Madeira Breads: Bolo do Caco and beyond
Many years ago, a geography teacher taught me that every culture has three staples: a fermented drink, a cereal, and a sweetener. In Madeira, those staples are wine, wheat, and sugar cane, but there’s an important caveat. The island often had to rely on imports to meet the wheat demand, which meant Madeirans had to be creative with their breads – which is why Madeiran regional breads deserve a blog post of their own.
But first, bolo do caco
Bolo do caco is the Madeira bread. In fact, it’s so intertwined with Madeiran identity that most people don’t even realise it is originally from Porto Santo, Madeira’s smaller sister island that locals tend to think of as their Summer retreat.
Traditional bolo do caco was made with wheat flour, sweet potato, yeast, salt, and water. After the dough fermented for 2 to 3 hours, the dough was divided into small, flat disks, which were cooked on flat basalt slabs.
Since the Portuguese mainland doesn’t have any flatbread recipes, both Bolo do Caco and Bolo Lêvedo (the Azorean equivalent, but with cheese) are believed to be of North African or Canarian origin. In any case, the bolo do caco solved two problems.
First, the addition of sweet potato – a staple for the poorer classes – made up for the lack of wheat. Second, since private ovens were forbidden, cooking on a very hot piece of basalt or shingle avoided the taxes associated with public ovens.
These days, it’s not uncommon to find bolo do caco made of purely wheat flour. But that just tastes like a flat, chewy dinner roll. The sweet potato lends it moisture and elasticity, turning it into the perfect vehicle for copious amounts of delicious herby, garlicky butter.
Where can you find bolo do caco?
There are bolo do caco stands all over the island. My favourite is Casinha do Bolo do Caco in Porto Santo, just by the beach (and yes, eating garlic bread at the beach may sound odd to you, but when in Madeira…), or the stand at the Santo da Serra market.
As a rule of thumb, the best bolo do caco is made by elderly ladies and gentlemen who look like they have been making it their whole lives – or maybe even invented the recipe. Go where all the signs are in Portuguese and you can’t go wrong.
Pão de Casa
Bolo do Caco at the farmer’s market in Funchal.
The thing about bolo do caco is that, unlike what guides may lead you to believe, Madeirans aren’t eating it every day. They mostly get them from stalls at local fairs and events (“arraiais”) – it’s certainly not what they’re having for breakfast.
To feel like a local, try some pão de casa (literally “home bread”) instead. It’s usually made on weekends and the dough also incorporates sweet potato, which gives it an irresistible, slightly golden colour. Plus, it keeps the breadcrumb moist for days.
Where can you find pão de casa?
In Funchal, you can find pão de casa at Sésamo bakeries (they have three locations) and sometimes at the farmer’s market on Fridays. Guto Brunch Experience and AKUA also have pão de casa on their menus.
Outside of Funchal, you can find pão de casa at most bakeries around Ribeira Brava, Ponta do Sol and Calheta. If you have a chance, you can stop by Flor do Caniço in Caniço, Flor do Vale in Ribeira Brava, Forno Artesanal in Canhas, or Bar dos Sócios in Camacha (only on weekends).
You can also find pão de casa at Pingo Doce and Continente supermarkets, but they carry “a washed down version that tastes like it was made from pumpkins instead of sweet potato”, as I once heard a fifteen year-old say.
Bolo de noiva
Now that we’ve covered bolo do caco and pão de casa, let’s move on to sweet breads. One bread I bet you haven’t heard about is bolo de noiva (literally, “bride’s cake”), which I can only describe as a sweet, deeply aromatic brioche-like bun.
This sweet bread was traditionally offered at weddings, both to the newlyweds and their guests. Recipes vary, but dough is always infused with cinnamon and anise, which give it an unmistakable aroma and an exotic flair.
Where can you find bolo de noiva?
Unfortunately, it’s not easy to find this anymore in Funchal. Occasionally you may be able to spot it at Continente, but it’s a gamble. Supermarkets in Ribeira Brava usually have it, and I have seen it at the Santo da Serra market as well. Forno Artesanal dos Canhas, that I mentioned before, also sticks with a hundred years-old recipe for their “sweet bread”.
Pão de castanha com mel
Now that we’re on to sweet breads, another of Madeira’s local breads is pão de castanha com mel, or chestnut bread with honey. The chestnuts give it a dense, rich texture, making it a fulfilling and perfect wintertime treat.
In Madeira, chestnuts are only grown in Curral das Freiras, a little inland village without direct sea access. You’ll be able to find this type of bread in bakeries around the area, but elsewhere it will be extremely hard to find. In Funchal, your best bet to try this regional delicacy is at the Christmas market on Arriaga street, where there’s usually a stall with products from Curral das Freiras.
Pão de chouriço
Finally, pão de chouriço. Pão com chouriço (I’ll translate it as “sausage bread”) is popular all around the country. However, Madeireans add their personal touch by preparing it with bolo do caco dough, turning it into a sausage-filled, block-shaped bread.
As with bolo do caco, this is mostly consumed at local, open-air festivals, warm and straight out of the hot plate. I don’t personally think this is an experience you need to have, and I struggle to understand why anyone would mess with the perfection that traditional, garlic butter-filled bolo do caco is. But if you’re a fan of sausages, go ahead.
Whether it’s bolo do caco at the beach or a bolo de noiva perfumed with anise, Madeira’s breads are as much about tradition as they are about taste. Try them and you won’t regret it, because…
That’s Madeira!