Pao Doce (portuguese Sweet Bread)

Boil potato until soft. Save 1/4 cup of the water the potato was boiled in and cool to lukewarm. Mash potato and measure out 1/2 cup. Add 2 Tbsp sugar and the yeast to the lukewarm potato water, stir to dissolve. Stir in mashed potato and set mixture aside to double in bulk. Scald milk, add salt and cool to lukewarm. Melt butter and cool. In large warm mixing bowl (rinse with hot water and dry before using), beat eggs. Remove 1 Tbsp of eggs to use for brushing tops of loaves. Gradually beat in sugar, then melted butter. Combine egg and yeast mixtures. Blend thoroughly. Add 1 1/3 cups of the flour and 1/4 cup milk. Beat until completely mixed. Add another 1 1/3 cups flour and beat till blended. (All ingredients should be in your dough now except for the last of the flour you will be kneading with.) Turn out the dough on floured board. Add last 1 1/3 cups flour and knead dough till smooth and elastic, 75 to 100 times. Make a ball of dough, place in an oiled bowl, cover with damp cloth, and let rise in warm place. When double in bulk, punch down, divide dough into 2 round balls and place on 2 oiled pie pans or in oiled bread pans. Allow it to double in bulk (about 1 hour). Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush loaves with beaten eggs. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until brown and done. They may be frozen. Note: Additional flour may have to be added to make a soft dough. Dough should be smooth not sticky after kneading is complete.