Portuguese Bread

This Sweet Portuguese Bread is a luscious, sweet, soft bread from Portugal.

A deep golden tan on the outside, this bread is light, tender and airy within. It's enriched with butter, eggs and milk making this bread extremely addictive.

Why you'll love this recipe

This recipe for sweet Portuguese Bread, adapted from A Baker's Odyssey by Greg Patent, is great because it make 2 loaves. Eat one fresh and freeze the other for later.

Also known as massa sovada, this bread makes the best toast or french toast. I like to slice the second loaf, wrap it well in plastic before freezing it. Then you have sliced bread ready in the freezer for your morning toast.

Maybe you could gift the second loaf to someone special. So, while this bread may take a little time and effort, the results are worthwhile. Most of all, everyone is going to love you because you made this Sweet Portuguese bread.

For complete ingredient quantities and full instructions, please scroll to the printable recipe card bottom of the page.

Ingredients

There is nothing more fascinating than baking with yeast. Yeast is so alive and powerful that it transforms simple flour into a living, breathing being.

For this recipe you will need:

• bread flour which has extra gluten to create a strong dough
• active yeast - be sure that the yeast is fresh
• warm water that is not too hot which will kill the yeast
• unsalted butter, eggs and milk for richness
• sugar which will help create that dark, burnished crust
• lemon zest for flavoring

Instruction

Start this recipe the night before by making the sponge and allowing it to ferment overnight. This will create a delicious rich taste to the sweet Portuguese bread.

1. Beat the butter and sugar.
2. Add lemon zest, salt and then eggs.
3. Stir in the sponge and milk.
4. Then gradually add flour.
5. Knead well then allow to rise.
6. Shape the risen dough and allow to rise again.
7. Brush with egg wash and bake.

Tips for success and FAQ's

Yeast baking is not that hard.

• First of all, be sure to have fresh yeast, even dried yeast becomes stale and inactive.
• Give the dough warmth and care. Though it seems like a long process, it is the resting and rising that takes up the bulk of the time.

Made this recipe?
Let me know if you liked it by leaving a ★★★★★ star rating and a comment below. Please share a photo of your creation by tagging me on Instagram @marcellina.in.cucina!

Sweet Portuguese Bread Recipe

This sweet Portuguese Bread is a luscious soft bread from Portugal that is enriched with butter and eggs. Often called Hawaiian Bread or Massa Sovada.

4.67 from 3 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Rising Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes

Servings:18 servings

Author: Marcellina

Ingredients

Sponge

• ▢ ½ cup bread flour
• ▢ 1 package (2 ¼ teaspoons) dried active yeast
• ▢ ½ cup warm water

Dough

• ▢ 6 tablespoons (3oz/85 grams) unsalted butter at room temp
• ▢ ½ cup sugar
• ▢ finely grated zest of 1 lemon
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 3 large eggs at room temp
• ▢ ½ cup milk at room temp
• ▢ 3 ½ cups bread flour or as needed
• ▢ 1 egg (extra) beaten with 1 teaspoon water, for egg wash

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

To make sponge

• Mix together flour and yeast then stir in warm water. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow it to stand at room temperature for 60-90 minutes. It will rise and then fall back on itself. It should have a pleasant yeasty smell.

To make the dough

• In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the butter, sugar, lemon rind and salt and beat with a flat beater for 3 or 4 minutes. Scrape the bowl then add the eggs one at a time beating well after each. It will look curdled but that's ok. Mix in the milk and the sponge. Add 2 ½ cups flour and beat on low. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 5 minutes. Switch to a dough hook. Add ¾ cup flour and knead on low speed for 5 more minutes until the dough is soft and supple. Sprinkle two tablespoons of flour onto a work surface, scrape the dough onto it. Knead the dough for a couple of minutes. The dough should be soft and a little tacky. If the dough still seems wet knead in 2 more tablespoons of flour.
• Clean out the bowl and rub with a little oil. Place the dough into the bowl and turn over to coat with oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise for 2 hours.
• Divide the dough in half and then each half into 9 equal portions. Shape each portion into a ball.
• Coat two 20cm/8inch cake pans with non stick cooking spray. Arrange 9 balls of dough in each pan. Spray the tops of the dough lightly with cooking spray and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Allow to rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 350ºF/180ºC.
• Brush the loaves with egg wash and bake for 45 minutes or until the loaves are dark, golden brown and cooked through. The loaves will colour deeply but don't think they are done before time, it is the sugar in the dough that causes the deep colouration.
• Remove loaves from pans and allow to cool on wire racks.

Notes

Recipe adapted from A Baker's Odyssey by Greg Patent

Nutritional Information Per Serving

Calories: 3143kcal | Carbohydrates: 473g | Protein: 89g | Fat: 98g | Saturated Fat: 52g | Cholesterol: 848mg | Sodium: 2658mg | Potassium: 971mg | Fiber: 14g | Sugar: 108g | Vitamin A: 3247IU | Calcium: 322mg | Iron: 8mg

Nutritional Disclaimer

Nutritional information is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. For accurate results, it is recommended that the nutritional information be calculated based on the ingredients and brands you use.

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