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Bola de Lamego
Bola de Lamego: soft enriched bread baked around layers of cured ham, chouriço and chicken
Lamego, the cathedral town above the Douro, is famous for its cured hams, and its bola is a bread baked with them inside: a soft, slightly rich yeasted dough layered with presunto, chouriço, salpicão and often chicken or veal. It is taken on picnics, to the pilgrimage of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios in September, and sold by the slice in local cafés. This contains pork (presunto and chouriço). Chef's tip: let the bola cool for an hour before slicing; the juices from the meats settle into the crumb.
- Total time
- 85 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
For the dough
For the filling
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (6)
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Mix the 1 ⅛ lb strong white bread flour, ¼ oz fast-action dried yeast, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp sugar in a bowl. Add the 2 eggs, ¾ cup lukewarm milk and ¼ cup olive oil and knead for 8 minutes, then knead in the 1 ⅜ oz butter for 2 minutes more, until smooth and elastic.
12 minStep 2: Cover and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hour 15 minutes, until doubled.
75 minStep 3: Meanwhile, poach the 10 ½ oz boneless chicken thighs in simmering salted water for 15 minutes, until it reaches 165°F. Cool and shred.
15 minStep 4: Grease a 30 × 22 cm baking tin. Divide the dough into three. Roll one piece to fit the base and lay it in the tin.
5 minStep 5: Cover with half the 5 ½ oz presunto or other dry-cured ham, 5 ½ oz Portuguese chouriço, 3 ½ oz salpicão or other smoked pork loin sausage and chicken. Roll the second piece of dough, lay it on top, add the rest of the meats, then finish with the last piece of dough. Pinch the edges together to seal.
15 minStep 6: Cover and leave to rise for 30 minutes, until puffy. Heat the oven to 375°F.
30 minStep 7: Brush with the 1 egg yolk and bake for 35–45 minutes, until deep golden and hollow-sounding when tapped underneath. A common mistake is underbaking, which leaves the middle layers doughy; if the top browns too fast, cover with foil.
40 minStep 8: Cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then on a rack, and slice into squares. It keeps for 2 days, wrapped, in the fridge.
15 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 400 kcal
- Protein
- 21 g
- Carbs
- 40 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does bola de Lamego take?
- About 85 minutes in total: 40 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.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of strong white bread flour?
- Plain flour, same amount (the dough will be softer and rise a little less).
- What can I use instead of fast-action dried yeast?
- Fresh yeast, three times the weight.
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