This Portuguese sweet bread recipe was traditionally baked for Easter celebrations at my house. It’s sweet and perfect fresh out of the oven with a pat of butter. Turns out, this deliciousness doesn’t have to be reserved for just holidays!
Slather it with some butter and lilikoi jelly!
Mom’s Portuguese sweet bread recipe
Growing up with a Portuguese mother meant that besides anticipating colorful Easter eggs and chocolate bunnies, our holiday prep included a day of whipping up her Portuguese sweet bread recipe. Mom would twist the dough into braids and tuck eggs between the folds, just like her mom did.
From the fragrance of the proofing yeast to the dough rising and then baking into golden brown loaves of Easter bread, this family tradition – above all others – is my favorite. Nothing compares to a slice of sweet bread, still warm from the oven and topped by a pat of real butter.
Kneading the Portuguese sweet bread
Kneading is a method of repeatedly folding and stretching dough until it’s smooth. The old-school way to knead bread, of course, is by hand. Turn the sweet bread dough out onto a floured surface and sprinkle more flour onto the dough. This prevents the dough from sticking to your hands.
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Use the heel of your hand to push the dough, making an indentation in its center. As you push, use your fingers to lift and pull the dough toward you, placing it back over the dough. Repeat with the opposite hand. Lift and turn the dough, adding more flour as necessary to prevent sticking. (Use just enough added flour to prevent sticking; too much will dry out the dough.)
It’ll take about 15 minutes. You know you’re done when the surface of the dough feels smooth and not sticky. If you look closely, you might be able to see tiny air bubbles starting to form under the surface.
Modern day bread making allows us the use of a stand mixer equipped with a dough hook to do the kneading.
The rising process
Making bread is not difficult. It does take time, though. The cool thing is that most of that time is hands-off. You can go do something else while the yeast is doing its work. Once you’ve kneaded the dough, you’ll set it aside to rise for a couple of hours until it has doubled in bulk. Punch the dough down by pressing your hand into the soft dough; the dough will deflate.
Now you’re ready to form the dough into loaves and allow it to rise again for another hour.
Forming the sweet bread dough
This Portuguese sweet bread bread recipe can be formed into a simple loaf, a braided loaf, or rolls. No matter how you choose to form it, start by dividing the dough in half after the first rise.
For a round loaf:
Form each half of the dough into a ball, working to put the “loose” ends on the bottom so that the top is nice and smooth. Place each dough on a cookie sheet and set aside to rise.
How to make a braided loaf of bread:
Divide each half of the bread dough into three equal pieces. Roll each into a rope, about 1-2 inches in diameter. Press the ends of the ropes together and braid. When you reach the end, tuck ends under slightly and place bread on a cookie sheet for the second rise.
To make sweet bread rolls:
Form each half of the dough into a log. Cut the log into (roughly) two inch lengths. Roll each small portion into balls and put in a pie pan. Allow to rise, then bake until nice and brown.
★ Did you make my mom’s authentic Portuguese sweet bread recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Grandma's Portuguese Sweet Bread Recipe
From the fragrance of the proofing yeast to the dough rising and then baking into golden brown loaves, this family tradition – above all others – is my favorite. Nothing compares to a slice of sweet bread, still warm from the oven and topped by a pat of real butter.
Ingredients
- 4 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup warm water
- 1 cup granulated organic cane sugar
- 1 cup milk, scalded and still hot
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 6 to 7 cups unbleached organic all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Dissolve yeast in warm water. Mix sugar, hot milk, butter, and salt together in a large bowl, stirring until butter melts. When cooled to lukewarm, beat in eggs and yeast mixture. Gradually beat 5 cups of flour into liquid to make a smooth dough.
- If you have a stand mixer that will handle this amount of dough, you can use that to shorten the process. Simply complete above steps in your mixer bowl and let your dough hook do the kneading for you.
- To knead by hand, heavily flour a board with a portion of the remaining flour. Turn dough out onto board and sprinkle with remaining flour. Knead until very smooth, adding flour to eliminate stickiness as necessary. You should see small "blisters" of air on the surface of the dough. This takes about 15-20 minutes. Consider it your workout for the day.
- Place dough in a large buttered bowl. Cover loosely with a towel and put in a warm place until doubled in size (about two hours).
- Punch down dough (it will collapse). Using buttered hands, form dough into desired loaves. You can divide dough into two large loaves or try them as smaller rolls. Or you can try the pie pan method you see used by the historical society.
- Place your formed loaves on a buttered cookie sheet or in a buttered pie pan. Cover loaves and set in a warm place to rise again for about an hour. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Baking time will vary a bit depending upon loaf size.
- Optional: Use a pastry brush to baste milk over the loaves just as they start to brown. This will give them a beautiful shiny glow.
To make Portuguese sweet bread rolls:
- Turn dough onto floured surface. Divide dough in two. Form each half loosely into a two-inch log. Cut log into two-inch lengths.
- Roll dough into balls. Place onto a buttered cookie sheet or in a buttered pie pan, not quite touching.
- Cover rolls and set in a warm place to rise again for about an hour.
- Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
How to make a round loaf
- Form each half of the dough into a ball, working to put the "loose" ends on the bottom so that the top is nice and smooth. Place each dough on a cookie sheet and set aside to rise.
How to make a braided loaf of bread
- Divide each half of the bread dough into three equal pieces.
- Roll each into a rope, about 1-2 inches in diameter.
- Press the ends of the ropes together and braid. When you reach the end, tuck ends under slightly and place bread on a cookie sheet for the second rise.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 20 Serving Size: 1 gramsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 80Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 35mgSodium: 132mgCarbohydrates: 11gSugar: 10gProtein: 1g
Portuguese sweet bread in Hawaii
When I moved to Hawai‘i, I noticed plenty of differences in the selection at the grocery store. What surprised me more than anything was the sheer abundance of Portuguese sweet bread. It was available everywhere, every day. No longer would I have to wait for the once-a-year baking and kneading session to savor this slice of my childhood.
While the island style bread is a bit airier than those made with my favorite recipe, having access to Portuguese sweet bread on a daily basis certainly makes up for whatever minor shortfall I perceive in the finished product.
Related: Baking Bread from Scratch – What You Need to Know
History in the [baking]
So just why is there such a preponderance of Portuguese sweet bread here in Hawai‘i? The answer lies in the Portuguese immigrants who came to the islands to work the sugar cane fields in the 1800s. They brought this traditional bread recipe with them. It eventually became as familiar as the sticky rice and poi that are staple foods for island residents.
Those Portuguese immigrants also brought along the old world style of baking in a wood-fired stone oven called a forno. While most of the bread you’ll find in Hawaii is baked in a more modern manner, there is one place that you can still savor sweet bread that’s been baked in the traditional way.
Related: Homemade Light and Fluffy Dinner Rolls
The Kona Historical Society has created a replica of a traditional forno in a field below the old Greenwell Store in Kealakekua. Every Thursday morning, volunteers light a fire in the forno in the wee hours. By 10 am the action begins as more volunteers help to prepare the dough for authentic Portuguese sweet bread recipe or pao doce.
Visitors are invited to watch the baking process, then take some bread to go. The posted hours for this event are from 10 am to 1 pm every Thursday. Note that I’ve arrived during the latter part of this window only to find the bread sold out. If your heart is set on fresh bread, get there early! Want to try the Portuguese sweet bread recipe from the historical society? You can get that here.
Originally published in October 2014; this post has been updated.
Aloha! I’m Kris Bordessa, 
That looks like so much fun. I would have loved to have seen that wood fired oven in action. This recipe reminds me of a bread recipe of my childhood that they called “Sunday buns”, the idea being that you mix them before church and pop them in the oven while the potatoes or veggies are cooking for Sunday dinner. I didn’t have a recipe, for them but now I do. (thanks). I’m going to make these on Sunday for my dinner guests. Soup and buns is on the menu.
I didn’t get the 2 extra cups of flour but maybe that was just for dusting purposes and it didn’t tell how long to knead the dough if using a mixer with hook. Also the 1st time it didn’t turn out so the second time I proofed the yeast with sugar like it says on some sites. It worked out better the second time.
Using a stand mixer usually halves the kneading time
I’ll definitely make this again.
My ohana loved this recipe! I made the rolls…it was heavenly! The first pan of rolls rose perfectly but my second portion didn’t rise as much. Did I take too long to roll into balls or did I miss a step? It didn’t rise as much but it still tasted ono!
It could simply be the delay between batches, as the yeast could have “spent” itself before baking. If it was tasty, it sounds like you didn’t do anything wrong!
Texture is different. Hawaiian sweet bread is not really authentic Portuguese Sweet Bread.
The texture IS different.
Can this be refrigerated and baked later? Or frozen and baked later
I’ve not tried it. That said, I *have refrigerated yeast dough overnight. If you want to try it, I’d pop it in the fridge once it’s made, then pull it out and let it rise when you take it out.
I am from Honolulu, and Portuguese sweet bread brings back so many memories. I was raised in California and now live in Pioneer, CA which I dearly love. My recipe is just like yours, except I use one block of butter. I made some this Easter and shared it with my family. I am 78 years young and love to make sweet bread as it is healing to my soul. I always make the sign of the cross over my rising dough, and yes, I too am Portuguese.
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Traditions like this are just so special!
Mine was a little dry. What can I do to over it?
I’m not sure I understand the question, but try reducing the bake time? Your oven might be calibrated differently than mine.
Love the rolls idea. Overall, I like this recipe very much. Simple and straightforward. Came out even better than the one at King Arthur Flour (which is a great site for baking.)
Glad to hear it!
I plan on making this bread real soon I am Portuguese and have been to Portugal. My Mother was born and raised in Honolulu so we have always eaten for holidays this bread! Thanks so much for sharing your recipe❤️
I hope you love it!
Hell
o. I have an indoor grill. Do you think I could make bread on it? Will try your sweet bread over weekend [email protected] thanks.
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I’ve only done pizza dough and tortillas on a stovetop grill.
Can you recommend sources to buy “real-kine” P. sweetbread? I would love to give some to an older Portuguese couple who are caregivers and homebound. King’s and Ani’s are at all the grocery stores but I’d like to find a brand that is like back home Kauai bread! Thanks!
The favorite here is from Punalu‘u Bake Shop and I just looked — they do online sales! https://www.bakeshophawaii.com/products/punaluu-box
My family is from Hawaii also. My mom made Portuguese sweet bread all the time. But her recipe has 3 medium potatoes peeled,sliced and mashed. It gives it a heavier texture. Love the smell when it it baking.
Ah, I love hearing how different bakers bake!
Can this be made into loafs instead. This will be my first ever attempt to make bread.
Yes, absolutely. Form loaves and place on baking sheets.
I only have instant yeast, do I still activate it in the water?
You should not have to proof this in water, but note that I’ve not tried this replacement.
I am looking forward to trying this recipe. Do you think it could be make with non-dairy milk? We usually have oat milk on hand?
I haven’t *tried it, but I would. I think it would work fine.
This recipe looks like it makes 2 pans of rolls. I would like to half it. Would you reccommend using 1 or 2 eggs?
I suppose I’d use 2 medium sized eggs.
This can’t be near as good as the recipe that I have from an actual Portuguese grandmother! Her granddaughters were with her when she made a batch and they documented everything that she did. And measured what she was using. This doesn’t have Near enough sugar or butter and doesn’t take near as long as what I used to make. I would get up at 4:00 AM to start a batch in a medium size plastic wash pan and wouldn’t finish until around 10:00 PM at night! It was a chore but it was Great and especially sliced and toasted! My 1st wife’s Grandmother was from Portugal and had been making this since she was a child! Grandma Gertrude Pine (Americanized.)
Well, it sounds like you should stick with your recipe, rather than trying my Grandma’s!
That’s a bit rude. Did you try this? Maybe it is just as good only easier. Most people would never want to spend that much time!
I visited my cousins in Porto, Portugal, last October. I’m half Portuguese. All my relatives are “authentic” Portuguese. I was interested in family recipes, especially for Natas. What I discovered is that recipes passed down, even within extended family, tend to differ slightly in ingredient amounts and methods. All are Portuguese. Each time the recipe is passed on, the baker includes changes that gave them the very best results. My “family” recipe for Portuguese sweet rolls is every bit as “authentic” as the one your family filmed your grandmother making. Your “near as good as” comment is purely subjective. Every family is different, but I applaud your love and respect for your grandmothers recipe. I’m pretty sure the one I have from my family is “as good as.”
This is so accurate! Thanks for chiming in. I tried natas when I was in Lisbon with my mom a number of years ago. I’ve yet to try to make them myself; I feel like knowing how would be dangerous. 😉
I’m hopeing to try this today with Father’s Day dinner; I’m a true amateur baker, coo
Loved this recipe. I made roles and a braid for a family get together and I couldn’t believe how fast they went. I’m half Portuguese and like to explore recipes from that side of the family, my moms. But I changed the recipe slightly. One thing: instead of 1 cup sugar, I used 3/4. I kneaded by hand and barely used 5 cups of flour (or I miscounted!). They were perfect for my family and are now a favorite. Thanks!
Glad you liked it!
This is the jewish bread for Saturday or shabbat, called halla. Braided in various forms, sweet, some more some less..we bake it weekly.
Thank you for the recipe, looks good, I love baking would lovew to have an email for a person on the broucher to assist, its yummy indeed, i will try it at home and surprise my elders over this xmas. Thank you.