Though I was born and brought up in Mumbai, we got married in Goa and two days after our wedding, my hubby introduced me to the famous chouriço pão. It was on January 6 at the Three Kings Feast held in his village, Cansaulim, Goa. Just outside the church, there were stalls selling various foods, sweets, toys and other household items. We made ourselves comfortable at a food stall and relished the chouriço pão with chilled beer. The boiled sausages with casing (twine removed) were wedged between a pão (bread). This chouriço pão is so popular and now available daily, in the evenings, at various street carts and sausage shops in Goa. If desired, a spoonful of sorpotel is drizzled over the sausages, in between the pão and served.
Inspired by the popular Pão Recheado com Chouriço (bread stuffed with sausages) in Portugal, I have prepared pull-apart bread with filling of Goa sausage meat and onions. The sausages were cooked through in some water with onions incorporated at the end to soften. Using a sieve, the fat was drained out from the mixture. This step is crucial to prevent excess fat oozing out from the dough during baking thus avoiding a greasy mess.
For a soft, rich bread, an egg was included in the dough which came together beautifully in the kitchenaid stand mixer. The dough was turned onto a rolling board and kneaded till soft and smooth. No flour was required while kneading as the dough was not sticky at all. Allowed to rest for an hour until doubled in size, then punched down to deflate the air and divided into 8 equal balls. Each ball was rolled into a 4" circle (without any flour) and filled with the sausage mixture which was carefully tucked in. The balls were placed in a 10" round cake pan, covered and set to rise in a warm place for 30 minutes. Brushed with an egg wash, they were baked at 375 F or 190 C for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Served warm, they were an ultimate delight. Both the sausage meat and the bread were in perfect harmony, literally dancing in the mouth. For recipe on how to make Goa sausages, click here.
Inspired by the popular Pão Recheado com Chouriço (bread stuffed with sausages) in Portugal, I have prepared pull-apart bread with filling of Goa sausage meat and onions. The sausages were cooked through in some water with onions incorporated at the end to soften. Using a sieve, the fat was drained out from the mixture. This step is crucial to prevent excess fat oozing out from the dough during baking thus avoiding a greasy mess.
For a soft, rich bread, an egg was included in the dough which came together beautifully in the kitchenaid stand mixer. The dough was turned onto a rolling board and kneaded till soft and smooth. No flour was required while kneading as the dough was not sticky at all. Allowed to rest for an hour until doubled in size, then punched down to deflate the air and divided into 8 equal balls. Each ball was rolled into a 4" circle (without any flour) and filled with the sausage mixture which was carefully tucked in. The balls were placed in a 10" round cake pan, covered and set to rise in a warm place for 30 minutes. Brushed with an egg wash, they were baked at 375 F or 190 C for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Served warm, they were an ultimate delight. Both the sausage meat and the bread were in perfect harmony, literally dancing in the mouth. For recipe on how to make Goa sausages, click here.
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Chouriço Pão (Goan Sausage Bread)
(Yields 8)
Filling
Ingredients:
1/4 kg Goa sausages
1/2 cup water
1 large onion (chopped, 2 cups)
Method:
Remove the sausage meat from the casing and place in a pan with water. Cook on medium heat till three-fourth of the water has been absorbed. Stir in the onion and continue to cook till soft and mixture dry.
Strain the sausage mixture through a sieve, placed over a bowl. Set aside for an hour to drain well.
In the meantime, prepare the dough.
Dough
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour or maida
2 tablespoons unsalted butter (softened)
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg (lightly beaten for egg wash)
1 tablespoon melted butter (for glaze)
Method:
Microwave the milk for 15 seconds till warm to the touch but not hot. Stir in the yeast and sugar. Set aside to foam for 5 minutes (see picture above). (Note: If milk is very hot, the yeast will die and not activate.)
Sift the dry ingredients; flour and salt together.
Add the yeast, butter and egg into a large mixing bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on low speed to combine for a minute. Incorporate the flour mixture 1/2 cup at a time and beat with every addition till well combined. The dough will form into a ball.
Knead dough on a flat surface till smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. (Note: I did not flour the surface as the dough was not sticky at all. If sticky, lightly flour the surface.)
Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and set aside to rise in a warm place, until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Note: I boiled water in a saucepan and then placed it the oven along with the bowl of dough to rise. The oven has to be off and bowl covered with a plastic wrap. The steam creates a warm environment enabling the dough to rise (see picture above). Oven door has be closed.
Once the dough has risen, punch it down to deflate and divide into 8 equal balls. (Note: The dough was weighed and divided equally.)
Grease and dust with flour a 10" round cake pan. (I used soften butter to grease.)
Roll each ball into a 4 inch circle and place a spoonful of filling in the centre. Fold up dough on all sides and pinch seams to seal. Place seam side down in pan, spacing each ball apart to rise. Cover with plastic wrap and let the bread rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375 F or 190 C.
Brush the bread with beaten egg and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Run a knife around the edges and invert onto a wire rack. Brush bread with melted butter. Serve warm.
Note:
(Yields 8)
Filling
Ingredients:
1/4 kg Goa sausages
1/2 cup water
1 large onion (chopped, 2 cups)
Method:
Remove the sausage meat from the casing and place in a pan with water. Cook on medium heat till three-fourth of the water has been absorbed. Stir in the onion and continue to cook till soft and mixture dry.
Strain the sausage mixture through a sieve, placed over a bowl. Set aside for an hour to drain well.
In the meantime, prepare the dough.
Dough
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour or maida
2 tablespoons unsalted butter (softened)
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg (lightly beaten for egg wash)
1 tablespoon melted butter (for glaze)
Method:
Microwave the milk for 15 seconds till warm to the touch but not hot. Stir in the yeast and sugar. Set aside to foam for 5 minutes (see picture above). (Note: If milk is very hot, the yeast will die and not activate.)
Sift the dry ingredients; flour and salt together.
Add the yeast, butter and egg into a large mixing bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on low speed to combine for a minute. Incorporate the flour mixture 1/2 cup at a time and beat with every addition till well combined. The dough will form into a ball.
Knead dough on a flat surface till smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. (Note: I did not flour the surface as the dough was not sticky at all. If sticky, lightly flour the surface.)
Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and set aside to rise in a warm place, until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Note: I boiled water in a saucepan and then placed it the oven along with the bowl of dough to rise. The oven has to be off and bowl covered with a plastic wrap. The steam creates a warm environment enabling the dough to rise (see picture above). Oven door has be closed.
Once the dough has risen, punch it down to deflate and divide into 8 equal balls. (Note: The dough was weighed and divided equally.)
Grease and dust with flour a 10" round cake pan. (I used soften butter to grease.)
Roll each ball into a 4 inch circle and place a spoonful of filling in the centre. Fold up dough on all sides and pinch seams to seal. Place seam side down in pan, spacing each ball apart to rise. Cover with plastic wrap and let the bread rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375 F or 190 C.
Brush the bread with beaten egg and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Run a knife around the edges and invert onto a wire rack. Brush bread with melted butter. Serve warm.
Note:
- Bread can be baked in a square pan.
- For individual round breads, bake on a baking sheet apart from one another.
- For eggless bread, substitute egg with 1/4 cup water and brush egg with milk. Egg bread is much softer.
- Bread can be topped with sesame seeds. After brushing bread with egg or milk, sprinkle some sesame seeds before baking.
- There are two types of dry yeast; regular active dry and instant yeast (also known as fast-rising, rapid-rise, quick rise, and/or bread machine yeast). The two types of dry yeast can be used interchangeably. The advantage of the rapid-rise is the rising time is half that of the active dry and it only needs one rising.
See More Goa Sausage Recipes
