Provincetown Portuguese Cookbook

Bread

Pão

Mamie's Portuguese Bread | Portuguese Sweet Bread | Fried Portuguese Bread | Portuguese Sweet Toast à la Red Inn | Bean Pot Bread

Pão Portugues de Maria

Mary Alice Cook

8 cups unbleached flour

1 scant tablespoon salt

2 packets dry yeast

1 tablespoon sugar

3/4 cup warm water for dissolving yeast

1 level tablespoon vegetable shortening

Warm water to mix the dough as needed

Sift the salt and flour together. Put yeast, sugar and 3/4 cup warm water in a small bowl and stir to dissolve the yeast. Set aside.

Add shortening to the flour and mix well. Add the yeast mixture to the flour. Add warm water sparingly and slowly, kneading the dough thoroughly until it becomes elastic. Cover the dough and let it rise in a greased bowl for 1-1/2 hours. The dough should double in size.

Form three oval loaves, set them in greased pans and let them rise again. Bake the loaves in a 400° oven for 50 minutes or until golden brown.

Portuguese bread should be eaten when it is fresh as it has a tendency to dry out.

Makes 3 loaves.

*Reprinted from "Traditional Portuguese Recipes from Provincetown," by Mary Alice Cook. Published by Shank Painter Publishing, Provincetown.