The folar transmontano is the patriarch of the folar family: the rustic, meat-laden Easter bread of Trás-os-Montes. Presunto, chouriço and linguiça layered inside a simple dough: abundance made edible after the restraint of Lent.
Anyone who has tried folar de Chaves or folar de Valpaços will recognize the family resemblance. Each town swears by its own proportions, and each household by its own. 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
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
- Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm water and let it froth, 5 to 10 minutes.
- Combine the flour and salt, make a well, and add the yeast mixture, olive oil and eggs. Mix into a dough.
- Knead on a floured surface 8 to 10 minutes (or use a stand mixer), until smooth and elastic.
- Let it rise, covered, in an oiled bowl in a warm spot 1 to 2 hours, until doubled.
- Punch down and divide into two portions, one slightly larger.
- Roll the larger portion into a 1-inch-thick round base. Layer the meats over it, leaving a border.
- Roll out the smaller portion, place it on top, and seal the edges by pinching.
- Transfer to a parchment-lined sheet, cover, and rise 30 to 45 minutes more. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Bake 30 to 40 minutes, until golden and hollow-sounding. Cool slightly before slicing.
Enjoy our recipes? Add Maria’s Cookbook as a preferred source on Google to see more of our content in your search results.
