Papo Secos Portuguese Rolls

 

  These papo secos are light and airy Portuguese rolls that are the perfect vehicle for the classic bifanas–marinated pork slices–or your favorite sandwich fillings or simply a smear of butter.

I grew up eating papo secos. (Every Portuguese kid within 1,000 miles of me grew up eating papo secos.) I called them “butt buns” because, to my 10-year-old eyes, they looked like the plump little ass cheeks of a putto, or newborn. I made a few changes from tradition in this recipe, which I think makes for a better texture. Instead of kneading the hell out of the dough, I borrowed the technique of folding the dough over itself rather than punching it down, and this results in a lighter interior and bigger butts, er, buns. Yet these still have the crusty exterior anyone whose Portuguese knows to expect.
They’re not hard to make. Honest. 

The only part that takes a bit of time to get the hang of is the shaping. It took me several tries to get it right. The good thing is even if you don’t get that perfect crack right down the middle with the first batch, the rolls are still awesome.–David Leite


HOW TO STORE PAPO SECOS

Because these rolls are homemade, they won’t last indefinitely in the bread box the way some store-bought buns can. They’ll keep for 2 days in a resealable plastic bag at room temperature. To perk them up, warm them in a 425°F (218°C) oven for 6 to 8 minutes. If you prefer to freeze the rolls, wrap each in foil and then slip them in a plastic bag.