice instead of water. Another reason would be that they may have needed a warmer environment to proof instead of right on my countertop.

Perfecting the recipe, the second time around

Yesterday, I made this recipe to go along with our dinner which was Crock-Pot Split Pea and Ham Soup. There was a can of sliced pineapple in the pantry, so that was brought out to make Sweet Pineapple Rolls, instead of basic dinner rolls. As this recipe was terrible the first time around, I wanted to make sure it was perfect this time.

The first time, I only used the pineapple juice without adding pineapple. This time however, I did use slices of the pineapple and blended them with the juice using my food processor, measuring out exactly 1 1/4 cup liquid to use for the recipe.

An additional thing that was changed this time around was to fully let the yeast and pineapple juice bloom to frothy before beginning the dough-making.

Sweet Pineapple Dinner Rolls Recipe

Ingredients

Juice drained from a can of pineapple PLUS water to make a total of 1 1/2 cups
2 Tbsp yeast
1 tsp salt
3 1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp sugar
1/3 cup oil
1 egg

Directions

1. Firstly, open a can of pineapple and save the juice in a measuring cup.

Then take three-to-four slices of pineapple and process in a Cuisinart Food Processor with the blade attachment until pureed. Add the pineapple juice and turn the processor on until completely smooth. Once done, transfer the juice to a microwave safe measuring cup and measure out 1 1/4 cup. Then, microwave it for 30-45 seconds.
By using the pineapple slices in addition to the water, you bring a lot of the sweet taste from the pineapple directly into the rolls.
Add additional water to the pineapple juice so the water is up to 1 1/4 cups.

2. Secondly, pour the warm juice from the measuring cup into the bowl of a KitchenAid mixer.

3. Thirdly, measure 2 Tablespoons yeast and add it to the warm juice in the bowl.

I buy yeast in bulk, in a two-pound block, and it stays fresh in a sealed container in the fridge. Buying yeast in bulk cuts the cost of making breads from scratch in such a dramatic way.

Those little yeast packets cost $0.73 each! Buy buying in bulk, 2 Tablespoons of yeast for this recipe (as the packets are typically only 2 1/4 teaspoon) cost only $0.08. That is $0.03 for each teaspoon of yeast buying in bulk instead of $0.73 per 2 1/4 teaspoon packet. Check out this link for bulk yeast from Instacart.

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4. Add 1/4 teaspoon sugar to the yeast and juice, mix well and let it rest until frothy. This should take at least 5 minutes but be sure to let it rest to bloom the yeast.

5. When the juice and yeast mixture is frothy, after around 5 minutes, you can start to make the dough.

6. In the bowl of a KitchenAid mixer, add 1/3 cup oil, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 egg and 3 1/2 cup flour.

7. Insert the dough hook onto the mixer and mix until completely combined. Add extra flour if necessary so the dough is not sticky.

8. Turn out the dough onto a clean and slightly floured surface, then separate the dough into fifteen equal parts and shape them immediately into round balls.
To make this job easier, use a bench scraper as it has a sharp edge. These rolls do not have to be perfectly measured by weight.

For an easy way, cut the dough ball in half then in half again and finally thirds. You may need to make an extra one out of any that are too big or add some dough to ones that are too small.

When you are dividing the dough into smaller pieces, make sure your surface is clean and dry. If it is moist, the dough will stick. You can also sprinkle flour onto the countertop to help the dough not stick if the dough is still a little sticky.

9. Place each shaped dough ball into a 9 X-inch 13 baking pan with non-stick spray.
To do this, hold one of the dough balls in your hand and using your fingers, grab the edges of the dough and fold it to the underside of the ball, pinching it together at the base. Place the dough ball, seam side down, into the baking pan. Doing this allows for the top of the roll to be rounded and nice looking.

10. Cover the baking pan with plastic wrap and then let them rest for 20 minutes, or longer to make sure the rolls have risen to double.

11. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit, and after the rolls are rested, remove the plastic wrap and then bake the rolls for 25 minutes.

The second attempt at making these rolls was MUCH more of a success. Letting the water and yeast proof for 5 minutes was the key.

12. Finally, remove the rolls from the oven and spread butter on the tops of the rolls if desired, serve and enjoy! These rolls were deliciously sweet and very dense.

If desired, spread butter over the tops while the rolls are still hot. To do this, just open one side of the butter stick and roll it around on the tops of the Sweet Pineapple Rolls while holding the rest of the butter stick still covered.

By using sliced pineapple and pureeing it with the pineapple juice, you add flavor and depth to the finished rolls without compromising the fluffiness. Hope you enjoy and wow your family and friends with a fantastically homemade Sweet Pineapple Dinner Roll that is the perfect copycat to King’s Hawiian without paying a fortune.
~Monica

Recipe for Sweet Pineapple Dinner Rolls

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