Portuguese Sweet Bread (Po Doce)

Tips: Leave butter and eggs out of fridge the night before so they'll be room temperature. Then proceed. Save a couple tablespoons of cream out of the can before scalding to mix with egg whites as a glaze later. Egg white of 6 large eggs = cup approximately. Before starting, turn oven on Warm for 5 minutes and then turn off (for rising). Put into very large bowl (dishpan): 1 lb. butter, cut up (must be room temperature) 3 cups sugar 1 T. salt Scald 2 cans cream and 1 can water (make sure it's not hot). Add to butter/sugar mixture and mix until all is melted. WORK FAST!

In large saucepan, melt butter - then add sugar, salt, milk, and water. About 115-120.

Then add: 1 dozen eggs -- 6 separated and 6 whole, keeping six whites out for glazing bread. The six yolks and six whole eggs should have been beaten very well with egg beater. The eggs must also be room temperature. Then add: 1) 3 pkg. dry yeast. Sprinkle over butter/milk/egg mixture, making sure the mixture is not over 115120 -- use candy thermometer. Stir until dissolved. 2) 5 lbs. Gold Medal All Purpose flour. Stir in Put flour in flour slowly, 1 cup at a time, mixing oven for a thoroughly. Then work with hands and more while to warm. flour, punching and kneading and folding edges into the center. Work until mixture does not stick to pan. DON'T ADD TOO MUCH FLOUR OR THE BREAD WILL BE TOUGH. (5-10 minutes) Pat a little four over top of dough and put in warm place to rise (about 3-4 hours until double in bulk). While bread is rising, grease 8 or 9 round pans (foil 8 x 1 5/16 is good size). When dough is ready, turn out onto floured sheet, then punch down. Cut with knife into 8 sections. Take hunks of dough and knead each one, folding over and punching down (pressing down) until it forms a unit. Arrange in pans:

Let rise about 1 to 1 hours. Brush mixture of egg whites and cream on top and bake at 300 for approximately 40 minutes.

General hints: 1. The Rubbermaid plastic dish pan is just the right size for this recipe. 2. Get everything ready ahead of time. Set out butter and eggs well ahead so they will be room temperature. Separate out the six whites and beat the eggs. Cut butter into the pan. 3. Be sure the room is free of drafts which will cool your mixture too fast to dissolve the yeast. The milk should be well scalded and quite hot. The butter/sugar/milk/egg mixture should be about 110-115 and not over 120 when adding yeast. WORK FAST TO KEEP MIXTURE FROM COOLING TOO MUCH.