Pão de Deus translates to “bread of God,” which is a lot of pressure to put on a breakfast roll, but once you have had one warm from the oven with its sticky coconut topping just starting to caramelize, the name makes a little more sense. These are a fixture of Portuguese pastelarias, sitting right next to the pastéis de nata in the display case.
Unlike our regular Portuguese sweet bread (recipe on the site), which is a big enriched loaf meant for slicing, pão de deus are individual soft rolls topped with a thick, chewy coconut and egg mixture that bakes into a crackly, golden crust over pillowy dough. They are eaten plain with coffee, or split and filled with ham and cheese for a savory-sweet breakfast sandwich.
They freeze beautifully once baked, so a double batch makes sense. If you love these, try bolos lêvedos (recipe on the site), the griddle-cooked muffins from the Azores, though texturally they are a completely different animal.
Pão de Deus Recipe
Ingredients
- For the dough:
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup warm milk
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Zest of 1 lemon
- For the coconut topping:
- 2 large egg whites
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
- 1 egg yolk, beaten, for brushing the dough
Instructions
- In a stand mixer bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Add the warm milk, eggs, softened butter, vanilla, and lemon zest, and mix with the dough hook on low until combined, then knead on medium for 8 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Transfer to a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm spot for about 1 1/2 hours, until doubled in size.
- Punch down the dough and divide into 12 equal pieces, shaping each into a smooth ball. Arrange on parchment-lined baking sheets, spaced apart, cover loosely, and let rise for another 30 minutes.
- While the rolls rise, make the topping: whisk the egg whites with sugar until foamy and slightly thickened, then fold in the shredded coconut until evenly coated.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Brush each roll with beaten egg yolk, then spoon a generous mound of the coconut mixture on top of each, spreading it to cover most of the surface.
- Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, until the coconut topping is golden brown and the rolls are cooked through. Cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before serving.
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