I'm 50% Portuguese.  Both of my maternal grandparents are from Portugal.

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Not too many Americans can say they are a full 50% of any nationality.  Most are a mix of this and that.  My Dad's side of the family, for example, is a bit of English, a splash of Scottish, a dose of French, and a sprinkling of who-knows-what-else.

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Growing up, this Portuguese thing really bothered me.  Seen the movie <strong><em><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0259446/" target="_blank">My Big Fat Greek Wedding</a></em></strong>?  My Portuguese family is not too far off from the family in the movie.

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You can imagine how this embarrassed an awkward and self-conscious teenager to no end.

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As an adult, I consider my Portuguese heritage to be pretty groovy.  Vive le difference!

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<span style="font-size: medium; color: #800080;"><strong><del>Most </del>All of the traditions in my Portuguese family have to do with food.  I've said it before, and I'll say it again:  The Portuguese rival the Italians with their food obsession.</strong></span>

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This time of year, the food obsession is Portuguese Easter Bread.

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As a child, I have fond memories of both my Nana and my mother baking the bread in time for Easter morning.

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<span style="color: #800080;"><strong>Nana memory:</strong></span> We were out at the beach house during an unseasonal "heat wave".  (April in New York?  I'm wondering if it was 80?  That would classify as a "cool front" in Arizona.)  Anywho, Nana stepped away from the kitchen, and I, of course, ate some of the dough.  When Nana came back to the kitchen, she explained to me how yeast causes the bread to rise while doing her best Julia Child impression.  (She's always had a flair for the dramatic.)

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All I could think about for the rest of the afternoon was how my stomach would eventually explode from the yeast.  I eventually confessed my misdeed to Nana a few hours later when I could bear the terror no longer.

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Nana wiped away my tears and assured me that my stomach would remain in tact.

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<span style="color: #800080;"><strong>Mom memory: </strong><span style="color: #000000;">My mother tends to go overboard at Christmas and Easter.  At Easter, this translates to a reenaction of the Miracle of the Loaves. </span></span>

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<span style="color: #800080;"><span style="color: #000000;">Our family Portuguese Easter Bread recipe already feeds a few families.  But why bake for only a few families when you can feed the entire neighborhood?</span></span>

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<span style="color: #800080;"><span style="color: #000000;">Back in the day, my mother would double or triple the recipe.  I remember bags and bags of flour and dough EVERYWHERE!  Then, after a day of baking, my mother would drive all over the neighborhood delivering loaves to Texans who never knew that Portuguese Easter Bread existed until we moved to Houston.</span></span>

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Enough already with trip down Memory Lane.  Let's cut to the good stuff!

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<span style="font-size: large; color: #800080;"><strong>Authentic Portuguese Easter Bread Recipe</strong></span>

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Please note that I am transferring this from a recipe card passed down by my mother.  This is not allrecipes.com, peeps.  There will be confusion.  (I had to call my mother 3 times during this process.)  Please feel free to ask questions in the comment section, and I will be happy to clarify.

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2 cups sugar

8 eggs

1 tablespoon salt

3 envelopes dry yeast dissolved in 1 cup warm water

5 lbs. flour (4 c. = 1 pound)

1/2 lb. butter

HUGE bowl to mix ingredients

<img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-5299" title="OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA" src="http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/P4220001-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" />

Beat eggs.  Add sugar, salt &amp; yeast mixture.  Heat milk to scald.  Add broken pieces of butter and let cool to lukewarm.  Add to mixture and stir well.  Stir flour in with wooden spoon while you can, then use hands.

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<a href="http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/P4220002.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-5300" title="OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA" src="http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/P4220002-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a>

Knead well.

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<span style="font-size: medium;"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-5301" title="OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA" src="http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/P4220003-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></span>

(Grease bowl that it will rise in.)  Set to rise till double.  Knead again.

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<img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-5302" title="OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA" src="http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/P4220004-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" />

Let rise till double.  Shape in place in greased pans.  Set aside and let rise till double.

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<img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-5303" title="OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA" src="http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/P4220005-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" />

Bake in 350 degree oven for ¾ hour or till golden brown.

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<span style="color: #800080; font-size: medium;"><strong>Additions/Subtractions for my version:</strong></span>

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<ul>
	<li>I used the Trader Joe's White Whole Wheat Flour.  Thus, the darker dough.  It still rose, just not as much as white flour.  Please note, however, that loaves with white flour will not rise too much higher than the bottom photo.</li>
	<li>Unlike my mother, I decided to cut the recipe in half.  The recipe listed above is for the full recipe which yields 8 rounded loaves.</li>
	<li>Mine are a little too "golden brown".  <strong><a href="http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/03/15/day-168-its-more-than-complicated/" target="_blank">This seems to be a habit of mine.</a></strong> Check yours early and take them out sooner than I did.</li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: medium; color: #800080;"><strong>Happy Baking and Happy Easter! </strong></span>

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