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Pão de Deus
Pão de Deus: soft sweet buns crowned with a golden, crackly coconut topping
Lisbon bakeries pile these 'God's bread' buns in their windows every morning, and regulars split them and spread them with butter, or tuck in a slice of cheese, for breakfast with a galão. The dough is soft and milky like brioche, and the top is a sweet blanket of grated coconut, egg and sugar that bakes crisp and golden. A common mistake is spreading the coconut too thin: pile it on thickly so it stays moist underneath and toasty on top. Chef's tip: let the shaped buns rise fully before topping them, or the heavy coconut layer squashes them flat.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
For the dough
For the coconut topping
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Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Mix 1 ⅛ lb strong white bread flour, ¼ oz fast-action dried yeast, 2 ½ oz caster sugar and 1 tsp salt. Add 1 cup whole milk, 2 eggs and 1 tsp lemon zest and bring together into a soft, sticky dough.
5 minStep 2: Knead for 8–10 minutes, then work in 2 ½ oz unsalted butter until the dough is smooth, shiny and springy.
12 minStep 3: Cover and leave to rise in a warm place for about 1½ hours, until doubled.
90 minStep 4: Knock back and divide into 10 equal pieces. Roll each into a tight ball and set them 5 cm apart on lined trays.
Step 5: Cover and prove for 45–60 minutes until puffy and almost doubled. Heat the oven to 375°F (350°F fan).
50 minStep 6: Meanwhile mix 4 oz desiccated coconut, 3 ½ oz caster sugar and 2 eggs into a thick, damp paste that clumps when squeezed.
Step 7: Brush the buns gently with 1 egg yolk, then press a thick mound of coconut topping onto each, covering the whole top.
Step 8: Bake for 15–20 minutes until the buns are risen and the topping is golden brown at the edges; the bases should sound hollow when tapped.
20 minStep 9: Cool on a rack and dust with 1 tbsp icing sugar if you like. Best eaten the day they are baked.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 390 kcal
- Protein
- 9 g
- Carbs
- 56 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pão de Deus take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of strong white bread flour?
- Plain flour, same amount (the dough will be softer and rise a little less).
- What can I use instead of fast-action dried yeast?
- Fresh yeast, three times the weight.
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