Portuguese Sweet Bread
Serves 2
130 mins prep
50 mins cook
180 mins total
This is my take on a traditional Portuguese Sweet Bread. It's simple, uses humble ingredients and tried and true techniques. I love the tender crumb of this sweet bread and the subtle lemony sweetness.
Egg Wash
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Add the first three ingredients to your stand mixer bowl and let it activate (takes around 5 min). In the meantime warm the butter and milk on the stove.
Make sure to restart this step if the yeast doesn't activate or foam up.
Once your yeast mixture is activated, you can begin adding one ingredient at a time to your mixer. Whisk in your warm butter and milk.
Add flour gradually until you reach approximately 6 cups, checking the consistency. The dough is ready when it pulls apart from the bowl.
Oil up your hands a little and shape into a ball.
Cover it and let it rise at room temperature, away from drafts, for 2 hours. Once it has risen, divide it into 2 equal parts and shape each part into a ball. Place each sweet bread ball into baking dishes lined with parchment paper. My baking dishes were 10 inches round, but you can use any size you have on hand.
Side note: you can also make one large loaf of bread or small buns (or braids) as well. The baking time will vary based on the size of the sweet bread.
Cover the sweet bread and let it rise again for another hour.
Brush each loaf with egg wash, and optionally sprinkle with sugar on top. Bake uncovered in a preheated 350°F (175°C) oven for 45 minutes or until golden.
If you are uncertain whether your loaves are done, you can use an instant-read thermometer to check the center of the loaf. The bread is ready when it reaches 190F (88C) internally.
If you're making one large loaf, you have to bake it for at least an hour. Let it cool completely before slicing as the bread can become dense and "wet".
