We ate the best Bolo de Caco on the village square in Monte above Funchal on Madeira island. The atmosphere there was special. It was lunch time, we were – away from the hustle and bustle of basket sled tours and cableway – alone in the square, apart from some mangy dogs hanging around and taking sometimes a sluggish effort to chase a pigeon. And there we discovered BOLO DE CACO.

At a small booth someone sold freshly prepared Bolo de Caco – with or without chorizo. What a delight! Since then, this bread belongs to Madeira – like the flowers, the mountains, the levadas, fishing villages, the New Year’s Eve fireworks, the silence in the mountains, the laurel trees and the cheerful celebrations on the beach.

Of course, you can’t reduce Madeira’s culinary delights on Bolo de Caco. But we kept it in mind as particularly delicious break snack. That’s why we baked it back at home. And this is how it works: