Dorrie Medeiros Kimkaran

The Portuguese make this bread only at Easter (I do any time I want…LOL) and always give a loaf to friends. Makes excellent toast. Recipe makes 4 large loaves but can be cut in half to make 2 loaves.

• 3 yeast cakes
• 1 cup lukewarm water
• 12 cups flour
• 1 T salt
• 3 C sugar
• 12 eggs, well beaten
• 1 pint lukewarm milk
• 1/2 lb butter, melted

Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water and set aside. Sift the flour and salt together into a large pan. Mix the sugar and eggs with the lukewarm milk. Add the mix to the flour. Sir in the yeast. Knead until dough has the consistency of bread dough. Now, add the melted butter, kneading a little more, and adding more flour as necessary. Cover and let rise until doubled. Divide dough into round, slightly flattened loaves, roll the loaves in flour and place in buttered pie pans. On top of each loaf, if desired, press into dough a raw egg in its shell. Place 1 or 2 strips of dough over the egg and let loaves rise again until doubled. Bake in a 350° oven until golden brown and done, about 45 minutes.