Bolo do Caco – Bread Rolls from Madeira

Yield: 8 breads about 120 grams

The bolo de caco – Bread Rolls from Madeira is made with sweet potato, abundant in Madeira. It startet as a northern African influence and become a staple food in the island

Ingredients:

• 500 grams wheat flour, type 550
• 375 grams sweet potato puree
• 3.5 grams dry yeast, corresponding to 12.5 grams fresh yeast
• 75 ml water
• 1 tsp. to 1/2 tbsp. salt, according to taste

Instructions

1. For the sweet potato puree, peel about 500 grams of potatoes, cut into pieces and cook in lightly salted water in about 10 – 15 minutes. Drain, mash finely with a hand blender and let cool.
2. Mix the dry yeast with 3 tbsp. flour and the water to make a small preferment and let it stand for about 15 minutes until small bubbles have formed.
3. Add sweet potato puree, flour and salt and mix to a soft, pliable dough. Leave it to prove 2 – 3 hours until the volume doubled in size.
4. Divide the dough into 8 pieces of equal weight on a work surface dusted with flour. Form balls and flatten them 12,5 cm diameter.
5. Let them rest for another half an hour.
6. Preheat the oven with a baking stone to 180-200 °C/356-392 °F
7. Bake the discs for 10 minutes from each side until they are done

total time: 4 hours
preparation time: 15 minutes
cooking/baking time: 20 minutes