Portuguese Sweet Bread
Ingredients
- 1 package yeast
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup warm water
- 1/2 stick (1/4 Cup) softened butter
- 1/4 cup warm milk
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/2 tablespoon salt
- 2 to 2-1/4 Cups all purpose flour
Instructions
Combine yeast, 1 Tablespoon sugar, and water in a bowl and let proof. Blend the butter, milk, and remaining sugar. Add to yeast mixture and stir to combine. Add the eggs (reserving a little bit to brush on the loaf at the end) and salt. Mix well. Add the flour, slowly, to make a soft dough. Knead on a floured board until smooth and elastic, shape into a ball, and put the ball into a buttered bowl, turning the ball to coat it with butter. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk. Punch down and reshape into a ball. Place in a buttered pie pan, cover loosely, and let rise again until doubled in bulk. Brush the top with the reserved egg and bake in a preheated 350 F oven for about 30 minutes, until the bread is a rich, dark brown and sounds hollow when rapped on the bottom. Let cool before slicing.