Pao de Deus
Soft, sweet Portuguese bread rolls covered with a coconut topping, risen for 90 minutes and baked for 25 minutes.
Before You Start
Knead until smooth and elastic.
Spread the topping lightly.
Eat while fresh.
How to Make Pao de Deus
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Mix the flour, yeast, 80 g sugar, salt, lukewarm milk, 2 eggs, butter and zest and knead for 10 minutes. Leave to rise for 90 minutes.
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Divide into 10 balls and set on lined trays. Leave to rise for 30 minutes.
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Heat the oven to 180°C / 355°F. Mix the coconut, 100 g sugar, 2 eggs and milk into a thick paste.
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Spread a spoonful over each bun without pressing the dough down.
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Bake for 25 minutes until puffed and deep gold.
Why the Method Works
This is what to bake on All Saints' Day, the first of November, when it is traditional in Portugal to eat pão de Deus, God's bread. The name describes how soft the rolls are, and they are covered with a sweet coconut paste that browns in the oven.
The dough is an enriched bread dough with eggs, butter, milk and sugar. Knead it for 10 minutes until smooth, then let it rise for 90 minutes until doubled. Divide it into ten balls and let them rise again on a tray for 30 minutes. Make the topping while the buns rise: mix desiccated coconut, sugar, eggs and a splash of milk into a thick paste.
Spread a generous spoonful on each bun, being careful not to press the dough down. Bake at 180°C / 355°F for 25 minutes, until the buns are puffed and the coconut is a deep gold. Brush them with warm apricot jam if you want a glaze. They are best fresh from the oven, split and buttered, and are also good the next day toasted.
Storage and Reheating
Best the day they are made.
Serving Pao de Deus
- Butter
- Coffee
- Hot chocolate
Still Wondering?
How long does Pao de Deus take to make?
40 minutes of preparation and 25 minutes of cooking, plus 2 hours of Rising, so allow 3 hours 5 minutes from start to finish. The recipe serves 10.
The Numbers per Serving
Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. How the figures are worked out.
Your notes on this recipe
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Compiled by Turab
Checked by script for timings, diet labels and nutrition arithmetic. How the recipes are checked.
First published ; last changed .
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