Bolo de Caco | Portuguese Sweet Potato Bread

Preparation & Dough

• 1
  Peel the sweet potato and cut it into small pieces. Boil until soft in a pot with water and a pinch of salt (approx. 20 minutes). Drain the water, mash the sweet potato into a fine purée, and let it cool completely.
• 2
  Place flour, sweet potato purée, salt, dry yeast, and 200 ml lukewarm water into a mixing bowl. Knead with a stand mixer for about 5 minutes until a smooth dough forms. Then, on a floured surface, stretch and fold the dough several times (Slap and Fold technique) until it is elastic and no longer sticky. Form into a ball, place back into the bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour until its volume has doubled.

Shaping & Baking

• 1
  Divide the risen dough into 6 equal portions (approx. 150 g each). Form each portion into a smooth ball, lightly dust with flour, and let rise under a cloth for another 30 minutes.
• 2
  Heat a cast-iron pan without fat. Carefully press the dough balls on a floured surface into flatbreads (approx. 12 cm diameter). Tap off excess flour and bake the flatbreads in the pan over low heat for about 4 minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through.

Serving

• 1
  For the herb butter, finely chop the parsley and mix with the soft butter, pressed garlic, and a pinch of sea salt. Slice the warm breads and spread generously with the garlic butter. Traditionally, the bread can also be served topped with meat or egg.