Every year in Chaves, mothers and grandmothers gather around the masseira — the great wooden kneading tray — to make bread and folares, passing the craft from one generation to the next beside wood-fired ovens that have baked for a century.
The folar de Chaves belongs to that heritage. Every family in Trás-os-Montes has its variation, an egg more or less, a different balance of meats, but the essentials never change: excellent smoked meats, farm eggs, and robust transmontano olive oil. The rest is dedication, because a proper folar is a labor of love.
In Chaves, gifting a folar is a gesture of gratitude, and a way of sending a taste of home to those who live far from it. For Portuguese families abroad, baking one at Easter is a way of closing that distance.
Folar de Chaves Recipe
Ingredients
- For the dough:
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 packet (2¼ teaspoons) active dry yeast
- 1 cup warm water (110°F)
- 2 large eggs, plus 1 beaten egg for brushing
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- For the filling:
- 6 oz chouriço, thinly sliced
- 6 oz presunto or prosciutto, thinly sliced
- 6 oz smoked bacon or pancetta, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Dissolve the yeast in the warm water with the sugar and let it foam, 5 to 10 minutes.
- Combine the flour and salt, add the yeast mixture, eggs and olive oil, and knead about 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
- Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm spot 1 to 2 hours, until doubled.
- Punch down and divide the dough in two.
- Roll one portion into a rectangle and lay it in a greased loaf pan, edges overhanging. Layer on half the meats.
- Roll out the second portion, place it over the meats, top with the remaining meats, then fold the overhanging dough over and pinch to seal.
- Cover and proof 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Brush with the beaten egg and bake 35 to 40 minutes, until deep golden and hollow-sounding when tapped.
- Cool slightly before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature.
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