how2heroes » Portuguese Sweet Bread

Portuguese Sweet Bread

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Bea learned this recipe from her mother and has been making this bread at Easter and Christmas for as long as she can remember. Each year she makes enough for her 7 kids as well as lucky guests who stop by. You can use the same dough to make the Portuguese version of donuts - Malasadas.

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Family Recipes » Portuguese Sweet Bread

Makes 7 small 4x6" loaves, 1 large 9x5" loaf + enough extra dough for Malasadas

Ingredients

5 lbs all-purpose flour
4 cups sugar
1 tsp salt
15 eggs, beaten
½ lb melted butter
3 cups milk, scalded & cooled to lukewarm
3 packages of dry yeast
½ cup warm water
1½ tbsp vanilla
cooking oil (for Malasadas)

How-to

In a large pot, and using a long wooden spoon, mix together flour and sugar
Mix in salt
Make a well in the flour mixture and pour in the beaten eggs
Pour in the melted butter and lukewarm milk and stir to incorporate ingredients
Dissolve yeast in ½ cup warm water and add to the pot
Add vanilla and knead dough about 10-15 minutes until dough is airy in consistency
Cover dough with a clean towel and an afghan (or if you want to totally stick to Bea's recipe, also cover with a man's jacket and cross the arms) and put in warm place (near fireplace, above refrigerator)
Let the dough rise until is is double in size (about 6 hours)
Punch down the dough and let rise again until double (about 4 more hours)
On a floured surface, divide the dough into loaves. Knead and get the air bubbles out and continue to knead until it feels lighter and airy. Let rise again
Bake small loaves for 45 minutes at 300 degrees. Large loaf - 1 hour.
Take out of oven and brush with melted butter to give it a nice glaze

To Make the Malasadas

Put about 2" of cooking oil in a deep pan (when you put the dough in the pan, the oil will rise so make sure you account for that)
Take some of the Sweet Bread batter, stretch and shape into 3 inch rounds
Let them sit on the counter until they rise (about 45 minutes)
Drop about 4 at a time into the oil. Flip when brown
Remove from oil and put on paper towel to absorb some of the oil
Shake them in a paper bag with sugar to finish
Eat immediately. They're the best when they're warm!

Comments (7)

Posted Wednesday, December 14, 2011, at 8:25 pm by Esther:

I'll make these for Christmas this year. I was thinking of adding raisins and orange peel to make it more "special" but I guess, it's already special just the way it is judging from the other comments.
Posted Sunday, April 4, 2010, at 1:19 am by Bea Viera:

This year's bread ready for Easter!
Posted Tuesday, December 8, 2009, at 7:31 pm by almondhull:

12/08/2009-I made this recipe today and it was just like my grandmother made. I am Very Happy. Next tine I bake this bread I will find free range brown eggs to get the right color then it will be perfect. Thank your mom and thank you for posting this recpie. dan
Posted Friday, November 7, 2008, at 12:42 am by Chiqui Collier:

Bea, this looks wonderful...I could just imagine how lovely they smelled!!! You're a great Mom anyone would be proud to have!!
Posted Friday, August 15, 2008, at 4:04 pm by Lynne:

bom dia, lynn. so glad you like the video. i will shoot you an email.
Posted Friday, August 15, 2008, at 3:38 pm by Linda Presley:

Lynne it's me again this is the same one that VOVO made and I know you know what VOVO means in portuguese I speak it too.my email is lpresley9353@yahoo.com would like to hjear from you I AM LOOKING FOR PORTUGUESE kale soup like VOVO MADE WITH CHOURICO they sell chourico here in upstate NEW YORK thanks a bunch LYNN
Posted Friday, August 15, 2008, at 3:31 pm by Linda Presley:

Hello Lynne, my name is Lynn you don't know how happy I am I found this recipe my grandmother came from portugal too she couldn't speak american she came over from there and lived in BristoR.I.

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