Recipe courtesy of Marjie Boozam
and
Frances Medeiros
Portuguese Sweet Bread
- Level: Intermediate
- Yield: 5 to 7 loaves
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 36 servings
- Calories
- 379
- Total Fat
- 7
- Saturated Fat
- 4
- Carbohydrates
- 69
- Dietary Fiber
- 2
- Sugar
- 20
- Protein
- 9
- Cholesterol
- 72
- Sodium
- 286
- Total: 1 hr 16 min
- Prep: 10 min
- Inactive: 6 min
- Cook: 1 hr
Ingredients
3 yeast cakes
1/2 cup warm water
2 cups warm, nonfat milk (or scalded whole milk slightly cooled)
5 pounds flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 dozen fresh eggs, room temperature
3 1/2 cups sugar
3 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 pound butter, melted
2 tablespoons salt
1 egg, beaten
Directions
- Dissolve 3 yeast cakes in 1/2 cup warm water, (not hot). Add 2 cups warm, nonfat milk (or scalded whole milk slightly cooled) and 3 cups flour, and 1 teaspoon salt. Whisk together and set aside to proof yeast.
- In a separate bowl, add 1dozen fresh eggs, sugar, and lemon juice. Beat well and then add melted butter.
- Add yeast mixture, the remaining flour and 2 tablespoons of salt. Mix well and let rest for 10 to 20 minutes.
- Continue mixing until dough begins to pull away from bowl or knead with greased hands until dough pulls away from your hands. This takes a while and the dough is sticky unlike bread dough. Place in greased bowl and cover to let rise to double, about 1 to 3 hours.
- Punch down, turn over, and let rise to double a second time.
- Carefully break away about 2/3 pound of dough at a time, rolling dough into a nice loaf shape and place into greased loaf pans. This should make about 5 to 7 nice loafs. Let rise until double in the pans for a third rising.
- Make two to three 1/4-inch slits on the top of each loaf and then brush tops with 1 beaten egg mixed with 1 tablespoon of water.
- Bake at 325 degrees F for about 10 minutes and then reduce heat to about 300 degrees F for another 25 to 30 minutes.
- Remove loaves from the oven and lay them on their side on a rack for a couple of minutes before removing from the pan.
Cook’s Note
With this recipe we also make braids and sometimes add dried fruit and glaze the tops lightly with icing.