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Boleima de maçã
Boleima de maçã: Portalegre's rustic apple and cinnamon cake made from olive-oil bread dough
In Portalegre, in the hills of the north Alentejo, boleima was born on baking day: a piece of the bread dough was set aside, enriched with olive oil, sugar and cinnamon, layered with sliced apples and baked in the cooling oven. It is not a delicate cake but a flat, moist, fragrant slab with caramelised edges, eaten at Christmas and at coffee time in autumn. It has no egg, butter or milk. A common mistake is slicing the apples thick, which leaves them hard while the dough is done; cut them thin. Chef's tip: give the dough a long, slow rise; that is where the bread-like flavour comes from.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
For the dough
For the filling
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Mix 1 ⅛ lb plain flour, ¼ oz fast-action dried yeast and 1 tsp salt, add 1 cup lukewarm water and knead for 8 minutes into a smooth, soft bread dough. Cover and leave for 1 hour until doubled.
60 minStep 2: Knead in ½ cup olive oil and 4 oz sugar a little at a time; it will seem to split, then come back together into a soft, slippery dough after 4–5 minutes.
5 minStep 3: Mix 2 ⅞ oz brown sugar and 2 tsp ground cinnamon. Oil a 25 × 35 cm baking tin and press in half the dough in an even layer.
Step 4: Cover with half of 2 apples, sprinkle with half the cinnamon sugar and 1 ¾ oz walnuts if using.
Step 5: Roll or press out the rest of the dough, lay it on top and cover with the rest of 2 apples and the cinnamon sugar. Cover and leave to rise for 45 minutes until puffy. Heat the oven to 375°F (350°F fan).
45 minStep 6: Bake for 40–45 minutes, until the top is golden and bubbling with caramelised juices and a skewer comes out free of raw dough.
45 minStep 7: Cool in the tin for 20 minutes, then cut into squares. Best the day it is baked or warmed the next.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 340 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 60 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does boleima de maçã take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of fast-action dried yeast?
- Fresh yeast, three times the weight.
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