Azorean Massa Sovada

A massa sovada dos Açores is a typical regional sweet bread from the Azores, and a characteristic feature of the Holy Spirit Festivals. The recipe varies from island to island, but the basic ingredients and the final result are quite similar.

It is also known as the Holy Spirit Festival Cake. This sweet bread also accompanies the unique and magnificent Alcatra da Terceira.

Where to buy Massa Sovada

You can easily find Massa Sovada all year round in supermarkets and commercial stores. It can also be found online for an average price of €4.50 (online shop)

Ingredients

Starter

• 1 sweet potato;
• 1 egg;
• 1 tablespoon of sugar
• 20g baker’s yeast
• 125g flour;

Dough

• 2kg all-purpose flour;
• 250g sugar;
• 10 eggs
• 400g butter;
• 500ml milk;
• 1 teaspoon of lemon zest;
• Salt to taste;

Kneading the dough is the essential step in this recipe, as stretching the dough helps develop the gluten, which gives it texture and helps distribute the gases produced by the yeast.

Preparation

The day before

You should prepare the starter the day before. Boil the sweet potato with its skin on, then peel and mash it into a purée. To the purée, add a beaten egg, sugar, and the baker’s yeast dissolved in warm water.

Add the flour to obtain a medium consistency. Cover and let it rise overnight.

Making the massa sovada

The next day, in the morning, sift the flour and sugar together into a bowl. Make a well in the middle and place the eggs in the centre. Beat the eggs and begin to mix them with the flour.

Melt the butter (do not let it boil) and add it. Finally, add the starter dough made the day before. You should knead the dough very well until it forms bubbles and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. After kneading, cover the bowl and keep it in a warm place, letting it rise for about 10 minutes. After this time, you should knead the dough for about 30 minutes. Cover it again and knead it once more before taking the dough out.

Tip: Prepare in the morning and bake in the late afternoon

Baking the massa sovada

Now that it’s time to put the dough in the oven, take small pieces of dough (of your desired size), stretch them out, and fold them. Place them on a flour-dusted towel and let them rise a little. Before placing them in the oven, brush them with beaten egg.

Then, bake them in a hot oven (180ºC).

Step-by-step video recipe

As usual, Leonor Santos from the YouTube Channel Sabores dos Açores shares her Massa Sovada recipe with us:

Recipe version for just 1 large loaf