Sunday, October 23, 2005

MASSA SOVADA - PORTUGUESE SWEET BREAD

This "PORTUGUESE SWEET BREAD" is an absolute hammer! It's unique fluffy and airy texture is wonderful and it's great golden colour make it the ideal Sunday morning breakfast bread.

I really recommend you to test this sweet dream as it's marvelousness will blow you off your feet, because there is nothing quite comparable to this bread.

This recipe was taken from www.recipezaar.com. Please note that I have taken the liberty to change a few things from the original text and recipe...

Makes two 9-inches loaves.

Ingredients:
1/2 Tsp Catsor sugar (for yeast preparation)
82,5g Castor sugar
62,5ml Lukewarm water
1/2 Tbs Active dry yeast
3 eggs (~50g), at room temperature
1/3 Tsp Salt
125ml Tepid milk
600g Plain white flour
62,5ml Butter, melted and cooled
Topping:
2 Tsp Melted butter

Method:
1. In measuring cup, dissolve 1/2 Tsp sugar in lukewarm water and sprinkle in yeast. Let stand for 10 minutes, or until frothy.
2. In large bowl, beat eggs, salt and remaining sugar for 2 minutes, or until foamy.
3. Stir yeast mixture vigorously with fork and stir into egg/salt/sugar mixture.
4. Stir in milk and gradually beat in flour.
5. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes, or until smooth and elastic.
5. Return dough to bowl and gradually add butter.
6. Continue kneading (out of the bowl) until all butter is blended into dough.
7. Place in lightly greased bowl, turning to grease all over.
8. Cover and let rise in draft-free place for 1-2 hours or until doubled in size.
9. Punch down dough; turn out, divide into two portions and form each portion into a ball.
10. Knead each ball for 10 minutes, or until smooth and elastic.
11. Shape dough into two round loaves or into the shape you desire to have.12. Place on a buttered baking sheet, cover dough and set aside. Prove until doubled in size for about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
13. Bake in 160°C (325°F) oven for 25 minutes, or until golden on top.
14. Turn off heat and transfer to wire rack to cool.
15. Place 1 Tsp butter on each loaf and brush to coat top. Blot off excess with paper towels.

Remarks:

It might be very hard to integrate that melted butter to the dough, but you must perseverate; at the end it suddenly gets incorporated.

Serving suggestions:

It is ideal when accompanied by homemade "LEMON CURD" and raspberry jam or by light tasting honey. When buttered it is equally delicious.

(Sweet Portuguese Bread -Pic by Rosa @Rosa's Yummy Yums)

10 comments:

  1. I'd love to try this. I was looking at recipezaar but wasn't sure which one you based yours off of. I mostly wanted to find a way to convert the recipe to "american" measurements! If you have advice, let me know!!
    Thanks!!! Looks excellent!

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  2. Hi Amateur,
    Thanks for your interest in my blog!
    If you want the recipe with "American" measurements, then go have a look on the following page:
    http://www.recipezaar.com/60186
    There, you will find the exact recipe. The only difference is that with this recipe you'll get twice the quantity of bread I baked (4 instead of 2)...
    Have fun baking this bread!
    Regards,
    Rosa

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  3. Ummm.. breads are among my favourites. The Portuguese sweet bread sure looks good :)

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  4. already printed and ready to go :)
    Thanks for the tip!!

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  5. I'm happy to have helped you. Have fun baking and eating this delicious Portuguese bread!

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  6. quelle bonne idée j'ai eue de lire la liste des blogs en anglais chez Elvira: j'ai découvert le tien, et je le trouve très sympa. Je viens depuis chaque jour.
    J'ai déjà essayé cette recette de pain portugais (le tien me faisait trop envie ;) ): il est super bon!! Merci Rosa!!

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  7. Hello Avital,
    Merci pour ton commentaire très sympathique; ça me fait vraiment plaisir de savoir que mon blog te plait....

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  8. Rosa, I am an associate editor at a college textbook publishing company in Columbus, OH, USA. We are publishing a book titled: American Regional Cooking: A Culinary Journey by Patricia Heyman. I have been search the Internet for a good photo of Portuguese Sweet Bread. Your is perfect. How can I acquire the rights from you to use this photo in our book? Thanks. Christine

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  9. CHRISTINE: Thanks for visiting my blog!
    I was very flattered by your interesting proposition! Of course, I would be very happy if you used my picture for you book. Please contact me via email at grandchamp@gmx.ch and then I will give you my conditions. Thanks ever so much for your interest. I hope to hear from you soon again.
    Rosa

    ReplyDelete