Easy Portuguese Sweet Bread Recipe (Pão Doce/Massa Sovada)  (2024)

Learn how to make this light and fluffy Portuguese sweet bread the homemade way! Also called pão doce (sweet bread) or massa sovada (beaten dough), it’s best served warm with butter. Makes 2 loaves or 16 rolls.

Serve this delicious sweet bread with any of your favorite holiday dishes, or for breakfast with a glass of milk, hot tea or coffee.

❤️ Why you’ll love this recipe

• It has the perfect taste and texture – light, fluffy and you can taste the sweetness but it’s not overly sweet. If you’re a fan of brioche bread, you’ll love this recipe!
• It’s specific and super-easy to follow – make sure to read through the detailed steps and step by step photos before jumping to the recipe card.
• Quality ingredients = consistent results every time! I highly recommend a premium, organic flour like Bob’s Red Mill Unbleached White All-Purpose Flour. This post is sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

📋 Ingredient notes

• Dry ingredients: quality all-purpose flour, salt, granulated sugar, active dry yeast.
• Wet ingredients: whole milk, large eggs, softened unsalted butter.
• Cooking spray for greasing the bowls and baking pans.
• Egg wash made by combining egg and water – this gives the loaves/rolls color.

Refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities and measurements.

Substitutions

• You can substitute active dry yeast with equal parts instant yeast. The difference between the two types of yeast is that active dry needs to be proofed (mixed with warm milk) and instant yeast can be mixed right in with the flour.
• Replace whole milk with equal parts evaporated milk for a nuttier, sweeter taste.
• You can use salted butter instead of unsalted if that’s all you have. It shouldn’t affect the flavor, but don’t omit the salt from the recipe! Salt helps with the formation of gluten which gives the dough elasticity.
• Use softened butter instead of cooking spray to grease the pans, if you prefer.

🍞 How to make Portuguese Sweet Bread

Proof the yeast

Step 1: Use a stand mixer with paddle attachment to combine the eggs, butter, sugar and salt together. If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can use a fork to cream the butter and then mix in the sugar, salt and eggs using a whisk. Set this mixture aside.

Step 2: Heat the milk in a small saucepan until it reaches a temperature of 115°F. Pour half of the milk into the butter/sugar and egg mixture, and the other half into a cup. Mix 1 teaspoon of sugar into the cup of milk then add the yeast. Mix and let sit for 10 minutes. It will foam and expand in volume.

Note: If the yeast doesn’t foam or expand as shown in the photo above, it’s no good. You’ll need to start this step over with fresh (unexpired) yeast and new milk.

Form the dough and let it rise

Step 3: Add the proofed yeast/milk to the bowl with the wet mixture. Replace the paddle attachment with a dough hook. Turn your mixer on low speed and add ½ a cup of flour to the bowl at a time. A ball of dough will form on the dough hook. Shut the mixer off and transfer the dough to a floured surface. Knead the dough by hand for 7 full minutes.

Step 4: Shape the kneaded dough into a ball. Transfer the ball of dough to a greased bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm place for an hour and a half.

Forming and kneading the dough by hand: put the flour in a large mixing bowl and create a well in the center. Pour the wet mixture in and use a rubber to combine the ingredients. Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead by hand for 10 minutes.

Step 5: Remove the dough from the oven. The dough should be almost doubled in volume. Remove the plastic wrap and punch the dough down to release the air. Divide the dough in half and shape each half into a ball.

Making rolls: Leave the dough in the bowl to keep it covered so it doesn’t dry out. Portion the rolls and place on a kitchen scale one by one. Each roll should weigh 2.5 ounces. Shape each roll into a tight ball by cupping your hands and turning against a flat surface.

Brush and bake

Step 6: Place the rolls in a greased 10-inch round pan (use two 8-inch round pans if you’re baking two loaves). Cover the baking pan(s) with a kitchen towel and let rise again in a warm oven for 1 hour. The bread will expand even more during the second rise.

Step 7: Pre-heat your oven to 375°F (make sure the oven is empty, don’t heat the oven while the dough is rising in it). Make the egg-wash by mixing 1 whole egg with 2 teaspoons of water. Gently brush the egg wash over the rolls using a pastry brush.

Step 8: Bake the sweet bread at 375°F for 25 minutes. Use your oven light to watch the color of the bread closely. Check the color around the 15-20 minute mark. If it’s starting to look dark, place a sheet of foil over the bread and let it continue to bake for the remaining 10-15 minutes.

Step 9: Let the bread cool fully in its pan for 30-40 minutes. Remove the rolls/loaves by flipping the pans over. Slice the loaves using a serrated knife. Separate the rolls by cutting them with a knife or pulling them apart with your hands.

🥛 What to serve with sweet bread

Sweet bread is best served warm with:

• Softened butter and a cup of milk or hot coffee or tea.
• A traditional Portuguese soup like caldo verde, or canja.
• Your favorite Easter or holiday dishes.

❓FAQ’s

💭 Tips and tricks

• Measure your flour correctly – spoon the flour out of the bag into a dry ingredient measuring cup. Don’t use your measuring cup as a scoop and don’t pack the flour down. Use the flat edge of a butter knife to level off the flour.
• Check the date on your yeast to make sure it’s not expired and don’t overheat the milk. A kitchen thermometer can help you get an accurate reading of the milk’s temperature – it shouldn’t exceed 115°F.
• Dough rises better in a warm oven. Heat your oven to 170°F and place the dough in the oven for each rise. Once the oven is warm, shut the temperature off and keep the door closed so the heat doesn’t escape.

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