Pão com chouriço (Portuguese Sausage Rolls)

One of my favorite snacks: pão com chouriço. It’s a Portuguese (or Spanish) style sausage roll.

Ingredients:

• 4 ½ cups of flour

• 1 ½ tablespoons of dry active yeast

• 1.5 teaspoon of sugar

• 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil

• 1 ½ cups of lukewarm water

• 2 teaspoons of salt

• 2 packs of sliced chorizo (Spanish style)  

Preparation:

In a large bowl, mix flour, dry yeast, and sugar. Next add the oil and slowly stir in 1 ½ cups of warm water. Add the salt in last. Knead the dough for about 10 mins (either by hand for a workout or in an electric stand mixer) until smooth. It’s ready if you gently press your thumb on the dough and it springs back. Let it rest and rise for about 2 hours.

Add 4-5 slices of chorizo to each piece of dough before rolling up.

Punch out the dough and cut into 6 equal parts. On a floured surface, roll each piece out to an oval-like shape and no more than a 1/4 inch thick. Add about 4-5 chorizo slices in the middle, about half an inch away from the away (see image to the right). With your finger, add water around edges of dough. Roll up horizontally like a burrito, press and seal ends, fold and tuck. Make sure both sides are tucked in the same direction which will be the bottom of the roll. Place seal side down on a lightly floured baking sheet. Score bread with three diagonal lines (see image below). Cover and let rest for about an hour.

Cooking:

This is what the 3 three diagonal cuts on top of each raw roll should look like. Cover and let them rise for 1 hour before baking.

About fifteen minute before your rolls complete their final rise, preheat your oven to 375°. Once the rolls look risen, pop them in the oven for 22-27 minutes until they’re lightly golden. Let them cool a bit before eating.