Folar Transmontano (Traditional Portuguese Easter Bread)

The folar transmontano is the patriarch of the folar family — the rustic, meat-laden Easter bread of Trás-os-Montes, my family’s corner of Portugal. Presunto, chouriço and linguiça layered inside a simple dough: abundance made edible after the restraint of Lent.

Readers of my folar de Chaves and folar de Valpaços recipes will recognize the family resemblance — each town swears by its own proportions, and each grandmother by hers. This is the general transmontano method: honest, adaptable and forgiving.

The formula is simple and the reward immense: slice it thick and watch the marbled layers appear. Easter bread by tradition — excellent bread by any calendar.

Folar Transmontano Recipe

Prep time: 15 minutes (plus about 2 hours rising) · Cook time: 40 minutes · Total: about 3 hours · Servings: 8 · Calories: ~342 per serving

Ingredients

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 packet (2¼ teaspoons) active dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 oz presunto or prosciutto, thinly sliced
• 3 oz chouriço, sliced
• 3 oz linguiça or other smoked sausage, sliced

Instructions

1. Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm water and let it froth, 5 to 10 minutes.
2. Combine the flour and salt, make a well, and add the yeast mixture, olive oil and eggs. Mix into a dough.
3. Knead on a floured surface 8 to 10 minutes (or use a stand mixer), until smooth and elastic.
4. Let it rise, covered, in an oiled bowl in a warm spot 1 to 2 hours, until doubled.
5. Punch down and divide into two portions, one slightly larger.
6. Roll the larger portion into a 1-inch-thick round base. Layer the meats over it, leaving a border.
7. Roll out the smaller portion, place it on top, and seal the edges by pinching.
8. Transfer to a parchment-lined sheet, cover, and rise 30 to 45 minutes more. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
9. Bake 30 to 40 minutes, until golden and hollow-sounding. Cool slightly before slicing.

Recipe Notes

• Quality smoked meats from a Portuguese market are half the recipe.
• Some families brush the top with beaten egg for shine — mine included.
• It keeps for days well wrapped and travels beautifully, as folares always have.