Hawaiian Bread

Step 1

In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water and let it stand until bubbles form on the surface, about five minutes.

Step 2

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat the butter until melted. Add the pineapple juice and milk, and continue to heat gently until the mixture reaches 110° to 115°.

Step 3

In a large bowl, combine 2 cups of flour, potato flakes, sugar, salt and ginger. Add the yeast and butter mixtures to the dry ingredients and beat until just moistened. Add the eggs and beat until smooth. Beat in the vanilla. Stir in enough of the remaining flour to form a soft dough—it will be a bit sticky.

Step 4

Turn the dough onto a floured surface. With floured hands, knead the dough until smooth and elastic, 8 to 10 minutes, adding more flour to the surface and your hands as needed. Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Step 5

Punch the dough down. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into thirds. Shape each into a ball. Place the dough in three greased 9-inch round baking pans lined with parchment. Cover and let the dough rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.

Step 6

Preheat the oven to 350°. Bake the bread until it turns golden brown and the internal temperature of the loaves reaches 200°, 30 to 35 minutes. If needed, cover the bread loosely with foil during the last 10 minutes of baking to prevent the tops from overbrowning. Remove the bread from the pans and cool on wire racks.