Go Back
a egg-free homemade hawaiian roll over a baking pan with more rolls.
Print

Eggless Homemade Hawaiian Rolls

These Eggless Hawaiian Rolls are light, fluffy, and soft! You won’t believe how easy these are to make. You’ll want to make these, time and time again! 
Course Bread
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Rising Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 5 minutes
Servings 15 rolls
Calories 187kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons golden flaxseed meal (see notes for substitute)
  • 6 tablespoons (90 ml) water
  • 1/2 cup (120 ml) buttermilk
  • 1/4 cup (58 g) butter, cubed (plus more to brush on after baking)
  • 1/2 cup (120 ml) pineapple juice
  • 1 teaspoon (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup (67 g) granulated sugar
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons (7 g) instant yeast (1 packet)
  • 4 1/2 cups (630 g) flour (bread or all-purpose)
  • 2 tablespoons (21 g) potato flour (see notes)
  • 1 teaspoon salt (I use Kosher salt)

Eggless Egg Wash:

    Option I:

    Option II:

    Instructions

    • Mix golden flax meal and water in a small bowl until well combined. Let it rest for 5 - 10 minutes to thicken. Note: if using evaporated milk, skip this step.
    • In a microwave-safe bowl combine the buttermilk and butter. Microwave in 20-second increments until the mixture is warmed (110°F approx.,).
    • In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add in the flax meal mixture (or evaporated milk), buttermilk mixture, pineapple juice, vanilla, sugar, and yeast. Stir on low until combined.
    • Add in 2 cups of flour, potato flour, and salt and mix on medium speed for 1 minute. Gradually add in 2 1/2 remaining cups of flour until a soft dough forms.
    • Replace the paddle attachment with a dough hook and knead on medium speed until the dough forms a soft, smooth ball, about 10 minutes. Note: When it is ready, it will be somewhat balling around the hook and pulling away from the sides, and the dough will be super smooth and elastic and will pass the windowpane test (see note below).
    • Lightly spray a clean bowl with cooking spray and place the dough in the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Let rise in a warm place until puffy and doubled in size, which will take anywhere between 1 ½ to 2 ½ hours, depending on the temperature of your kitchen. 
    • Spray a 13x9-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside. Position one of the oven racks into the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375º F (190º C).
    • Gently deflate the dough and divide it into 15 equal portions (about 75 g each). Note: You can also divide the dough into 12 equal portions (94 g each) for slightly bigger rolls. Form the dough into balls and place them in the prepared pan. Cover again with the towel and allow the dough to rise for 30 minutes, or until the dough balls are puffy, and when poked gently, an indentation slowly springs back.
    • Mix the eggless egg wash ingredients in a small bowl.
    • Once the rolls have risen, lightly brush the tops of the rolls with the eggless egg wash.
    • Bake them for about 15 - 20 minutes or until golden brown. Brush them with melted butter immediately when they come out of the oven.
    • Serve warm or at room temperature.

    Notes

     
    Golden flaxseed meal: We will use the golden flaxseed meal to make 2 flax eggs. If you are allergic to flax or don't have it handy, you can substitute it for 90 ml of evaporated milk.
    Potato Flour: If potato flour is not available, you can replace it using the same amount of flour. You can find potato flour online. Potato flour and potato starch are not the same things. Potato flour is made from whole peeled potatoes, cooked, dried, and ground into a fine, beige-colored powder. Potato starch is “washed” out of crushed potatoes, then dried to a fine, bright-white powder.
    Buttermilk: You don’t have Buttermilk? No problem!! You can make your own buttermilk substitute. Click here to learn how!
    Windowpane test: To do so, pull off a golf-ball-sized piece of dough and stretch it gently from the center outward with your fingertips.  If it tears, keep kneading. It should stretch into a paper-thin film, and you should be able to see the light pass through it, like a window.
    Make Ahead: You can form the balls and then cover the shaped rolls tightly and refrigerate for up to 2 days. At least 2 hours before you need them, remove the rolls from the refrigerator, keep them covered, and allow them to rise on the counter for about 1-2 hours before baking.
    Store: Place the Hawaiian rolls in a plastic storage bag or wrap them in foil and store them at room temperature for up to 5 days.
    Freeze: These rolls are freezer-friendly!
    • Unbaked Rolls: You can freeze shaped rolls; simply cover them tightly with two layers of plastic wrap and freeze them for up to 2 months. When ready to bake, defrost the rolls overnight in the fridge, let them sit at room temperature for about an hour until puffy and not so cold, then bake as the recipe directs.
    • Baked Rolls: You can freeze the fully baked rolls in an airtight container. Thaw to room temperature overnight before reheating in a 300°F oven for 10 minutes. 
     
    Recipe Tips:
    • Using a kitchen scale to measure the ingredients is highly recommended.
    • NO stand mixer? No problem! If you don't have a stand mixer, you may knead the dough by hand. It may take a little longer, up to 20 minutes by hand.
    • Make sure to knead the dough long enough, so your rolls are light and fluffy and not dense or heavy, which can result from not kneading the dough long enough.
    • The dough must be not too sticky, not too dry, and not too springy. If your dough feels tight and springy, continue kneading until the dough is completely smooth, slightly tacky to the touch, springs back slowly when pressed on with your fingers, and is no longer too sticky.
    • Making the Hawaiian rolls the same size ensures an even baking time, so I recommend weighing each roll the same size. 
     
    Please, if you’re going to make this recipe read the whole post content to get lots of tips, tricks, and variations. 
     
     Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to give it a star rating below!
     
    Please note that nutritional information is a rough estimate, and it can vary depending on the products used.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 187kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 167mg | Potassium: 95mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 13IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 2mg