Pão Doce (Hawaiʻi Local Portuguese Sweet Bread)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Stand mixer with dough hook, or a wide heavy bowl for hand-kneading
• •Two 9-inch round cake pans or one large parchment-lined baking sheet
• •Instant-read thermometer

Instructions

1. 1

   Wake the yeast

   Stir the warm milk, yeast, and 1 tablespoon of the sugar together in a large bowl or mixer bowl. Let it sit 5 to 10 minutes, until the surface looks creamy and a little foamy. If nothing happens, the yeast is tired or the milk was too hot, so start again before you give good flour to bad yeast.

2. 2

   Mix the dough

   Add 5 cups flour, the remaining sugar, salt, eggs, softened butter, zest, vanilla, and nutmeg if using. Mix until a shaggy dough forms, then knead 8 to 10 minutes by machine or 12 to 15 minutes by hand, adding only enough extra flour to keep it from smearing. The dough should be soft, tacky, and smooth, not stiff like a dinner roll.

3. 3

   Let it rise

   Set the dough in a lightly buttered bowl, cover it, and let it rise in a warm place for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until doubled and full-feeling under your hand. Rich dough moves slow because the butter, eggs, and sugar are weighing it down in the best way. Give it time. No need bully the bread.

4. 4

   Shape the loaves

   Turn the dough onto a lightly floured counter and divide it in half. Shape each half into a tight round, pulling the surface smooth and tucking the seams underneath. Set the rounds on a parchment-lined baking sheet with room between them, or into two greased 9-inch round pans if you want taller loaves.

5. 5

   Rise again

   Cover the loaves loosely and let them rise 45 to 75 minutes, until puffy and almost doubled. Press a floured fingertip gently into the side: the dent should spring back slowly, not snap back fast. That slow return tells you the dough is ready for the oven.

6. 6

   Glaze and bake

   Heat the oven to 350F. Brush the loaves lightly with egg wash, then bake 30 to 35 minutes, until deep golden brown and the centers read 190F. The crust should shine, the kitchen should smell buttery and sweet, and the bottom should sound hollow when tapped.

7. 7

   Cool and share

   Let the loaves cool at least 45 minutes before slicing so the crumb sets soft instead of gummy. Serve thick slices with butter, toast them the next morning, or turn them into French toast when the loaf gets a little old. Eat what you have. Good bread has more than one life.

Chef Tips

• •Use room-temperature eggs and soft butter. Cold fat tightens the dough and slows everything down.
• •Sweet dough takes longer to rise than lean bread. Watch the dough, not the clock. A cool kitchen may need another 30 minutes, and that's fine.
• •This is Local Hawaiʻi food from Portuguese hands, so keep the table honest. Serve it with coffee, butter, guava jam, or use the older slices for French toast. No need make it precious.

Advance Preparation

• •The dough can do its first rise overnight in the refrigerator after kneading. Let it warm 45 to 60 minutes before shaping.
• •Bake the loaves a day ahead, cool fully, and wrap tightly. Pão doce stays soft for 2 to 3 days at room temperature.
• •Slice and freeze one loaf if you're baking for later. Toast slices straight from frozen or thaw them for French toast.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 75g)