Portuguese Honey Bread

Cooking Instructions

BAKING TINS

3 small (7"-x-3") baking tins, Teflon or buttered, lined with buttered wax paper

BY HAND OR MIXER

20 mins.

Note: The mixer flat beater can be used in the early stages of preparing the dough; later on, it will become so thick and dense that a wooden spoon and your hands will be a necessity.

In a large mixing or mixer bowl cream the butter, molasses, sugar, and honey until fluffy. Blend in the potato flakes, sherry, candied fruit, citron, walnuts, cloves, aniseed, cinnamon, pepper, and baking soda.

Stir in 3 cups flour, best done with a heavy spoon. Add the remaining 3 cups flour. You will now have a heavy, crumbly mixture with neither the elasticity of yeast dough nor the creaminess of the usual batter.

BY PROCESSOR

10 mins.

Attach the steel blade.

Use the processor to blend together all of the above ingredients, except the flour. Turn the batter from the work bowl into a mixing bowl and beat in the flour by hand with a wooden spoon. Otherwise the heavy mixture may stall the processor.

PREHEAT

Preheat the oven to 250.

SHAPING

10 mins.

Divide the mixture among the 3 tins. Press the dough into the corners and pat the tops smooth-the fingerprints will come out as the loaves rise in the oven. The dough will come to about 1/2" below the top of the pan.

BAKING 250

3 hours

Bake in the moderately low oven for 3 hours. The loaves will rise an inch or so, and longitudinal cracks will appear in the brown tops.

(If using a convection oven, bake at 250 but check after 2 hours to determine with a cake testing pin or metal skewer if the loaves are done.)

FINAL STEP

Cool in the tins on a wire rack for 10 minutes. With care, turn the loaves from the pan. Gently peel off the wax paper and discard. The loaves are fragile when warm and could be broken.

The bread may be sliced when warm, but after the loaves have cooled they are to be aged, wrapped tightly in foil for at least 5 days at room temperature. The loaves may be kept sealed in foil for months, and can be frozen indefinitely. Slice thinly to serve.

Wine Pairing(s)

Shannon Ridge Sauvignon Blanc

4 Bears Chardonnay Central Coast

Fernleaf Sauvignon Blanc

Picket Fence Chardonnay

Cambria 'Katherines' Chardonnay

Nickel & Nickel 'Searby' Chardonnay

Howell Mountain 'Black Sears' Zinfandel

Napa Girl Chardonnay

Stone Cap Chardonnay

Jewel Chardonnay