Spiced Portuguese Easter Bread with Pumpkin Jam Filling • Folar de Gila

If you’ve ever spent Easter in Portugal, you know that the folar is as essential to the holiday as the eggs and the lamb. It’s the kind of bread that fills the kitchen with an aroma you never quite forget, a warm cloud of cinnamon, fennel, and sweet dough that somehow manages to smell even better than it tastes, and it tastes absolutely fantastic.

This particular version, the rolled folar filled with pumpkin jam (doce de gila), is a gorgeous modern take on a beloved classic. It has all the soul of a traditional folar, from its enriched, spiced dough to its genuinely traditional jam filling, but it’s shaped into an eye catching spiral that makes it as stunning to look at as it is to eat. This is a great variation on the more traditional folar, one that still respects the roots of the recipe while bringing something a little different to the table.

What makes this folar so special is precisely what it isn’t. Unlike some modern versions that have drifted far from tradition, becoming little more than glorified chocolate pastries or cream stuffed brioche breads, this one stays true to its heritage. The dough is a proper, honest folar dough, enriched with eggs, butter, and honey, and perfumed with cinnamon and fennel seeds. The filling is pumpkin jam, doce de gila, a deeply traditional Portuguese preserve with a gentle sweetness and a slightly aromatic complexity that pairs beautifully with the spiced dough. It’s a fantastic, modern Portuguese folar with a fantastic aromatic filling, and it’s proof that you don’t need chocolate or cream to make something truly memorable.

And well… this is a cooking site, so homemade is always better, and this is no exception. The recipe is simpler than it looks, and the result is a folar that is fluffier, fresher, and far more delicious than anything you’ll find wrapped in cellophane at the supermarket. Think of it as a bakery style folar, except it came from your kitchen and you get to brush it with warm honey straight out of the oven. Worth it? Absolutely, hehehe! Let’s check the recipe!

Spiced Portuguese Easter Bread with Pumpkin Jam Filling • Folar de Gila

Servings: 12
Time: 2hr 30mins
Difficulty: Normal
Rating: ★★★★★
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Oh boy, this one is something else entirely! Rolled, filled, and finished with a honey glaze, I know this beauty is about to become the star of your Easter table. ;D

Ingredients

Baker’s Yeast – 12 g (1 Packet)
Water – 90 ml (Lukewarm)
Flour – 425 g
Brown Sugar – 80 g
Butter – 60 g (Room Temperature)
Honey – 40 g
Milk – 50 ml
Salt – 6 g (+/- 1 Teaspoon)
Eggs – 2 (Room Temperature)
Cinnamon – 6 g (+/- 1 Teaspoon)
Fennel – 6 g (+/- 1 Teaspoon)
Pumpkin Jam – +/- 345 g (Gila Pumpkin)
Egg – 1 (For Brushing)
Butter – For Greasing
Honey – For Brushing (After Baking)
Almonds – 75g (For Garnish)

Directions

Start by combining the baker’s yeast with the warm water in a bowl, and let it sit for about 5 minutes, until it starts to form bubbles.

Combine the remaining ingredients in a large bowl, starting with the flour, followed by the water with the baker’s yeast, brown sugar, softened butter, honey, milk, salt, 2 eggs, cinnamon, and fennel seeds. Mix everything well, then knead briefly about 5 to 10 minutes, until you form a smooth, homogeneous ball of dough.

Place the dough ball in a large bowl and cover with a cloth; leave it in a warm place to rise for 1 hour and 30 minutes (or more) until the dough rises and doubles in size.

Once the time has passed, remove the dough and roll it out into a long rectangle, spread the pumpkin jam on top and roll the dough up from the long side until you create a long roll.

Then cut this into 8 pieces and arrange each slice upright in a 32cm round pan lined with parchment paper and greased with butter (see the photos, you want something similar).
Cover the pan again with a cloth and let it rise for another hour in a warm place to again double in size and take the whole space of the pan.
Preheat the oven to about 180°C (350ºF/Gas Mark 4).

Whisk an egg and brush the top of the cake, coarsely chop the almonds and sprinkle them on top, then bake for about 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown. Test with a toothpick, if it comes out clean, it’s done!
Remove from the oven when it’s golden brown and, while still hot, brush with melted honey just to make it even more golden and that’s it! Bon appétit and Happy Easter!

Notes & Tips: Make sure the water for the yeast is genuinely warm but not hot. If it’s too hot it will kill the yeast and the dough won’t rise. Think warm bathwater, not boiling.

Both rises are important. Skipping or shortening the rising times will result in a denser, less fluffy folar. Be patient, it really is worth the wait! If the day is warm it will rise faster, if the day is colder, it will take longer…

The pumpkin jam should be fairly thick so it doesn’t make the dough soggy when you roll it. If yours seems a bit runny, leave it to drain through a fine sieve for a little while before using it.

Can’t find doce de gila (gila pumpkin jam)? You can substitute it with the same quantity of pumpkin jam (doce de abóbora) and the result is very similar. It’s not exactly the same, gila pumpkin is more fibrous so the jam has a particular flavour and texture, but another pumpkin jam will still be delicious.

For the almonds, skinless is best. If yours still have their skins, quickly dip them in boiling water for about 2 minutes and the skins will slip right off.

Brush the honey on while the folar is still warm so it absorbs nicely and gives that beautiful glossy finish.

This recipe for Spiced Portuguese Easter Bread with Pumpkin Jam Filling • Folar de Gila was originally created on BakeAfter.com. Esta receita de Folar Enrolado com Doce de Chila foi publicada em português no Iguaria.com.