Portuguese Sweet Bread

Before you start

Massa sovada is a soft, sweet, egg-rich bread from Portugal, particularly the Azores, and is widely baked in Portuguese communities in places like New England, California and Hawaii. It has a fine, cottony crumb, a tall domed shape and a dark, glossy crust from an egg wash. Lemon zest and vanilla are typical flavorings, with some families adding a little cinnamon.

Because the dough contains a lot of sugar, eggs and butter, it rises much more slowly than lean bread. Sugar competes with the yeast for water, so allow two to three hours for the first rise and plenty of time for the shaped loaves to dome. The other key is the bake: these loaves brown quickly, so tent them with foil and rely on an internal temperature of about 88°C (190°F) rather than color.

Ingredients

• Dough500 g (4 cups) bread flour
• 100 g (½ cup) granulated sugar
• 7 g (2¼ tsp) instant yeast
• 6 g (1 tsp) fine salt
• 3 large (about 150 g) eggs — room temperature
• 160 ml (⅔ cup) whole milk — warmed to about 38°C (100°F)
• 60 g (4 tbsp) unsalted butter — softened
• 1 lemon — finely grated zest
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Finish1 large egg — beaten with 1 tsp water

Method

1. Whisk the flour, sugar, yeast, salt and lemon zest in the mixer bowl. Add the eggs, warm milk and vanilla and mix on low until a sticky dough forms.
2. With the mixer running on medium-low, add the butter a tablespoon at a time. Knead for 10 to 12 minutes, until the dough is glossy, elastic and pulls away from the sides. It will remain soft.
3. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 2 to 3 hours, until doubled.
4. Butter the pans. Divide the dough in half (about 490 g each). Shape each piece into a tight ball by pulling the edges underneath, and place one in the center of each pan.
5. Cover loosely and proof for about 1½ hours, until the loaves have risen into domes and nearly filled the pans. Heat the oven to 175°C (350°F) with a rack in the lower third.
6. Brush the loaves carefully with the egg wash, covering the sides as well as the tops.
7. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, tenting loosely with foil after 15 minutes once the tops are deep brown. The loaves are done when the center reads about 88°C (190°F).
8. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and cool for at least 1 hour before slicing.

Tips for success

• Add the butter slowly. If it goes in all at once, the dough can turn greasy and take much longer to come together.
• Gently tap the bottom of a loaf; it should sound hollow. Combined with the thermometer reading, this is a reliable check.
• For a single large loaf, shape all the dough into one ball in a 25 cm (10 in) pie plate and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, tented after 20.

Substitutions

Bread flour

All-purpose flour gives a softer, more cake-like crumb that rises slightly less. Reduce the milk by 15 ml.

Lemon zest

Orange zest gives a warmer citrus note. Some bakers add ½ tsp ground cinnamon instead of or with the zest.

Whole milk

Evaporated milk adds richness and a deeper color to the crust. Use the same volume.

Variations

Easter massa with whole eggs

Some families nestle a raw egg in its shell into each loaf before baking, held with strips of dough. The egg bakes in the shell; refrigerate the bread within 2 hours of cooling and eat within 3 days.

Sweet bread French toast

Slice day-old bread thickly, dip in egg and milk with cinnamon, and cook on a buttered griddle until golden and set.

Troubleshooting

Dough is barely rising

High-sugar doughs are slow, especially in a cool kitchen. Move it to a warm spot, such as an oven with only the light on, and give it more time.

Top is very dark but center is raw

The oven was too hot or the loaf was not tented. Tent early and bake to 88°C inside.

Loaf is dense

Underproofed or too much flour. Wait until the shaped loaves are fully domed before baking.

Crust cracked along one side

The loaf was underproofed or shaped with a weak spot. Shape tightly and let it rise fully.

Storage

Wrap cooled loaves tightly and keep at room temperature for up to 3 days. Freeze for up to 3 months. Toast slices that have dried out.

Safety notes

Raw dough contains raw eggs and flour; do not taste it. Contains wheat, milk and egg.