Portuguese Sweet Bread
Now that I’m living on the East Coast, I am in the center of Portuguese sweet bread universe. When I lived in California, I knew it as Hawaiian bread, but upon closer reading of the label, I learned that even the Hawaiians give credit to the Portuguese for this big, soft, sweet, round pillow of a loaf. One man I know from Los Angeles who summers on Nantucket told me he was in love with the sandwiches made on this bread from a small shop on the island. He was the first person I met with the same passion for this bread that many people feel toward rustic and wild-yeast breads of the artisan movement. When I began teaching at Johnson & Wales University, I found that each of my classes included at least one student who shared my friend’s passion for the sweet bread. Each of these students vows to improve upon the general formula, and this version is a result of the many tweakings the students who grew up with the real deal gave to the original version in an effort to make it conform to their childhood memories. The most distinctive aspect of this bread, besides the softness and the shape, is the flavor imparted by the powdered milk. I have tried making versions with whole milk and buttermilk, but once you get the taste of the powdered-milk version in your mind, no other taste will do.
Recipe information
Yield
makes two 1-pound loaves
Ingredients
Sponge
Dough
Egg Wash
Preparation
Step 1
To make the sponge, stir together the flour, sugar, and yeast in a small bowl. Add the water and stir until all the ingredients are hydrated and make a smooth batter. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and ferment at room temperature for 60 to 90 minutes, or until the sponge gets foamy and seems on the verge of collapse.
Step 2
To make the dough, combine the sugar, salt, powdered milk, butter, and shortening in a 4-quart mixing bowl (or the bowl of an electric mixer). Cream together with a sturdy spoon (or the paddle attachment) until smooth, then mix in the eggs and the extracts. Knead by hand (or switch to the dough hook attachment) and mix in the sponge and the flour. Add the water, as needed, to make a very soft dough. The finished dough should be very supple and soft, easy to knead, and not wet or sticky. It will take 10 to 12 minutes with the electric mixer and close to 15 minutes by hand to achieve this consistency. (Dough with high amounts of fat and sugar usually takes longer to knead because the gluten requires more time to set up.) The finished dough should pass the windowpane test (page 58) and register 77° to 81°F. Lightly oil a large bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
Step 3
Ferment at room temperature for approximately 2 hours, or until the dough doubles in size.
Step 4
Remove the dough from the bowl and divide it into 2 equal pieces. Form each of the pieces into a boule, as shown on page 72. Lightly oil two 9-inch pie pans and place 1 boule, seam side down, in each pan. Mist the dough with spray oil and loosely cover the pans with plastic wrap.
Step 5
Proof at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours, or until the dough fills the pans fully, doubling in size and overlapping the edges slightly. (If you only want to bake 1 loaf, you may retard the second in the refrigerator for 1 day, although it will take 4 to 5 hours to proof after it comes out of the refrigerator.)
Step 6
Very gently brush the loaves with the egg wash. Preheat the oven to 350°F with the oven rack on the middle shelf.
Step 7
Bake the loaves for 50 to 60 minutes, or until they register 190°F in the center. After 30 minutes, check the loaves and rotate 180 degrees, if necessary, for even baking. Because of the high amount of sugar, the dough will brown very quickly, but don’t be fooled into thinking it is done. It will get darker as the center gradually catches up with the outside, but it will not burn. The final color will be a rich mahogany brown.
Step 8
Remove the bread from the pie pans and place on a rack to cool. The bread will soften as it cools, resulting in a very soft, squishy loaf. Allow the bread to cool for at least 90 minutes before slicing or serving.
BREAD PROFILE
Step 9
Enriched, standard dough; indirect method; commercial yeast
DAYS TO MAKE: 1
Step 10
60 to 90 minutes sponge; 15 minutes mixing; 5 hours fermentation, shaping, and proofing; 50 to 60 minutes baking
Commentary
Step 11
In addition to sandwiches and snack bread, one of the great uses for Portuguese sweet bread is French toast. It is very addictive. It also is ideal for bread pudding.
BAKER’S PERCENTAGE FORMULA
Step 12
Portuguese Sweet Bread %
Step 13
(SPONGE)
Step 14
Bread flour 14.3%
Step 15
Sugar 3.2%
Step 16
Instant yeast 1.6%
Step 17
Water 25.4%
Step 18
(DOUGH)
Step 19
Sugar: 19%
Step 20
Salt: 1.6%
Step 21
Powdered milk: 7.9%
Step 22
Butter: 6.3%
Step 23
Shortening: 6.3%
Step 24
Eggs: 21%
Step 25
Citrus extracts: 2.2%
Step 26
Vanilla extract: 1.1%
Step 27
Bread flour: 85.7%
Step 28
Water (approx.): 19%
Step 29
Total: 214.6%
