Bolo de caco came as a surprise to me on my first visit to Madeira.
With a name that translates to “shard cake,” I didn’t have high expectations for it… but when a basket of fresh, warm, garlic-butter-slathered bread rolls is placed in front of you, your senses take over the part of your brain that questions things.
Bolo de caco is Madeira’s traditional bread that’s served as an appetizer at restaurants across the island.
It’s usually served with garlic butter, although you can also have it with meat and vegetables inside (in which case it becomes known as prego em bolo de caco).
Because the bread itself is so hearty and delicious, it almost doesn’t need dressing up. Locals tell me that this is because of the secret ingredient: Madeira’s mineral-rich fresh water.
Bolo de caco alone is worth a trip to Madeira, but it’s also easy to make at home.
Here’s how you do it…
Ingredients
• 3 cups of plain flour
• 2 teaspoons fast-action yeast
• 2 large sweet potatoes
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• 1½ cups warm water
• 4 teaspoons of plain butter
• ½ cup of garlic butter
Method
1. Bake the sweet potatoes at 350°F (180°C) for about 40 minutes, until tender. Scoop out the flesh and mash until lump-free. You should have 1½ cups of sweet potato mash. Set this aside.
2. Combine the flour, fast-action yeast, and salt in a bowl. Add the warm water and sweet potato mash and stir. Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead for 5–10 minutes, until the dough becomes elastic.
3. Cover the dough lightly with plastic wrap and allow it to rest in a warm place for 30 minutes.
4. Divide the dough into four equal portions and shape them into flat rounds. Allow them to rest again for another 30 minutes, covered with a damp cloth.
5. Heat a pan to medium-low, melt a teaspoon of butter, and add your first dough round. Cook for 8–10 minutes on each side, until browned. Repeat this process with the remaining rounds.
6. Slice each round in half and generously apply garlic butter. Serve warm as an appetizer for any meal.
Sincerely,
Sophia Titley
Editor, Overseas Property Alert
