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Portuguese Sweet Bread Recipe

Yields1 ServingPrep Time10 minsCook Time10 minsTotal Time20 mins

?Portuguese sweet bread is a type of bread that is typically made with flour, sugar, eggs, butter, and milk. It is often flavored with lemon or orange zest, and it can be baked in a variety of shapes, including loaves, rolls, and buns. Portuguese sweet bread is typically served as a breakfast or brunch bread, but it can also be enjoyed as a dessert bread.

 3 Fresh yeast cakes
 ½ c Warm water (105 - 115 F)
 1 c Milk
 ½ c (1 stick) butter, cut into pieces
 2 ts Salt
 6 Eggs, room temperature
 1 c Sugar
 8 To 9 cups sifted all-purpose flour
 2 tb (1/4 stick) butter, melted
1

Crumble yeast cakes into large bowl. Stir in water. Let mixture stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.

2

Scald milk. Add butter and salt and stir until butter melts. Cool to lukewarm.

3

Using electric mixer, beat eggs until frothy. Add sugar and beat until creamy, about 3 minutes. Blend in milk mixture. Stir into yeast mixture. Stir in 7 cups flour 1 cup at a time; dough should be soft and pull away from sides of bowl. Turn dough out onto well-floured surface, sprinkle with 1 cup flour and knead until smooth and elastic, adding up to 1 cup more flour as necessary to prevent stickiness, about 10 minutes.

4

Grease large bowl. Add dough, turning to coat entire surface. Cover and let rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 2 hours.

5

Punch dough down. Let rest 10 minutes. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans. Divide dough in half. Press each half into pan. Cover and let rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

6

Preheat oven to 350 F. Bake until loaves are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on bottom, about 30 minutes. Brush tops immediately with melted butter. Serve warm.