Portuguese Sweet Bread

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large mixing bowl
• •Stand mixer with dough hook (optional)
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Bench scraper
• •Pastry brush
• •Wire cooling rack
• •Two rimmed baking sheets

Instructions

1. 1

   Bloom the yeast

   Pour the warm milk into a large mixing bowl. It should feel like bathwater against your wrist, between 105°F and 115°F. Sprinkle the yeast over the surface along with one tablespoon of the sugar. Let it sit undisturbed for ten minutes. The mixture should become foamy and smell distinctly yeasty, like fresh bread dough. If nothing happens, your yeast is dead. Start over with fresh yeast and check your milk temperature.

   Instant yeast can be substituted in equal amounts, but can be mixed directly with the flour without blooming.
2. 2

   Combine wet ingredients

   Whisk the four eggs in a separate bowl until thoroughly combined. Add them to the bloomed yeast along with the remaining sugar, the lemon zest, and vanilla extract. Whisk until the sugar dissolves. The mixture will be pale yellow and fragrant with citrus. This is your foundation.

3. 3

   Build the dough

   Add three cups of the flour and all of the salt to the wet ingredients. Stir with a wooden spoon until a shaggy mass forms. The dough will be sticky and rough. Add the softened butter in pieces, working it into the dough with your hands or the spoon. It will seem like too much butter. It isn't. Continue adding flour, half a cup at a time, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl but remains tacky to the touch. You may not need all five cups.

4. 4

   Knead until smooth

   Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for twelve to fifteen minutes, adding small dustings of flour only when the dough sticks aggressively to your hands. The motion is push, fold, quarter turn, repeat. The dough will transform from rough and sticky to smooth and elastic. When properly kneaded, it will spring back when poked and pass the windowpane test: stretch a small piece thin enough to see light through without tearing.

   A stand mixer with a dough hook can do this work in eight to ten minutes on medium-low speed. Scrape down the bowl periodically.
5. 5

   First rise

   Shape the dough into a smooth ball and place it in a large, lightly greased bowl. Turn it once to coat with oil. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about ninety minutes to two hours. Enriched doughs rise slowly. The surface should look pillowy and slightly domed. Press two fingers into the dough. If the indentation remains, you're ready.

6. 6

   Shape the loaves

   Punch down the dough to release the gas. Turn it onto a clean surface and divide it in half with a bench scraper or sharp knife. For traditional round loaves, shape each half into a tight ball by pulling the edges underneath and pinching to seal, then rolling between your cupped hands and the counter. For braided loaves, divide each half into three equal pieces, roll into ropes about fourteen inches long, and braid from the center outward, pinching the ends and tucking them under.

7. 7

   Second rise

   Place the shaped loaves on parchment-lined baking sheets, leaving at least four inches between them. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Let rise until nearly doubled, about sixty to ninety minutes. The loaves should look puffy and hold a gentle fingerprint. Don't over-proof. If the dough feels fragile or starts to deflate when touched, it has gone too far.

8. 8

   Apply egg wash

   Position a rack in the center of your oven and heat to 350°F. Beat the remaining egg with the tablespoon of milk until smooth. Using a pastry brush, paint the loaves generously with the egg wash, getting into all the crevices of braided loaves. This creates the glossy, mahogany crust that makes this bread beautiful. Be gentle. You don't want to deflate your work.

9. 9

   Bake until golden

   Bake for thirty to thirty-five minutes, rotating the pans halfway through for even color. The loaves are done when deeply golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads 190°F. The crust should sound hollow when tapped. If the tops brown too quickly, tent loosely with aluminum foil for the final ten minutes.

10. 10

    Cool completely

    Transfer the loaves to a wire rack immediately. The bread will feel soft when hot. Don't mistake this for underdone. As it cools, the crumb sets and the crust develops its characteristic light crackle. Wait at least thirty minutes before slicing, though an hour is better. I know this is difficult. The smell will test your patience. But cutting too soon releases steam and leaves you with a gummy interior. Respect the process.

    A serrated bread knife gives the cleanest slices without compressing the tender crumb.

Chef Tips

• •Room temperature ingredients matter here. Cold eggs and butter will tighten the dough and extend your kneading time considerably. Set everything out an hour before you begin.
• •The lemon zest is traditional and essential. Use a microplane to get fine, fluffy zest without the bitter white pith. Two lemons should give you about two tablespoons of zest.
• •This bread makes extraordinary French toast. Slice it thick, at least an inch, and let it soak in the custard for a full minute per side. The eggy richness of the bread intensifies beautifully.
• •Store at room temperature, cut-side down on a board or wrapped loosely in a kitchen towel, for up to three days. The bread freezes well for up to two months if wrapped tightly in plastic and then foil.

Advance Preparation

• •The dough can be made through the first rise, punched down, wrapped tightly, and refrigerated overnight. Bring to room temperature for one hour before shaping.
• •Shaped loaves can be refrigerated after their second rise for up to twelve hours. Bake directly from cold, adding five minutes to the baking time.
• •Baked loaves freeze beautifully. Thaw at room temperature still wrapped, then refresh in a 300°F oven for ten minutes to restore the crust.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 90g)