Bolos Lêvedos

Bolos Levedos Portuguese Muffins are one of those recipes that will surprise you the first time you make them. They look like English muffins, but one bite tells you they are something entirely different — slightly sweet, soft, and rich with eggs and butter. I find them irresistible straight off the skillet, but they are equally wonderful toasted the next day with jam and butter.

What are Bolos Levedos Portuguese Muffins?

Bolos Levedos are a traditional Portuguese sweet bread muffin that originated in Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo in mainland Portugal, though they are beloved throughout the Azores and Portuguese communities worldwide. The name translates roughly to “leavened cakes,” and unlike English muffins, these are slightly sweet and much richer thanks to eggs, butter, and sugar in the dough. They are a staple at breakfast, brunch, and afternoon snack tables — and they make an unexpectedly wonderful sandwich bread too.

How to Make Bolos Levedos Portuguese Muffins

The process has two rises — the first in a large bowl for about two hours, the second after shaping into balls on a floured cookie sheet for another four hours. Take your time with both. After the second rise, pat the balls down gently with flour-dusted hands before cooking them on a cast iron skillet dusted with flour — not oil. Low to medium heat is essential here. Too hot and the outside burns before the inside cooks through. Turn them occasionally and test with a toothpick.

Tips for the Best Results

Take butter and eggs out of the fridge at least a few hours before starting — room temperature is not optional here
Proof your yeast first — stir it into lukewarm water with sugar and wait until it foams before proceeding
Knead the dough for a full 15 minutes — don’t shortcut this step
Keep your kitchen warm during the rises — turn your oven on briefly to add warmth, then place the covered bowl near it
Dust the skillet with flour, not oil — oil will burn and affect the flavor
Cook on low to medium heat only — patience is the difference between golden and burnt
An electric skillet works well and lets you cook several at once

Serving and Storing Bolos Levedos

Bolos Levedos Portuguese Muffins are best the day they are made…these are best the day they are made, still warm from the skillet. They keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for two days. Toast them the next day — they are arguably even better that way. You can also freeze them in a zip bag for up to a month and toast straight from frozen.

What You’ll Need A cast iron skillet is the traditional tool for this recipe and gives the best results — Lodge Cast Iron Skillet. If you’d prefer to make several at once, an Electric Skillet works beautifully and gives you more control over the heat.

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Bolos Lêvedos are a Portuguese version of an English muffin. I find them to be slightly sweet, and delicious as is; or toasted the next day with jam and butter. Bolos lêvedos compliment any brunch meal, a midday snack, and even work great as sandwich bread for an egg sandwich, BLT, or with cranberry chicken salad on top. Let me know how you enjoy them best!

• Author: Maria Lawton
• Yield: 24 1x
• Category: Baked Goods

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

3 – 1/4 ounce packets of active dry yeast (I used Fleischmann’s Rapid Rise)

1-cup lukewarm water

3 heaping cups and 3 Tablespoons of sugar

5 lbs. all-purpose flour

12 eggs (room temperature)

2 cups whole or 2% milk

2 sticks butter (room temperature)

1 Tablespoon salt, dissolved in a Tablespoon of warm water

1 lemon rind, grated

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Instructions

1. Dissolve the yeast packets in lukewarm water (not too warm or it will kill the yeast). Stir in 3 Tablespoons of sugar. Mix well and leave aside, allowing time for the yeast to proof.

2. In your mixer bowl, add eggs and 3 cups of sugar. Mix until the color is a light cream and the consistency is just as creamy. Set aside.

3. In a saucepan, add milk and butter, stirring until butter is melted and milk is warmed. Set aside.

4. In a very large bowl, add flour and create a well in the center. Pour the melted butter and milk into the well and mix with the flour. Add lemon zest and salt, continuing to stir.

5. Add the creamed eggs and sugar to the large bowl and continue to mix well. Don’t be afraid to start using your hands if the mixture is too hard to use the mixing spoon.

6. Add the yeast that has proofed. Mix together, and knead the dough for 15 minutes in the large bowl.

7. Then cover the bowl with a cloth and leave aside until the dough rises. (Hint: To help the dough rise faster, I usually turn on my oven to add a little more warmth to the kitchen, and then place the covered bowl on the counter next to the oven.) It usually takes 2 hours for the dough to rise.

After the dough rises:

1. Begin to take pieces of the dough out of the bowl and roll in your hands, forming balls the size of a medium orange. Make sure you dust your hands with flour as you do this since the dough is sticky.

2. Place the balls of dough on a floured cookie sheet and dust lightly with flour before covering with a cloth and allowing them to rise a second time, usually 4 hours.

3. After the dough rises, take each ball of dough and pat them down with flour-dusted hands to shape them to the desired size.

4. Dust a cast iron skill with flour. (Resist the urge to use oil – I know it sounds funny, but trust me!) Set the stovetop temperature to low to medium heat. If it’s any hotter, the flour (and muffins) will burn.

5. Place the flattened dough on the skillet one at a time and allow it to slowly cook, turning it occasionally to make sure it doesn’t burn. Use a toothpick to test and see if it is cooked through. This recipe makes 24 Bolos Lêvedos.

I have also used my electric skillet to make this recipe… it’s not traditional, but it’s very easy and you can make more than one at a time. Enjoy!

Notes

Before you begin, it’s very important to make sure that the butter and eggs be at room temperature, so take them out of the fridge at least a few hours in advance.

Love Portuguese baking? Try my Massa Souvada Family Recipe or Massa Souvada Portuguese Sweet Bread next — both are Easter favorites that pair perfectly with Bolos Levedos at the table.