Lagares da Beira Sweet Breads

Also known as: Lagares Figure-Eight Sweet Bread

Fairground sweet breads shaped as figure eights, folded loaves or arrufadas by the old boliqueiras.

Origin: Lagares da Beira · Oliveira do Hospital
Region: Lagares da Beira · Oliveira do Hospital
Season: Easter · Carnival · Christmas · fairs and pilgrimages

Sweetness

Richness

Difficulty

Bolos Doces de Lagares da Beira are festive yeast breads of flour, eggs and sugar, slowly baked after the bread loaves leave the oven. One dough takes three forms: the emblematic interlaced figure eight; the flattened, olive-oil-folded testa cake; and a round arrufada opened with a cross and topped with sugar.

The crust turns golden while the pale crumb remains firm and gently sweet, suitable for carrying and sharing at fairs and pilgrimages.

Ingredients

wheat flour
eggs
sugar
baker's yeast or traditional starter
water
salt
olive oil
sugar for topping

Taste & texture

A light, lean sweet bread with clean wheat-and-egg flavour, toasted crust and moderate sweetness.

Variations

Figure eight, testa cake, arrufada and flattened cake share one dough but differ in shaping and topping.

Where to try it

In Lagares da Beira and at Oliveira do Hospital fairs, festivals and pilgrimages.

Pairs well with

Cloth-filtered coffee, Serra cheese or Dão wine.

History

The tradition reaches at least to the early nineteenth century. Lagares boliqueiras baked through the night and carried cakes on their heads in tin trunks, walking many kilometres to fairs around Oliveira do Hospital, Mangualde, Nelas and Arganil.

At Easter godchildren received the testa cake; at Carnival, Christmas, fairs and pilgrimages, the figure eight prevailed and was sometimes given to children unable to buy one.

Sources: visitarganil.pt · cm-oliveiradohospital.pt

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