Portugese Sweet Bread

When I was little I stayed with my little sister Annie (who just had a birthday) at my aunt’s house. It was a long time ago, and there were good and bad moments. One moment I still remember fondly is visiting the King’s Hawaiian Bakery. I loved the sweet buttery aroma drifting from their ovens whenever we made a trip to pick up their fresh rolls.

Since then, I’ve been secretly semi-obsessed with yeasted sweet breads. Especially sweet dinner roll types. Oh, sweet fluffy yum! Did I mention the secret obsession? Yeah, I thought so.

This recipe is super fun because it can make two loaves that you can make into different shapes. I chose the coil (aka beehive) and the braid. The braid was easier to cut into slices but the coil was more fun to pull apart and munch.

This recipe is semi-involved so make sure you have a bit of time to spare. Clean the house, air out the dust bunnies- whatever you have to do to pass the time. It’ll be worth it, trust me.

Portugese Sweet Bread
courtesy B. Clayton
Makes two round, braided, or coiled loaves

51/2 -6 cups bread or AP flour, approximately
2 pkgs active dry yeast
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp salt
1 cup warm milk
1/8 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon juice
3 eggs room temperature, plus 1 egg beaten
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature

Equipment: 1 baking sheet, greased or two 9″ pie pans (for rounds/coils), greased

In mixer bowl combine 3 cups flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Make a well in the center and pour in the milk, vanilla and lemon juice. Add the 3 eggs, and mix with the hook attachment until combined. Beat in the butter, and add the rest of the flour, 1/4 cup at a time. Knead with the dough hook for 10 minutes. Transfer the dough into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours.

Punch the dough down, divide in half, and put aside to rest for 10 minutes.

Shaping:

Coil: Roll into a 30″ rope and coil it in the pie pan.
Braid: Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces, roll each into 14″ long rope. Lay them side by side and weave into a thick braid. Pinch ends together and turn under slightly. Place on baking sheet.

Let the loaves rise in a warm place for 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 350F 20 minutes before baking. Brush the dough with the beaten egg. Bake for about 1 hour, or until a skewer inserted into the bread comes out clean. Let cool before enjoying.