The Bolos Lêvedos are already so far beyond the barrier of the known that we can say with a mouthful “go to the Azores and not eat a lêvedo cake is like going to Rome and not see the Pope”.
They are a traditional sweet from the village of Furnas, on the island of São Miguel and have a cylindrical shape and a sweetish flavour. They have a porous pastry with a slightly toasted crust. They can be cooked on a sertã (large frying pan) or on a metal plate sprinkled with flour. They can accompany any meal, be it breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack or even dinner. They serve as dessert but are also great to replace bread if you prefer something sweeter. In this village, besides the cake being a speciality, and having become the brand image of the furnense breakfast, the economic impact of this cake is notorious and very important.
Bolos Lêvedos
Picture by CRAA
The recipe was born with the first inhabitants of the island, and it was difficult to obtain many differentiated foods. The lêvedo cake is processed almost in the same way as bread, so its production was easier. From the basis of food of the first inhabitants of the island to a gastronomic reference of the Azores region.
Its production today has reached high numbers, with almost all the bakeries in the region, especially those on the island of São Miguel and the Furnas Valley in particular, producing this sweet. When you go there, stop by Rosa Quental bakery and get some tasty leaved cakes. Tip from an Azorean – eat them warm and with a glass of milk!
The only problem of lêvedos cakes is when we finish eating them, but we have a solution for that. Here’s the recipe for this sweet and replicate the delicacy with friends and family. Enjoy your meal!
Making of Bolos Lêvedos
Picture by CRAA
Ingredients:
550 grams of wheat flour;
125 grams of sugar
125 grams of butter;
20 grams of yeast;
200 millilitres of milk;
2 eggs;
1 teaspoon of salt;
Method of Preparation:
Place the flour in a bowl. In the centre of the flour, open a cavity and put in the sugar, eggs, butter (soft) and yeast. Mix everything together with the help of a cooking spoon until it becomes a uniform dough.
Then add the salt and mix everything well with your hands. Sprinkle a little flour on a work surface and pour the dough onto it. Work the dough, kneading it well until it comes easily out of your hands and off the counter.
Place the dough into the shape of a ball in a flour-filled bowl. Sprinkle with flour again and cover the bowl with a cloth. Let the dough rise until it has more or less doubled in size. This procedure can take about 2 hours.
When this stage is over and the dough has risen, start by forming small balls and roll them out on the worktop with your hands. Sprinkle these balls with flour and cover with a cloth to let them rise again.
Meanwhile, leave a frying pan on a low heat. Spread the balls out slightly with your hands or the help of a plate and place them in the frying pan until they are golden and fluffy. Make sure they stay like this on both sides.
Once you’ve finished all of this, you’ll have some tasty mooncakes for your snack.
Suggestion: accompany them with a glass of milk and spread them with some butter, jam (to taste) or cheese. You’ll see that they are a real treat.
Ingredients of Bolo Lêvedo
Picture by CRAA