Malasadas, A Third Way

Not fried like doughnuts, but baked as a bread:

For the dough:
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup lukewarm water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
3 eggs, room temperature and beaten
2 T butter, melted
4 1/4 cups bread flour or all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons instant active-dry yeast

Topping:
2 T melted butter
2 T granulated sugar

Place evaporated milk, water, salt, sugar, eggs, butter, flour, and yeast in the pan of the bread machine. Select dough setting and press start. Check the dough; it should form a nice elastic ball. If the dough is too moist, add additional flour, a tablespoon at a time. If the dough is too dry, crumbly, add warm water a tablespoon at a time.

When dough cycle has finished, remove dough from pan and turn out onto a lightly oiled surface.

Form dough into an oval, place in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until doubled in size. Turn dough over (but do not punch down), cover, and let rise again 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until doubled in size again.

Place dough on a lightly oiled surface and form dough into two loaves. Cover and place in a warm spot to rise, approximately 20 minutes, until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Bake for 20 minutes or until nicely browned. Use an instant digital thermometer to test the bread (temperature should be between 200 and 210 degrees). Remove from oven and place bread on a wire rack. Brush top of bread with melted butter; sprinkle with sugar. Let cool.

Makes 2 loaves.