Wild Yeast

Notes from my kitchen, in which I bake bread and raise a few other matters

Sweet Portuguese Bread

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This month, the Bread Baking Babes are smiling even more sweetly than our usual sweet selves, with the Portuguese Sweet Bread (aka Pão Doce) Tanna selected for us. I love crusty hearth loaves, but sometimes you’re in the mood for something softer, richer, and sweeter, and this bread hits that spot nicely.

The recipe allows for a variable amount of sugar, and I opted for the lowest amount, which was just lovely. The result was beautiful for sandwiches as well as morning toast, and would make wonderful dinner rolls as well (maybe without the lemon zest). The inclusion of ground flaxseed and about 25% whole wheat flour might or might not make a healthful difference, but they definitely add flavor and color.

The shaping Tanna proposed is not traditional for this bread (which I’ve usually seen in plain rounds), but is a lot of fun. I really rolled the rolling pin between the sections and floured the channels well, which maintained very good definition of the sections during proofing and baking. You could be less forceful to get beautifully rounded loaves that look less like pincushions. Both ways are delightful.

If you bake your loaves, as I did, in glass pie plates, make sure to grease them with plenty of butter. Glass really likes to hold on to bread.

I think I am the last Babe to post my bread today. Being last is not something I generally strive for, but in this case it has its advantage: I get to link to all the other sweet Babes’ breads.

CommentsLeave a comment

  1. Last but not least. Excellent definition Susan! The use of less sugar does make it good to use in different ways than the sweeter versions. Would love a slice of yours with some Red Hawk cheese from Pt. Reyes.

  2. beautiful! i am jealous of your markings, but i will try to be comforted by the fact that my plain loaves are more traditional. 😉

  4. Ooh nice, especially the way you managed to keep the dents there where they’re supposed to be… not jealous that would not be like me, nooooo.

  5. Seeing the Babe’s posts I realize I completely missed out on the recipe saying that the bread should be baked in a form, why oh why do I always miss something!? Your bread on the other hand looks just like it should, perfect!

  6. … bake in a form? Were we supposed to do that? When will I ever learn to READ the instructions?

    But what excellent shape you got, Susan, it’s perfect! I’ll copy your method next time if you don’t mind, it seems that you knew exactly what to do.

  7. Beautiful bread! I don’t have round baking tins (except for 2 springforms), so I’m not sure what route I’ll take… Maybe I just make rolls…

  9. Just perfect! I did my marks like you, rolling the rod and flouring. (Except I had a thinner dowel)
    Yours are absolutely gorgeous.

  10. Beautiful bread, as usual, Susan!

    Normally, it would make no difference to me who was last. But I must say that I’m sorry not to have seen how you rolled the indentations so flat and then floured them to really define them.

    I used a little more sugar than the lowest amount and think the bread would be perfect as a dinner roll – even with the inclusion of the lemon zest (although, I couldn’t taste the lemon zest at all.)

  16. hi, sorry to bother you, but, i cannot find the recipe for the portughese bread, i would love to try it, looks too delicious maddy

  18. So if I’m last to comment, I’m still ok? Last but not least!

    Absolutely perfect marks on this one Susan. I had gotten more forceful with my indents each time I’ve done this but now I see a little rocking in each one will help even more!

    …might or might not make a healthful difference…I’m just going to blindly believe that they make a little difference and hope it all adds up to enough.

  19. Susan,

    That loaf looks lovely! My mouth is watering just looking at the pictures. However … isn’t there always a however?

    Where is the recipe you used? I really would like to duplicate here in New Zealand (not first try mind you but something to work towards over the course of the year) and a recipe would really improve my odds of success.

    Cheers,

    Tom

  20. Looks delicious. Did anyone happen to get the recipe? The link in the op doesn’t seem to work. I have other P.S.B. recipes but that’s the most delicious looking I’ve seen yet.

    Thanks in advance.

  21. I second the request for the recipe, the link is no longer viable. This looks too good to miss!!

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