Bolo do caco is the traditional bread of Madeira, found everywhere on the island — and an essential part of any meal in Câmara de Lobos.
Despite being called a 'bolo', a cake, it is in fact a bread: a round, flat, soft loaf. Its name comes not from its shape but from the way it was traditionally baked — on a 'caco', a flat slab of basalt stone heated over a fire. The bread is notably soft, a quality often credited to the use of sweet potato in the dough alongside the wheat flour.
Bolo do caco is most often served warm, sliced and spread with garlic butter, and it accompanies almost everything in Madeiran cooking — eaten alongside espetada, with grilled limpets, or simply on its own. It is not unique to Câmara de Lobos — it belongs to the whole island — but no meal in the village is complete without it. For the visitor, warm bolo do caco with garlic butter is one of the simple, essential pleasures of Madeira.
⭐ Must-try:
Bolo do caco
Highlights
- The traditional bread of Madeira
- A round, flat, notably soft loaf
- Named for the basalt stone slab it was baked on
- Often made with sweet potato in the dough
- Served warm with garlic butter, alongside almost everything
Frequently asked questions
What is bolo do caco?
It is the traditional bread of Madeira — a round, flat, soft loaf, most often served warm with garlic butter.
Why is it called 'bolo do caco'?
The name comes from the 'caco', the flat basalt stone slab on which the bread was traditionally baked over a fire.
Is bolo do caco from Câmara de Lobos?
It belongs to the whole island of Madeira, but no meal in Câmara de Lobos is complete without it.