Nº 198 Alhadas Sweet Bread
Cakes & Sweet Breads · The Centre

Alhadas Sweet Bread

Also known as: Alhadas Sweet Breads

An artisanal lemon-and-cinnamon sweet bread guarded by a secret family recipe.

Origin
Alhadas · Figueira da Foz
Region
Alhadas · Figueira da Foz
Season
Year-round
Sweetness
Richness
Difficulty

Bolo das Alhadas is a round sweet bread from the parish of Alhadas in Figueira da Foz. Flour, sugar, eggs, lemon, butter, cinnamon, yeast, water and salt form an enriched dough, but the proportions remain the secret of the family bakery that made it famous.

It is entirely handmade, produced in limited quantities and sold year-round at bakeries and markets. The texture retains the structure of sweet bread, softened by eggs and butter and scented with citrus and spice.

Ingredients
  • flour
  • sugar
  • eggs
  • lemon
  • butter
  • cinnamon
  • yeast
  • water
  • salt
Taste & texture

Gently sweet and buttery, with lemon and cinnamon fragrance and an enriched-bread crumb.

Variations

The handmade formula remains secret; size, browning and crust splitting vary naturally between batches.

Where to try it

At bakeries and markets in Alhadas and Figueira da Foz, especially the family's limited artisanal production.

Pairs well with

Coffee, tea or milk.

History

Its fame is tied to Catarina Leonor Lopes Silva, known as Leonor das Alhadas or Leonor dos Bolos. After her death, her niece Maria do Céu Oliveira and a small team continued the formula begun more than half a century earlier, preserving the family's craft.

Sources: tradicional.dgadr.gov.pt