The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

looking for a recipe for Portugese Bread

audra36274's picture
audra36274

looking for a recipe for Portugese Bread

My father in law is an old Navy salt and he goes on and on about the Portugese bread he used to get while stationed in New Jersey. I would love to re create the bread for him, but have been unable here in Alabama to find a good recipe. I tried the King Arthur flour recipe but it wasn't quite right.  I am in love with the whole bread making world, and am so happy that I finally found this web site. It has been comforting to find out that others also have this yeast obsession! If anyone from up Jersey way could help I ( and my Pop) would really appreciate it! I just got a hot loaf of Challah out of the oven from the favorite recipes section, and it turned out fantastic! Here in the Deep South, I doubt many people have even heard of Challah! But we will enjoy it anyway! Happy Baking!

                                                                                                                                                            Audra

pumpkinpapa's picture
pumpkinpapa

Could it be a corn bread he's thinking of? There is a recipe for a Portugese sweet bread in the BBA too.

I have a recipe for Broa, a yeasted Portugese corn bread:

1 1/2 cups fine cornmeal
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 cup boiling water
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp yeast
2 cups all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350.

In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 cup cornmeal, salt, and boiling water. Stir until smooth. Stir in 1 tablespoon olive oil. Cool mixture to lukewarm. Stir yeast into the cornmeal mixture. Gradually add 1/2 cup cornmeal and flour. Gather the dough into a ball, and place it in a greased bowl. Cover. Proof for 30 minutes, or until it doubles.

Coat the bottom and sides of a 9 inch pie pan with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Turn the dough out into pie pan, and cover. Let it rise in a warm place for another 30 minutes, or until it doubles in bulk again.

Bake in the middle of oven for 40 minutes, or until top is golden.

Enjoy! 

audra36274's picture
audra36274

The loaf he described was round, yellow inside and kind of sweet. So right now you probably know more than I do! I'll have to ask him about the corn meal addition. We eat a lot of regular corn bread here in the south, so he should be able to let me know. I'll also try to get more details from him on the where (not just Jersey) I know he was also stationed in Rhode Island when my brother in law was born. Boy, it seems I don't know as much as I thought!

Paddyscake's picture
Paddyscake

Portuguese community in Rhode Island. That's where Emeril LaGasse is from.

ejm's picture
ejm

Excuse me for replying to this at such a late date but I have been looking for a recipe for Broa for some time. A couple of questions:

 

Is the cornmeal yellow or white?

Is the resulting bread quite dense and moist?

 

I don't suppose you have a photo of the  crust and the crumb? Many thanks!

 

-Elizabeth 

mse1152's picture
mse1152

I made the recipe in the Bread Baker's Apprentice once.  It calls for both lemon and orange extracts, and contains eggs.  It's a nice bread and makes good French toast.  If you don't have access to this book, try Google for 'Portuguese sweet bread recipe' and you'll be overwhelmed!

Sue

audra36274's picture
audra36274

Thanks Sue I will. I was just posting the Cook's Country magazines  recipe for Cinnamon Swirl Bread. It turned out very yummy! Check it out if you'd like, my little girl loved it. Well I'm gonna go check out your lead. Many thanks, and happy baking!

                                                                                  Audra

JERSK's picture
JERSK

    I've made broa a few times and it is both a little sweet and kind of yellow from the cornmeal. It's nothing like the cornbreads we have in this country and is more of a daily bread. I have a few Portugese friends in Mass. and that's what they eat. The Portugese sweet bread is a lot like Challah.

ejm's picture
ejm

Broa, the Portuguese cornbread that we get from the Brazilian bakery is not very sweet at all (although they may use some sugar in the dough) and has quite a white coloured crumb. The holes are very small and the bread is quite moist and a little heavy. The outside crust is quite dark gold and not particularly crisp (although it might be when it comes out of the oven)

 

This is not the one that is similar to challah. The bakery sells that as well. I'd ask them about their recipe but I do not speak Portuguese, nor do I know anyone who does.

 

I'm guessing that they use finely ground white cornmeal. Or perhaps they use corn flour?

 

-Elizabeth

bobm1's picture
bobm1

hi, audra. i just made the version found in the BBA last night. it produced two nice boules and was really good and really easy. i didn't have 9in pie pans but i did have 9in cake and they worked fine. i did have to let them proof a full 2 hrs before going in the oven but it was worth the wait. if you need a copy of the receipe i'll sent it.

cheers

audra36274's picture
audra36274

  it is a great book. Did you see the ones Mark Sinclair did in his videos? Those rascals were huge! Looked so soft and inviting. My F A L just loves them.

                                                          Audra