Easy Portuguese Sweet Bread Recipe (Pão Doce/Massa Sovada)

4.63 from 24 votes

Easy Portuguese Sweet Bread Recipe (Pão Doce/Massa Sovada)

Easy Portuguese sweet bread recipe using all-purpose flour, eggs, sugar, yeast, butter, milk. Makes 16 light and fluffy rolls or 2 loaves.

Prep Time25 mins

Cook Time25 mins

Rising time2 hrs 30 mins

Total Time3 hrs 20 mins

Course: Sides

Cuisine: Portuguese

Servings: (2 whole loaves or 16 rolls)

Calories: 250kcal

Author: Crystal DaCruz

Equipment

2 8-inch, round cake pans
stand mixer see recommended attachments below
paddle attachment for creaming the eggs, butter, sugar
dough hook for kneading the dough

Ingredients

3 large eggs
¼ cup unsalted butter softened
1 cup granulated sugar plus 1 teaspoon for proofing the yeast
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup whole milk
2 and ½ teaspoons active dry yeast this is equal to 2 packets
5 and ½ cups all-purpose flour
egg wash: 1 large egg + 2 teaspoons water

Instructions

Use a stand mixer with paddle attachment to combine the eggs, butter, sugar and salt together. If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can use a fork to cream the butter and then mix in the sugar, salt and eggs using a whisk. Set this mixture aside.
Heat the milk in a small saucepan until it reaches a temperature of 115°F. Pour half of the milk into the butter/sugar and egg mixture, and the other half into a cup. Mix 1 teaspoon of sugar into the cup of milk then add the yeast. Mix and let sit for 10 minutes. It will foam and expand in volume.
Add the proofed yeast/milk to the bowl with the wet mixture. Replace the paddle attachment with a dough hook. Turn your mixer on low speed and add ½ a cup of flour to the bowl at a time. A ball of dough will form on the dough hook. Shut the mixer off and transfer the dough to a floured surface. Knead the dough by hand for 7 full minutes.
Shape the kneaded dough into a ball. Transfer the ball of dough to a greased bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm place for an hour and a half.
Remove the dough from the oven. The dough should be almost doubled in volume. Remove the plastic wrap and punch the dough down to release the air. Divide the dough in half and shape each half into a ball OR portion the dough into 16 rolls. Shape each roll into a tight ball by cupping your hands and turning against a flat surface.
Place the rolls in a greased 10-inch round pan (use two 8-inch round pans if you’re baking two loaves). Cover the baking pan(s) with a kitchen towel and let rise again in a warm oven for 1 hour. The bread will expand even more during the second rise.
Pre-heat your oven to 375°F (don’t heat the oven while the dough is rising in it). Make the egg-wash by mixing 1 whole egg with 2 teaspoons of water. Gently brush the egg wash over the rolls using a pastry brush.
Bake the sweet bread at 375°F for 25 minutes. Use your oven light to watch the color of the bread closely. Check the color around the 15-20 minute mark. If it’s starting to look dark, place a sheet of foil over the bread and let it continue to bake for the remaining 10-15 minutes.
Let the bread cool fully in its pan for 30-40 minutes. Remove the rolls/loaves by flipping the pans over. Slice the loaves using a serrated knife. Separate the rolls by cutting them with a knife or pulling them apart with your hands.
Serve warm with butter.

Notes

Measure your flour correctly - spoon the flour out of the bag into a dry ingredient measuring cup. Don't use your measuring cup as a scoop and don't pack the flour down. Use the flat edge of a butter knife to level off the flour.
Check the date on your yeast to make sure it's not expired and don't overheat the milk. A kitchen thermometer can help you get an accurate reading of the milk's temperature - it shouldn't exceed 115°F.
Dough rises better in a warm oven. Heat your oven to 170°F and place the dough in the oven for each rise. Once the oven is warm, shut the temperature off and keep the door closed so the heat doesn't escape.
Wrap the sweet bread in plastic and store at room temperature for up to 3 days. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Nutrition