Recipe for cooking portuguese sweet bread
Recipes from Spain and Portugal :: Spanish and Portuguese Main Dish Meats
This is truly a melt-in-your-mouth bread.
2 pkg. active dry yeast
1/4 c. warm water (105 to 115 degrees fahrenheit)
1 c. lukewarm milk (scalded, then cooled)
3/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. salt
3 eggs
1/2 c. butter or butter-replacement, softened
5 1/2 to 6 c. flour
1 egg
1 tsp. sugar
Dissolve yeast in warm water in large bowl. Stir in milk, 3/4 c. sugar, the salt, 3 eggs, the butter and 3 c. of the flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to make dough easy to handle. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 mins. Place in greased bowl; turn greased side up. Cover; let rise in warm place until double, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched.
Punch down dough; divide into halves. Shape each half into a round, slightly flat loaf. Place each loaf in greased 9-in. round layer pan. Cover; let rise until double, about 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
Beat 1 egg slightly; brush over loaves. Sprinkle and distribute with 1 tsp. sugar. Bake until loaves are golden brown, 35 to 45 mins.
Snail Loaves (Caracois)
After dividing dough into halves, roll each half into a rope about 25 x 1 1/2 in.. Coil each to form a snail shape in greased 9-in. round layer pan. Continue as directed.
