The Pão de Deus is a sweet or pastry product, whatever you want to call it, very popular in Portugal. It is a brioche on which a grated coconut coating is placed, which makes it very tasty.
The Pão de Deus is consumed in Portugal especially for breakfast and is also linked to the Pão por Deus, a deeply rooted tradition that resembles the "trick or treat" of Halloween. , but quite earlier (it is more or less documented since at least the 18th century).
As in the North American tradition, children go around the houses during the celebration of All Saints (November 1) asking for sweets, carrying a cloth bag reminiscent of the bread bags. The more successful the child, the fuller the bag goes. In exchange, the children recite some poetry or formal phrases.
It seems that the custom began in 1755. Precisely that year, on November 1, a terrible earthquake accompanied by a devastating tsunami destroyed much of Lisbon (as well as the coast of Cadiz and many other places as far away as Algiers). The coincidence with the feast of All Saints was tragic, since many people had candles lit in their homes in memory of the dead. The tremor and the gigantic waves that devastated the docks and the center, apart from going up the Tagus River, caused many of these sails to fall, causing a terrifying fire that ended up destroying what little was left standing. In fact, most of the Lisbon we all know is no older than the fateful 1755, according to the reconstruction led by the Marquis of Pombal.
Although the earthquake was a tremendous catastrophe, something good came out of it. Thanks to Pombal's action, the first earthquake-resistant buildings were built and the study of the phenomenon began, that is, seismology, largely thanks to a survey that the Marquis sent to all the parishes asking questions as important as the duration of it and the effects it had on people and belongings.
Many people were affected and from that moment on, the custom of placing bread at the entrance of the house in memory of the disappeared began, replacing the candles, but also so that the most needy could feed themselves. From that simple and humble bread the Pão de Deus emerged.
INGREDIENTS
- 600 grams (1.3 lbs) wheat flour
- 250 ml (1 cup and a half) of milk
- 100 grams (3.5 oz) of sugar
- 2 eggs
- 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
- 1 envelope dry baker's yeast (about 20 grams)
- 1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
For the topping cream:
- 100 grams (3.5 oz) of grated coconut
- 100 grams (3.5 oz) of sugar
- 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
- 2 eggs + 1 yolk to brown
- 1/4 cup of water
- Icing sugar (impalpable), to sprinkle on top.
First we are going to prepare the dough.
Heat the milk so that it is lukewarm (a few seconds in the microwave will suffice), adding the baker's yeast and the butter. Let stand at least 15 minutes.
Place the dry ingredients (flour and sugar) in a large bowl and mix well. Reserve at least 100 grams of flour (3.5 oz) for later use. We make a volcano and in the center we pour the beaten eggs, the vanilla essence and the milk with the yeast.
Knead well and when the dough is homogeneous, place it on a flat floured surface. Add flour so that it comes off the fingers.
When the dough is no longer sticky, let it rest again until it increases in size (an hour will be more than enough).
Once it has risen, we separate a dozen balls of the same size and flatten them to be able to place the cream on them and not spill.
To make the cream we simply mix the grated coconut, the sugar, the softened butter, and the two beaten eggs. If you see that it is very thick, add the water, and if not, do not use it.
With the yolk we paint the masses and in the hole at the top we pour a little of the cream. Place them on a tray that can go in the oven on baking paper.
Preheat the oven to 190 degrees (375 F) and let them cook for about 20 minutes or until they are visibly golden and when you stick a toothpick in, it comes out completely dry.
Once removed from the oven let cool and sprinkle with icing sugar.
A really delicious sweet that makes you forget its tragic birth as soon as you take the first bite.