Massa Sovada (Portuguese Sweet Bread)
- 10 cups Flour (more Or Less)
- 3 packages (7g Packet) Active Dry Yeast
- 9 whole Large Brown Eggs
- 1 cup Butter (salted)
- 2 teaspoons Shortening
- 1 cup Whole Milk
- 2-1/4 cups Sugar
- 1 whole Lemon Rind, Grated
- Leave eggs out of the refrigerator the night before. Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup of water plus one teaspoon of sugar. The yeast is ready once it has doubled in size.
- Beat the eggs until light and fluffy. Add the yeast and mix in just enough flour to make a batter. Cover with a dish cloth and/or blanket until if forms bubbles. While this is set aside, melt the butter and shortening over low heat. When all has melted add milk, pinch of salt, and lemon rind.
- When the bread batter has formed bubbles, add the sugar and the butter mixture. Mix well. Add the remaining flour one cup at a time, mixing well each time. Knead the dough on a floured surface once it's too difficult to mix with a spoon. Knead until the dough is smooth and not sticky.
- Cover dough with buttered waxed paper and a towel. Let rise until it doubles in size.
- Shape loaves of bread into the size you want and place them in buttered loaf pans. Cover with buttered waxed paper and a towel until doubled in size.
- Bake for one hour on the low oven rack at 275 degrees. Rub the tops with butter when you remove the loaves from the oven.
- Yields 5 loaves.
- Note: I usually let the dough rise (in its ball form and bread pan form) for about 4 to 6 hours.
flour, yeast, brown eggs, butter, shortening, milk, sugar, lemon rind
Taken from tastykitchen.com/recipes/breads/massa-sovada-portuguese-sweet-bread/ (may not work)