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Bolo do Caco

Bolo do Caco is a traditional Portuguese recipe (from Madeira) for a classic bread made from a yeasted blend of wheat flour and sweet potatoes. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Portuguese version of: Bolo do Caco.

prep time

40 minutes

cook time

40 minutes

Total Time:

80 minutes

Additional Time:

(+60 minutes proving)

Serves:

4

Rating: 4.5 star rating

Tags : Bread RecipesPortugal Recipes

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This is a traditional yeasted sweet potato bread from the island of Madeira, baked in a pan and usually served with garlic butter, local soft cheeses and olives. Typically it's made with white Portuguese sweet potato and not the usual orange kind. According to local folklore, these used to be cooked on basalt rocks in Madeira's lava fields.

Ingredients:

500g plain (all purpose) flour (not strong bread flour)
7g sachet Fast Action Yeast
200g sweet potatoes (about 2)
½ tsp salt
½ tsp freshly-ground black pepper
350ml warm water

Method:

Wash the sweet potatoes then cook either by baking in an oven for about 30-40 minutes or by microwaving for 8-10 minutes (timings depend on size of sweet potatoes). Once cooked until soft, cut them in half lengthways then scoop out the flesh and mash until smooth.

Combine the sweet potatoes with the other ingredients in a bowl then add just enough warm water to form a very soft, wet dough. Using one hand, bring all the ingredients together and mix thoroughly for 5-10 minutes or until dough becomes elastic.

Cover the dough loosely with clingfilm (plastic wrap) and set aside in a warm place to prove 30 minutes.

Divide the mixture into 4 equal portions. Oil your hands, so they don’t stick to the dough, shape into flattened rounds and set aside to prove for another 30 minutes, covered with a damp towel.

Melt a little butter in a small, high sided pan (or whatever kind of pan you have) and cook each round over a low heat for 8-10 minutes on each side until browned and cooked through.

Repeat process with the remaining breads, keeping the cooked Bola soft by covering with a clean tea towel on a cooling rack.