Portuguese · dessert
Bola de Berlim
Bola de Berlim reads sweetness 7.0, richness 6.3 and salinity 3.6 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Portuguese dessert, about 45 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.
The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10
- Umami & Savory — 4.0 / 10
- Sweet & Fruity — 7.0 / 10
- Sour & Bright — 0.0 / 10
- Bitter & Earthy — 0.1 / 10
- Rich & Fat — 6.7 / 10
- Aromatic & Spice — 0.0 / 10
The measured notes (of 18)
Sweetness 7.0 · Richness 6.3 · Salinity 3.6 · Funk & Ferment 1.8 · Umami 1.5 · Nutty 1.2
What's in it (10)
- 3 cups plain flour
- 2 tsp dry yeast
- 3/4 cup warm milk
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 cups vegetable oil for frying
- 1 cup thick pastry cream
- 3 tbsp icing sugar
Time & effort: about 45 min (20 min active) · effort: medium
Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 405.3 kcal, 12.5 g protein, 15.9 g fat, 52.9 g carbs
Dietary: Vegetarian · Contains dairy · Contains egg — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.
How it's cooked (4 steps)
- Make an enriched yeast dough, let rise until doubled, then shape into flattened rounds and let proof again.
- Deep-fry in oil at 170C until puffed and golden on both sides; drain and cool.
- Split each ball across the middle and fill generously with thick vanilla pastry cream.
- Dust with icing sugar and serve.
Dishes with a similar flavor shape
- Pan Cubano (Cuban Bread) — Cuban
- Kouign-Amann — French · Brittany
- Ensaymada (Soft Brioche with Butter, Sugar and Kesong Puti) — Filipino
- Tarte aux Pralines Roses — French · Lyon
- Hard Dough Bread — Jamaican
Keep reading: what sweetness, richness, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.
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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.