Pão de Deus (Portuguese Coconut-Topped Sweet Buns)

Pão de Deus translates to ‘bread of God,’ which is a lot of pressure to put on a breakfast roll, but honestly, once you’ve 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, and they were one of the first things I learned to bake alongside my mother.

Unlike my 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 white mixture called ovos de neve, essentially a coconut meringue that bakes into a crackly, golden crust over pillowy dough. They’re eaten plain with coffee, or split and filled with ham and cheese for a savory-sweet breakfast sandwich, which is how my husband likes his.

Sofia has become genuinely good at spreading the coconut topping evenly, a skill she takes very seriously as my baking apprentice, and these rolls freeze beautifully once baked, so I usually make a double batch. If you love these, you’ll probably also love my bolos lêvedos (recipe on the site), the griddle-cooked muffins from my Azorean grandmother’s side of the family, though texturally they’re a completely different animal.

Pão de Deus Recipe

Prep time: 30 minutes (plus 2 hours rising) · Cook time: 18 minutes · Total: about 2 hours 48 minutes · Servings: 12 rolls · Calories: ~260 per serving

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

1. 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.
2. Transfer to a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm spot for about 1 1/2 hours, until doubled in size.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.

Recipe Notes

• Sweetened shredded coconut (the kind sold for baking, not unsweetened flaked coconut) gives the closest texture and flavor to what you’d get in Portugal.
• If the coconut topping browns too quickly before the rolls finish baking, tent loosely with foil for the last few minutes.
• These freeze well for up to 2 months; thaw at room temperature and warm briefly in a low oven to refresh the topping.
• For the savory version my husband loves, split a cooled roll and fill with thinly sliced ham and a slice of mild cheese, then warm briefly in a skillet or panini press.