Okay, so I got hooked on this idea of making things with Portuguese sweet bread dough. Not just the regular loaf, you know, but other stuff too. It all started because I had this really amazing slice somewhere, and store-bought just wasn’t cutting it. I figured, how hard could it be? Famous last words, right?
Getting the Dough Right
First things first, I had to tackle the Pão Doce dough itself. Found a recipe online, looked simple enough. Milk, sugar, eggs, butter, yeast, flour… the usual suspects.
Mixing and Kneading:
- Got everything dumped in the bowl. Mixing was easy.
- Then came the kneading. My arms were burning after like, ten minutes. The recipe said “smooth and elastic.” Mine felt more like sticky concrete.
- Added a bit more flour. Maybe too much? Who knows. Finally got it feeling okay.
Let me tell you, waiting for that first rise felt like watching paint dry. Seriously. Stuck it in a warm spot, covered it up, and tried to forget about it for an hour or two. It did puff up nicely, gotta admit.
The Basic Loaf Trial
For the first try, I just went for a standard loaf. Shaped it kinda rustic-like, put it in a round pan. Did the second rise, which again, took its sweet time. Brushed it with an egg wash because I wanted that nice shiny top.
Baked it. The whole house started smelling incredible, that sweet, yeasty smell. Pulled it out, and it looked pretty good! Golden brown. Let it cool down a bit – hardest part – then sliced into it. Success! It was soft, slightly sweet, perfect texture. Okay, feeling confident now.
Moving Onto Rolls
Next weekend, I thought, let’s do rolls. Like Massa Sovada, those smaller guys. Made the same dough. This time the kneading felt a bit easier, maybe I was getting the hang of it, or maybe I just knew what to expect.
Dividing the dough into equal balls was trickier than it looks. Mine were all sorts of sizes, but hey, homemade charm, right? Arranged them on a baking sheet. They puffed up beautifully during the second rise. Baked them for less time than the big loaf, obviously. They came out great! Perfect for pulling apart. Slathered one with butter right away. Delicious.
Trying Something Sweeter
Then I got ambitious. What about something like those filled doughnuts, Malasadas-style, but maybe baked? Or just some kind of sweet bun? I took a batch of the dough, rolled it out thinner this time. Tried cutting circles.
- Attempt 1: Custard Filling. Made a quick custard. Tried putting a dollop on one circle, covering with another, sealing the edges. This was messy. Some leaked during baking. The ones that held were amazing, but cleanup was a pain.
- Attempt 2: Simple Sugar Buns. Easier route. Made small balls, brushed with melted butter, rolled them in cinnamon sugar before the second rise. Baked them. These were fantastic and way less trouble. Like little bites of heaven.
Final Thoughts
So, yeah. Spent a couple of weekends covered in flour. The basic Portuguese sweet bread dough is pretty forgiving, actually. It tastes good as a loaf, as rolls, and definitely works for sweeter treats if you keep it simple.
The kneading is still a workout, not gonna lie. And the waiting for it to rise tests your patience. But that smell while it’s baking? And tasting it fresh from the oven? Totally worth the effort. Way better than anything I could buy. It’s become kind of a weekend ritual now when I have the time. Simple, satisfying stuff.
