How to Make Bolo do Caco – A Typical and Traditional Bread from Madeira

Bolo do Caco is a traditional and regional bread from Madeira Island. Although it was originally created on the island of Porto Santo as a way to reuse leftover bread dough, it has since become one of Madeira’s most popular starters (and later a side dish) both on the island and beyond.

Bolo do Caco is round and flat. It can be enjoyed plain or, traditionally, with garlic butter and parsley.

Due to its popularity, it has also been adapted for use in other dishes, such as hamburgers, steaks, salads, and more.

The name “caco” comes from the way it was traditionally made: baked on a basalt stone (called “caco”) over hot coals.

Bolo do Caco Recipe

If you’ve already tried Bolo do Caco or are curious to know how to make it at home, check out the complete recipe below. Given its popularity, you can also find Bolo do Caco for sale in many bakeries or supermarkets in mainland Portugal and beyond.

The recipe below is by Filipa Gomes and makes 6 servings, traditionally served with garlic butter and parsley. There are variations of this recipe.

Ingredients

• 150g roasted sweet potato
• 150ml water
• 10g fresh baker’s yeast (or a sachet as an alternative)
• 1 tbsp white sugar
• 250g all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp fine salt
• Flour for dusting
• Garlic butter
• 4 tbsp salted butter
• 1 garlic clove
• Fresh cilantro to taste

Preparation

1. Start by roasting the sweet potato. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Wrap the sweet potatoes (with the skin on) in aluminum foil and place them on a baking tray. Bake for one hour.
2. In a bowl, add the yeast, warm water, and one tablespoon of sugar. Mix well.
3. Add the flour to the bowl where you’ll knead the dough, along with a teaspoon of fine salt and the dissolved yeast mixture from the previous step. Also, add the mashed roasted sweet potato.
4. Add the remaining warm water and knead everything for about 10 minutes. Let the dough rise until it has doubled in size.
5. After the dough has risen, place it on a floured surface and knead it again, shaping it into a log. Cut into portions and flatten into discs.
6. Let the discs rise again for about 15 minutes, then cook them on a hot skillet or cast iron pan.
7. Meanwhile, prepare the garlic butter to spread on the bread: mix 3 tablespoons of softened butter, 1 crushed garlic clove, and chopped cilantro.
8. The best part: Spread the garlic butter on the warm bread and enjoy! Bon appétit.

Recipe Video

You can watch the step-by-step video for this recipe here.

Bolo do Caco in the Bimby

There are various recipe adaptations, and below are two more tutorial videos, including how to make Bolo do Caco using a Bimby.