Portuguese bread
Portuguese bread is a rustic white loaf made with water, baker's flour, dried instant yeast and sea salt. The Thermomix TM7 kneads the dough to the ideal consistency without effort, so you get a crusty exterior and airy crumb every time. Perfect as an accompaniment to soups, cheeses or simply with butter.
About this recipe
Portuguese bread Thermomix TM7 brings the rustic bakery of the Iberian coast straight into your kitchen with nothing more than water, baker's flour, dried instant yeast and sea salt. Searching for easy bread recipes with an all-in-one kitchen machine usually ends in complicated kneading schedules, but the TM7 takes over the heavy work. It combines the ingredients evenly, then kneads the dough to a silky, elastic consistency while you simply wait. The result is a loaf with a crackling golden crust and an open, tender crimb ideal for mopping up soup or pairing with grilled sardines the Portuguese way. Because the dough rests and proofs hands-free, this recipe suits a relaxed weekend breakfast as well as a make-ahead accompaniment for a weeknight dinner. Sea salt flakes on the crust give that characteristic savoury crunch. Even inexperienced bakers get consistent, bakery-style results, since the machine handles mixing and kneading with the precision no hand mixer can match.
Preparation tips
- Use lukewarm rather than hot water for the dough, as too much heat can harm the dried instant yeast and prevent the Portuguese bread from rising into an airy crumb.
- Let the shaped loaf proof on a floured tray until visibly puffed before baking; a generous pinch of extra sea salt flakes on top creates the characteristic crunchy Portuguese crust.
- Leftover Portuguese bread keeps well for two days in a paper bag; slice and toast it for breakfast or rub it with garlic and olive oil for a quick bruschetta-style snack.
Recipe variations
- Wholemeal version: replace half of the baker's flour with wholemeal flour and add a splash more water, giving the Portuguese bread a nuttier flavour and denser crumb.
- Festive variant: fold roasted chestnuts or raisins soaked in port into the dough before the final proof for a seasonal Portuguese loaf that pairs beautifully with cheese boards at Christmas.
Thermomix TM7 Benefits
- Directly in the bowl, the TM7 weighs the baker's flour to the gram for a dough with reliable consistency every bake. [Built-in Scale]
- Sea salt crystals are ground by the Thermomix into a fine, even powder that distributes through the dough without salty pockets. [Multi-Function]
- Thanks to kneading power, the TM7 develops the baker's flour into an elastic dough, saving your wrists from minutes of manual work. [Time Savings]
- Precise temperature control warms the water to activate the instant yeast gently, guaranteeing a well-risen Portuguese loaf. [Precision Control]
- The Thermomix combines water, flour and yeast at consistent speed into a uniform dough before the kneading stage begins. [Multi-Function]
Ingredients
- water
- baker's flour
- dried instant yeast
- sea salt