Sourdough Bolo do Caco | Madeiran Tile Bread

This Sourdough Bolo do Caco, also known as Tile Bread, is a delightful twist on the traditional Madeiran bread. It is made with nutritious white sweet potatoes and incorporates a wholesome blend of rye flour and flax meal.

This bread is distinctive not only for its ingredients but also for its cooking method: it is traditionally baked on a flat basalt stone slab called a “caco,” which is where the name comes from.

Madeiran bread is typically served warm, and often as a side to meals or as a snack. It is frequently sliced open and buttered with garlic butter, sometimes including herbs like parsley. Bolo do caco is particularly popular as an accompaniment to espetadas (grilled meat skewers) and is a beloved part of Madeiran cuisine.

Bolo do Caco is the bread of the month for the Bread Baking Babes. Elizabeth, of blog from Our Kitchen, is the host kitchen this month. Elizabeth’s Bolo do Caco (Tile Bread) is based on recipes in SAVEUR Magazine No.74 (April 2004 Bolo do Caco, Karen’s Kitchen Stories’ Portuguese-Style Sweet Potato Rolls {Bolo do Caco}, and Cozinha Tradicional’s Bolo do Caco (Madeira). Links are provided in resources.

My naturally leavened version brings out a subtle tang that complements the inherent sweetness of the sweet potatoes.

What type of sweet potatoes should you use in this Madeiran Tile Bread?

White or yellow sweet potatoes, which represent the local varieties found in Madeira, are typically used to prepare traditional bolo do caco. These sweet potatoes differ from the orange-fleshed varieties found in other areas of the world.

The sweet potatoes contribute a subtle sweetness and a distinct texture to the bread, complementing its overall flavor profile.

I experimented with white-skinned sweet potatoes and purple-skinned sweet potatoes. I prefer the texture and flavor of the purple-skinned ones.

Roasting the sweet potato for sourdough bolo do caco

Preheat oven to 400 F. Cut the ends off of a sweet potato and place it whole on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake until tender. This should take about 45 minutes.

When the potatoes are done, they should pierce easily with a knife or fork. Slice the baked sweet potato in half lengthwise and scoop the flesh out into a bowl. Mash well.

After roasting and removing the peels, I ended up with about 200-225 grams of sweet potato for each batch.

Baking Bolo do Caco on a baking stone vs in a skillet

I tested baking this bread in a cast iron skillet over the stove and on a preheated baking steel in the oven. I baked six breads at a time and kept the rest of the dough in the refrigerator to use the next day.

I had a hard time getting the sourdough bolo do caco to bake all the way through in the skillet. I either had the skillet at too high of a heat or didn’t flatten the breads enough while baking.

My preferred method for making these flat breads is to bake them on a baking stone or baking steel in the oven.

With both methods, skillet and stone, I flipped the breads over and flattened them during baking.

If you bake them in the oven on a baking stone, you definitely need to flatten them partway through baking or they will bloom and end up as crusty rolls. The rolls are delicious, mind you, but a crusty roll is not the look we’re going for here.

Bolo do Caco baked in a skillet:

Bolo do Caco baked on a baking steel

After I had determined my preferred baking method, I decided to look it up on Chatgpt. Here is some info on which baking method best mimics cooking traditional bolo do caco:

“To best mimic the traditional method of cooking bolo do caco on a basalt stone tile, using a baking stone in the oven is more appropriate. A baking stone provides a consistent, evenly distributed heat that closely replicates the conditions of cooking on a basalt stone. It also allows the bread to cook thoroughly and develop a crust similar to what would be achieved with the traditional method.

Cooking the bread in a skillet on the stove is an alternative, especially if a baking stone is not available. This method can still yield a delicious bread with a nice crust, but the heat distribution and cooking environment will differ slightly from using a baking stone. The skillet method might require more attention to prevent the bread from burning and to ensure even cooking on both sides.

Overall, for a closer approximation of the traditional cooking method, go with a baking stone, but a skillet on the stove is a viable option if needed.”  OpenAI. (2024). ChatGPT (4) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com

Note: The dough for this sourdough bolo do cao works well when given a cold ferment in the refrigerator overnight, or up to 2 days maybe even 3 days. I made the dough, let it bulk ferment, then placed it in the refrigerator. I baked some of the flatbreads the next day and the rest 48 hours later.

Resources:

• SAVEUR Magazine: Bolo do Caco Recipe
• Karen’s Kitchen Stories: Portuguese-Style Sweet Potato Rolls {Bolo do Caco}
• Cozinha Tradicional: Bolo do Caco (Madeira) [in Portuguese]

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Who are the Bread Baking Babes?

We are a group of bread bakers who get together every other month and bake bread! We would love for you to try this Bolo do Caco and share your experience making it.  Elizabeth, of blog from OUR kitchen, is the host kitchen this month. Refer to the instructions on her blog to participate.

New recipes will be posted every other month on the 16th.  Look for the next bake in June 2024. Check out our Facebook group to see the participants’ baking results during that time.  If you would like to post your results with a Buddy badge on a blog, let us know in the comments or on the Facebook page.

The Bread Baking Babes:

blog from OUR kitchen– Elizabeth (host kitchen)
Bread Experience – Cathy
Karen’s Kitchen Stories – Karen
A Messy Kitchen – Kelly
Judy’s Gross Eats – Judy
My Diverse Kitchen – Aparna
Thyme for Cooking – Katie (roundup)