Pão Doce

Portuguese sweet bread refers to an enriched sweet bread or yeasted cake originating from Portugal. Historically, these sweet breads were generally reserved for festive occasions such as Easter or Pentecost and were typically given as gifts. However, in contemporary times, many varieties are made and consumed year round. Outside of Portugal, Portuguese "sweet bread" translated as "" is often associated with Azorean "" which are similar but traditionally prepared differently.

History

The is of Spanish origin derived from a Renaissance era sponge cake known as . In French cuisine, it would later be known as , after the city of Genoa, and in Italy (). The Portuguese would further develop this cake into what is now known today as .

Many traditional Portuguese sweet breads are defined by the associated region or by the convents, artisan bakers or religious confraternities (similar to a guild) that historically made them. Since many have deep historical and cultural significance to the area which they originate from, these breads are as well as other foods and ingredients are inventoried by the Portuguese governmental office ''Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development'' (DGARD), which collaborates with a collective of independent confraternities known as the ''Portuguese Federation of Gastronomic Confraternities'' (FPCG) throughout Portugal.

There are currently ninety-three confraternities that specializes in various gastronomies varying from specific dishes or ingredients to a particular region of Portugal. As an example, the was given the responsibility of defining from Vagos, while the similar from the same region is defined by the "Directorate-General for Regional Development" (DGRD), while from the Azores is defined by the .

Variations

* ( wikt:arrufada) originates from Coimbra which were once made by nuns of the Santa Clara convent. Historically, this bread was enriched with surplus egg yolks left over from wine clarification. The bread is also enriched with milk, butter, sugar and sometimes cinnamon. The nuns would later incorporate coconut as an exotic ingredient brought back from Asia during Portuguese exploration. It is also known as or . It was typically given to the poor on All Saints Day, typically by children as a tradition called ().

* () is an artisanal yeast cake from Miranda do Douro similar to . It is enriched with eggs, butter and olive oil, and flavored with cinnamon. The dough is rolled out into a thin sheet and sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon. Unlike a cinnamon roll, it is layered like a cake with 6 to 7 layers before being baked.

* is an artisanal yeast cake from Figueira da Foz created by the baker Leonor das Alhadas. It is enriched with sugar, eggs, lemon, butter, and cinnamon.

* is a mildly sweet artisanal yeast cake enriched with eggs, butter, and scented with lemon zest. Halfway through baking, the bread is scored with a knife creating small pointed ridges on the top.

* () is a large yeast cake from Algarve which incorporates margarine, lard, olive oil, eggs, walnuts (or almonds), lemon zest, cinnamon and fennel.

* () from Santa Maria da Feira. The loaf is braided and sprinkled with chopped almonds.

* are mildly sweet, yeasted cakes from Castro Daire. It contains eggs, olive oil, butter, lard, and cinnamon. The dough takes 3 to 4 hours to rise, giving the name "rotten cake".

* () is a sweet sourdough muffin found in the Azores. It resembles a large English muffin but is much sweeter and chewier. This bread incorporates milk, eggs, and butter. Some recipes include lemon zest or cinnamon. This bread was traditionally grilled on a stone tile with a wood fire beneath it.

* from the Azores is a yeasted cake using barley, lard, and butter prepared for , a festival celebrating Pentecost. It is traditionally stamped with a symbols of the Cult of the Holy Ghost six times before baking, leaving dimples on the loaves after baking. Regular wheat flour can be used when barley flour is not available.

* () is a yeasted cake typically served on the Feast of the Three Kings, otherwise known as Epiphany. It is a ring-shaped bread that is mixed with candied fruits resembling gemstones on a golden crown, the nuts for myrrh, while the sweet aroma of cinnamon or port mimic the scent of frankincense, representing the gifts of the Three Magi to the baby Jesus. The recipe was imported to Portugal around 1869 by the French, known as . Like its French counterpart, charms are customarily incorporated into the dough as prizes for the finder, while a dried fava bean representing the baby Jesus, signified the person who would pay for the next cake. A () is a modern, alternative yeasted cake that omits the candied fruits. Rather, it is filled generously with nuts such as pine nuts, hazelnuts, walnuts, or almonds, and sometimes raisins. Other modern versions include chocolate and walnuts.

* from Vagos is a yeasted , a bread that include cornmeal in addition to wheat flour. This bread is enriched with eggs, brown sugar, flavored with cinnamon and lemon peel.

* () from the Central Region is a sweet bread that resembles a large cookie. It is simply made with just flour, eggs, sugar, salt and yeast.

* is from Santa Maria da Feira