Hi hello happy Sunday! This weekend has been pretty much devoted to changing our spare bedroom into an office that I'll be somewhat seriously referring to as "Probably This Headquarters" from now on. I'm thinking I'll also need a (definitely unpaid) intern to be the receptionist and I'll probably start wearing suits and a bluetooth headset. Just to make it feel official.

While we weren't busy setting up the roots of our soon-to-be world empire, we made muffins! Portuguese breakfast muffins! And stuffed them with all the good things! Like mozzarella, and tomato, and basil, and a fried egg. It's been a good weekend.

If you're not familiar with Portuguese muffins, join the club because until my friend Charlie told me they were a thing, ya girl had no idea. The low down on these cuties is that they're basically just big, slightly more dense and definitely more sweet, English muffins. Their level of sweetness puts them right in that golden spot for being both sweet and savory at the same damn time, making them great for a breakfast sandwich. But also I wouldn't think twice about piling fresh whipped cream and strawberries on top of it and going to town, to steal a line from my and Matt's first date.

Ok, but one more secret about these guys: they're a little bit of a bitch to make if you aren't careful! Like, they actually are super easy, but you've just got to keep your eye on them! The dough is a good deal more sticky than I'm used to working with meaning you need to have lots of flour nearby. They fry in a pan instead of baking in an oven which is just trippy and can easily lead you to burning the outsides if you're not careful, and they're so damn good you might accidentally fall into a bread-slumber before you actually finishing making them. Just things to look out for! Ok, you can find the recipe below and if you haven't signed up for our newsletter full of recipes and weekly web favorites, we can't blame you because we probably wouldn't have either. But here's a gentle reminder anyway.

Portuguese Muffin Breakfast Sandwiches

Prep 30 minutes // Inactive cook time 30 mins // Cook time 30 minutes // Makes 9 - 12

Muffins

3 lbs (~10 cups) Bob's Red Mill Unbleached White All-Purpose Flour + 1 1/2 tablespoons
2 cups granulated sugar + 1/4 teaspoon
1/2 tablespoon salt
3 eggs
1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 1/2 cups whole milk, microwaved to lukewarm temperature
1 1/2 tablespoon active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water (just a touch over lukewarm, not scalding!)

Filling

2 - 3 tomatoes, sliced
8 oz fresh mozzarella, sliced
9 - 12 fried eggs
Salt and pepper to taste

In a small bowl, whisk together the yeast, 1 1/2 tablespoons flour, 1/4 teaspoon sugar, and warm water. Let sit for ten minutes. It should begin to bubble. (Here's a great guide to knowing your yeast!)
While the yeast is doing it's thing, beat the sugar, salt, and eggs in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, for about two minutes until it's slightly fluffy and pale in color. Beat in the milk and melted butter until combined. Mix in the yeast mixture.
Change out the paddle attachment for the dough hook attachment and with the mixer on the lowest speed, add in the flour 1/2 cup at a time, scraping down the bowl as necessary. This recipe will fill a standard Kitchen Aid mixer to the maximum, but don't fret, if you keep the speed low enough all of your goodies will stay in the mixing bowl!
Grease a large bowl with oil and flour your hands super well (like I said, this dough is kind of a bitch to deal with) before transferring the dough from the bowl of your mixer to the greased bowl. Cover in plastic wrap and let rise for about 40 minutes. It should be slightly puffy once it's risen.
When your dough has had adequate time to rise, generously flour a work surface. Use your hands to pull off chunks of the dough and form them into a ball about the size of a medium meat ball, kneading slightly in your hands to create a smooth surface. If you wanna be real specific and don't like to eyeball things, use a kitchen scale to ensure each ball is about the same size. Roll each ball in the flour and set aside to rise for 30 minutes.
In a cast iron skillet, bring a tiny bit of olive oil to medium-low heat. Smash the balls of dough into a disk (resulting in what looks like a hamburger patty)* before placing them into the skillet. Let them cook for about 7 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Set aside.
Assemble your sandwiches by cutting the muffins laterally in half and placing a couple slices of tomato, fresh mozzarella, and an egg between each layer along with a little salt and pepper. Enjoy!

Notes

I'd recommend using two or more cast iron skillets to do these all at the same time, because otherwise you're gonna be standing over the stove for A WHILE. We used a combo of cast iron skillets and a dutch oven to do them all at once.
If you'd like, dust each muffin with corn meal before baking to give an added texture and flavor.
You're going to want to smash the dough balls pretty thin before cooking them. They'll rise a little as they cook, but if you leave them too thick the insides will not cook all the way before the outsides begin to char. You're looking to have them about 3/4" thick for optimal cooking.
Original recipe for these guys come from these ladies who are doing the damn thing and highlighting Portuguese cuisine like nobody's business.

Thanks so much to Bob's Red Mill for sponsoring this post! As always, all opinions are our own.

Hungry for more breakfast? Us too.

Portuguese Breakfast Muffins