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Massa sovada
Massa sovada: the Azores' rich, lemony Easter and Holy Spirit sweet bread
Sovar means to knead hard, and Azorean women once kneaded this rich bread dough for an hour by hand before Easter and the Holy Spirit feasts of early summer, when loaves are blessed and shared with the whole parish. The crumb is soft, golden and feathery, with a tight, dark shiny crust. Slices are eaten plain with coffee, toasted with butter, or used to soak up the juices of alcatra on Terceira. A common mistake is baking before the loaf has doubled, which gives a dense, cakey crumb. Chef's tip: give it a slow, full rise, which is what gives the bread its fine, cotton-soft crumb.
- Total time
- 80 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 16
Ingredients
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Stir ⅓ oz fast-action dried yeast into 1 cup whole milk. Mix 1 ⅔ lb strong white bread flour, 7 oz sugar, 1 tsp salt and 1 tbsp lemon zest in a large bowl.
Step 2: Add the milk and 4 eggs and mix into a soft dough, then knead for 10 minutes, by hand or with a dough hook.
Step 3: Add 3 ½ oz butter a little at a time, kneading each piece in before adding the next, then keep kneading for another 10 minutes until the dough is silky and stretches into a thin, see-through sheet without tearing.
20 minStep 4: Cover and leave in a warm place for 2–3 hours, until at least doubled. Don't rush it: a short rise gives a heavy, cakey loaf.
150 minStep 5: Knock back the dough, divide it in two and shape each into a smooth round ball, tucking the edges underneath. Place each in a greased 20 cm round cake tin or on a lined tray.
Step 6: Cover and leave for about 1 hour, until doubled again and a fingertip pressed into the side leaves a dent that springs back slowly. Heat the oven to 350°F (300°F fan).
60 minStep 7: Brush the loaves with 1 egg and bake for 35–40 minutes, until deep mahogany brown and the bases sound hollow when tapped. If you have a thermometer, the centre should read about 194°F. Cover with foil if the tops darken too quickly.
40 minStep 8: Cool on a rack for at least an hour before slicing. Wrapped, it keeps for 3 days.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 48 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does massa sovada take?
- About 80 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 16 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of whole milk?
- Semi-skimmed milk with 1 tbsp cream per 240ml (1 cup).
- What can I use instead of fast-action dried yeast?
- Fresh yeast, three times the weight.
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