Oak Bluffs Massa Sovada

Portuguese sweet bread was a traditional treat in my mother-in-law’s family for generations. Nowadays, you find it in ordinary grocery stores, but not yummy as this version. Thickly sliced, toasted, then spread with real butter is a little bit of heaven. Mace, which is the outer covering of a nutmeg, is the ingredient that gives it a distinctive taste. It is also the dominant spice in old-fashioned plain doughnuts.

• Ready In: 10 hrs
• Serves: 12
• Yields: 2 pans

Ingredients

• 1  cup sugar
• 1⁄2 cup butter
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons salt
• 1  cup milk (heated)
• 1 (1/4ounce) envelope active dry yeast
• 1⁄4 cup hot water
• 4  large eggs
• 1⁄2 teaspoon  lemon extract
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground mace
• 5 -5 1⁄2 cups flour
• 2  tablespoons butter, melted

Directions

1. Dissolve butter, sugar, and salt in 1 cup hot milk. Cool to luke-warm. Combine with dissolved yeast.
2. Add 5 cups of the flour. Cover and set aside this sponge overnight.
3. In the morning, cut down. Shape into two round loaves.
4. Grease 8" cake pans and place loaves into them, Let rise another hour.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour. Cool 5 minutes, then turn out on a rack, brush with melted butter and cover with a towel while cooling.