Massa sovada/pão doce
(Portuguese Sweet Bread)
This is my favorite food of all time and probably my first food memory. Enjoyed during holidays like Easter and Christmas and during festas (festivals) such as festa do Espírito Santo (Holy Ghost Festival), it is beloved by all. Pão doce (sweet bread) is common throughout Portugal but in the islands of the Azores it’s called massa sovada meaning “beaten dough” because of its long kneading time. The recipe presented here is based on Azorean recipes. There are of course recipes and variations from the mainland.
Depending on the island, region or baker, sweet bread can be flavored in different ways. My great grandmother from São Miguel used anise. My great grandmother from Faial used cinnamon. My grandmother and mother use a combination of lemon and mace (similar in flavor to nutmeg). During my recent trips to Faial most of the sweet bread I enjoyed was flavored with lemon, nutmeg and cinnamon. Here where I live in Sacramento the Portuguese community is mostly from Pico. They also use lemon, nutmeg, sometimes cinnamon and aguardente (Portuguese brandy). I’ve had delicious versions from Terceira and São Miguel with no extra flavorings. This isn’t a definitive list of flavors attached to specific locations it only highlights some of my experiences. It is possible find this bread with or without flavorings regardless of its lineage. This bread is precious and carries the stories of history, devotion and immigration.
Feel free to choose from the list below adjusting the amounts and combinations to your preferences q.b. (quanta basta) and family history.
30 grams (10 tbsp) lemon zest (around 4 to 5 large lemons)
18 grams (3 tbsp) ground nutmeg
18 grams (3 tbsp) anise (you may use the seeds or grind the seeds into a powder)
18 grams (3 tbsp) ground cinnamon
150 grams (1/2 cup + 2 tbsp) aguardente (Portuguese brandy) You’ll need to reduce the milk or water in the recipe by this amount.
On some islands like Faial and Pico some bakers make a cinnamon tea in place of the milk in the recipe. This also replaces any ground cinnamon. To do this bring 700 grams (3 cups) of water to a boil (in place of the milk) with 4 to 6 cinnamon sticks. Turn off the heat, cover and allow to steep overnight. The next day remove the cinnamon sticks and measure the water again to ensure you have the correct amount. Proceed with the recipe replacing the tea for the whole milk.
Supplies
Large bowl for kneading
Stand mixer fitted the whisk attachment or a hand mixer
Digital thermometer
5 light colored round cake pans measuring 8x3-inch (2ox8 cm) or 9x2-inch (23x5 cm). You may also make 10 - 6 inch/15 cm round loaves.
Dough rising bucket (optional)
Bench scraper (optional)
Bread lame or scissors or sharp knife
Parchment paper for lining the pans
Rubber spatula
- Ingredients for the fermento (sponge):
45 grams (5 tbsp) instant yeast
70 grams (5 tbsp) sugar
40 grams (5 tbsp) flour
150 grams (1/2 cup + 2 tbsp) warm water (105F/41C to 110F/43C)
- Ingredients for the massa (dough):
700 grams (2 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp) whole milk or cinnamon tea (see above)
565 grams (2 1/2 cups) unsalted butter
600 grams (12 large) eggs, room temperature
800 grams (4 cups) granulated sugar
2270 grams (5 lbs or 17 to 18 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tbsp + 2 tsp fine sea salt
Any optional flavorings from above
- Ingredients for the (egg wash):
1 large egg (50 grams)
1 tsp water
Pinch of fine sea salt
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Directions:
- In a small bowl, mix the yeast, 70 grams (5 tbsp) sugar and 40 grams (5 tbsp) flour.
- Add the warm water mixing to create a sponge. Set aside until doubled in volume.
- Warm the milk or cinnamon tea to a simmer in a saucepan.
- Melt the butter in another saucepan.
- Beat the eggs, sugar, and optional lemon zest in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer in a large bowl. Mix on high speed for 1 to 2 minutes until light.
- If the bowl of your mixer has room, add the milk or cinnamon tea on low speed. If not, transfer the egg and sugar mixture to a very large bowl. Add the milk or cinnamon tea.
- Add the sponge and mix until combined.
- Add the 2270 grams (5 lbs or 16 to 17 cups) of flour, the salt and any optional spices.
- Knead by punching the dough and periodically folding it over itself.
- Once the dough comes together into a cohesive mass, gradually add in the melted butter 1/4 cup at a time. Continue to knead until incorporated. Repeat this process until all of the butter is added.
- Continue to to knead for a total of 15 to 20 minutes (the key is to keep the dough wet and sticky). Check for good gluten development by gently stretching a small piece until it’s so thin you can almost see through it. If it tears easily it needs more kneading.
- Transfer to an oiled large proving container or leave in the bowl. Cover and allow to rise in a warm place preferably between 90F (32C) and 100F (38C).
- After the first 30 minutes into the rise, stretch and fold the dough 4 to 5 times to build strength. Cover and leave to rise until doubled in size. This can take 3 to 6 hours or even longer depending on the temperature of your dough, your kitchen, the type of yeast you used, the way you measured and or your kneading technique.
- Butter and flour 5 - 8x3-inch (2ox8 cm) or 9x2-inch (23x5 cm) light colored metal cake pan. Line the base with parchment.
- Once the dough has doubled, shape into 5 rounds each weighing approximately 1,000 grams/2 lbs 2 oz.
- Place each round in the center of the prepared pans.
- Cover and allow to rise until slightly more than doubled. This can take another 3 to 6 or more hours in a warm place.
- Preheat oven to 300F (150C).
- Create the egg wash by lightly whisking together the egg, water and pinch of salt in a small bowl. Lightly brush over the surface of the dough.
- Using a sharp knife, lame or scissors gently cut a large cross into the surface of the dough.
- Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until the internal temperature is between 180F (82C) and 190F (88C). You will need to rotate the breads in your oven for even baking. To ensure the bread is moist do not over-bake.
- Allow to cool in the pans for 5 minutes.
- Remove from the pans and cool completely on a wire racks.
- Serve sliced at room temperature. Store covered at room temperature. This bread freezes well. Defrost in the refrigerator before bringing to room temperature.
Dicas (Tips)
- To create Folar da páscoa (easter bread nest with egg), places 1 to 3 hard boiled (or raw) eggs in each loaf by cutting a shallow whole with scissors or a knife. You may roll some of the dough into logs to create a ring and a cross around and over the egg(s) if you wish. Some bakers color the eggs by boiling them with onion peels. Be sure that your logs are loose so they have room to expand as the bread rises.
- If you’ve been to the Azores, you know the butter produced there is some of the best in the world. If you don’t have access to Azorean butter I encourage you to buy the richest and best butter you can such as a European style, cultured or grass fed butter. Your bread will truly shine. If you’d like to use salted butter you may. You can decrease the salt in the recipe or leave it as is for some extra seasoning.
- In general your dough will rise more quickly the warmer the dough and the temperature of your kitchen or raising environment. The colder your dough or environment the slower it will take to rise. Many bakers choose to mix the dough in the evening and leave it to rise overnight. The next day it is shaped and then baked in the afternoon.
- Some bakers replace some of the butter in the recipe with lard and or a neutral oil. Feel free to experiment just ensure that the total amount of fat is equal to 565 grams (2 1/2 cups).
- I prefer to use instant yeast, specifically SAF Gold Instant Yeast because it has been formulated for sweet enriched breads like sweet bread. You may use equal amounts of active dry yeast however, your rising times will be slightly longer and your bread potentially more dense.
- It's important that your dough passes a windowpane test. This is when it's is stretched so thin it doesn't break proving that it has been kneaded enough.
- It’s important to use a digital thermometer to test for doneness. Without it will be difficult to sense when the center is baked to your preference.
- My grandmother and I always want this bread to be sweeter. You may increase the sugar in the recipe to 900 to 1,000 grams (4 1/2 to 5 cups) bearing in mind that the rise will be extremely long (up to 5 or more hours for both rises). I recommend adding 1/4 extra of sugar at a time to learn how the bread will perform before adding a larger amount. In my experience even adding a 1/2 cup extra produced extremely long rising times.
