Reviewed: Oct. 27, 2011

I used to get these years ago at a little cafe in Burlington, Ontario, where I'm from. I am so glad I found this recipe because now I can have them any time I want. I kneaded the dough in my stand mixer for 10 minutes, then let it rise in a warm oven. I did first pan fry them in butter to get that dark golden brown crust, then I baked them in the oven for 10 minutes just to make sure the center was baked through. omg, beyond delicious!!!!!

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
2 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

MIKALA79

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Burlington, Ontario, Canada

Living In: Red Deer, Alberta, Canada

Reviewed: Apr. 10, 2010

Like some of the reviewers, the dough took a long time to rise, so I now use 1 Tbs plus 1/2 tsp of yeast, about one and a half packages of dry yeast. This seems to work fine for me and, no, it is not too much yeast, nor does the dough smell yeasty. I also used 1 tsp of salt instead of 1/2 tsp called for in the recipe. I found that it accentuated the sweetness, without the calories. This is truly the best recipe ever for bolos lêvedos. If you use a kneading machine, 10 minutes is enough. Make sure you save about 1/2 cup of flour from recipe to add in the end so that the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. It makes it easier on the machine. I used King Arthur's flour for bread making, and it works. There is no comparison between these bolos lêvedos and the store-bought ones. I have been making this recipe every week. I freeze the bolos in zipperlock bags and thaw one at a time. Thanks Titia Deolinda! P.S. if you are watching what you eat, and if you make 16 bolos (not hard at all) out of this recipe, each bolo is 5 Weight Watchers points. Good size bolo too...

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
3 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Açoreana

Cooking Level: Expert

Reviewed: Dec. 15, 2009

Yummy…My kids love these! The taste was right on, but I did find that they were a bit heavy compared to the ones made in Sao Miguel. (Although, this could have been because the dough didn’t rise enough after kneading, I should have gave them more time to proof). I do recommend cooking them in a heavy pan until golden and then finishing them off in the oven to ensure the sides and center are cooked through. Thanks for the recipe!

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
1 user found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Marlene

Reviewed: Aug. 9, 2009

I absoluely love portuguese muffins. The problem is that I live in Virginia, and I am unable to find them anywhere in my area. I was so excited to find this recipe. I followed the recipe exactly except that I baked the muffins versus frying them in a 350 degree oven for about 10-12 minutes or until done. Although they don't come out golden brown as the picture above shows, they are delicious!

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
0 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

vagriffs5

Cooking Level: Expert

Living In: Richmond, Virginia, USA

Reviewed: May 22, 2009

The first couple of tries didn't work for me, but I think it's because the yeast didn't ferment. The third try was the charm. I added some flour and sugar to the yeast and let it ferment for an hour. The trick seems to be in the yeast, so make sure you get that part perfect! The more it rises the more delicious it will turn out. This recipe is time consuming, but worth it.

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
3 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Jellybean

Reviewed: Aug. 22, 2008

i have no words for how good these are! okay, well...maybe i have a few. ;) my mom's fam is from massachusetts and throughout the years i've always looked forward to being able to eat my portuguese muffins whenever we visit--but these truly surpass anything i've bought in new england. only things i changed: i used a packet of instant yeast instead--it was all i had--and just added it to the flour and sugar before mixing in the wet ingredients. i also added about a tabls. of vanilla extract and 1-2 teaspoons pure lemon extract to make them taste more like the bakery ones. only problem i've experienced is my yeast taking forever to rise--quite ironic since it's quick rise. so i asked a good baker and she said to microwave the dough in a bowl with plastic wrap covering it for 30 seconds on 4 power, and repeat 15 minutes later, and that totally did the trick! anyway, these are awesome, and yummy, and freeze and defrost well too! :)

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
13 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

sarahjay93

Reviewed: May 5, 2008

I found these extremely time consuming. They turned out just okay and my dad found them quite heavy compared to the ones he had growing up. I'll try altering the recipe to see if I can make them slightly lighter. The taste was fine, but I could only eat one or two before I was STUFFED.

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
1 user found this review helpful

Reviewer:

GIRLIESOGROOVY

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Paso Robles, California, USA

Living In: Merced, California, USA

Reviewed: Apr. 5, 2008

so yummy........my kids really enjoyed too...and they are usually really picky. i used to buy them from the bakery, but no more.........these taste even better!!

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
1 user found this review helpful

Reviewer:

dee

Reviewed: Oct. 15, 2007

My family loves bolos and they can be quite expensive. I made 16 from this recipe. I heated my cast iron skillet on low for about ten minutes. I cook 4 at a time and I make sure they touch the side of the pan, and then I twist them every few minutes to cook the sides. They do take a while to cook but worth it. I also had to add more flour. I also sometimes add lemon zest or cinnamon and raisins.

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
10 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

GRETY25

Reviewed: Jun. 24, 2007

These were really good - I cooked some in my cast iron skillet, and some in the oven at 325. The oven ones came out better - the ones in the skillet ended up with gummy sides. Maybe if they had been thinner, that wouldn't have happened. These are great for sandwiches, butter & jam, anything. I could even see them being hamburger buns if you cut down on the sugar and increased the salt by about 1/4 t.

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
19 users found this review helpful