Pão com Chouriço (Portuguese Chorizo Bread)

Pão com chouriço answers a question Portugal solved long ago: what if bread and smoked sausage were never apart to begin with? Soft, chewy rolls baked around slices of chouriço, whose paprika-rich fat seeps into the crumb as they bake.

At Portuguese fairs there are stalls that sell nothing else, pulling trays from wood-fired ovens all day — and the line never shortens. Fresh from the oven, still warm, it needs absolutely nothing else.

The home version is simple yeast-dough territory, and the reward-to-effort ratio is outrageous. Make all eight; six will survive to reach the table.

Pão com Chouriço Recipe

Prep time: 20 minutes (plus about 2 hours rising) · Cook time: 20 minutes · Total: about 3 hours · Servings: 4 · Calories: ~188 per serving

Ingredients

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 packet (2¼ teaspoons) active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup warm water
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 large egg
• 8 oz Portuguese chouriço, thinly sliced

Instructions

1. Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm water and let it activate, 5 to 10 minutes.
2. Combine the flour and salt, make a well, and add the yeast mixture, olive oil and egg. Mix into a dough.
3. Knead 8 to 10 minutes on a floured surface (or with a dough hook), until smooth and elastic.
4. Rise in an oiled, covered bowl in a warm spot 1 to 2 hours, until doubled.
5. Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment.
6. Punch down the dough and divide into 8 portions. Roll each into an oval about ¼ inch thick.
7. Lay 4 to 5 chouriço slices down the center of each, fold the sides over and pinch to seal.
8. Arrange seam-side down, cover, and rise 30 minutes more.
9. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until golden. Best eaten warm.

Recipe Notes

• Real Portuguese chouriço (not Mexican chorizo, a different animal entirely) is essential — find it at Portuguese or Brazilian markets.
• A brushing of beaten egg before baking gives the festival-stall shine.
• They reheat perfectly in a hot oven for 5 minutes, and they freeze well too.