Brazilian Cheese Bread (Pão de Queijo)
Pão de queijo is Brazil’s famous cheese bread - crisp on the outside, soft and chewy inside, and packed with cheesy goodness. Made with tapioca flour, it’s naturally gluten-free and incredibly addictive. Originating from Minas Gerais, this classic Brazilian snack is perfect for breakfast, coffee breaks, or anytime you need a comforting bite. And the best part? It’s super easy to make at home!
Ingredients
- 125 gr tapioca starch
- 65 ml full fat milk
- 10 gr butter
- 1/4 tsp salt (or more depending on the saltiness of your cheese0
- 60 gr Monterey Jack Cheese or another cheese of your liking, coursely grated
- 1 egg
Instructions
- Heat milk, butter, and salt in a small sauce pan until it comes to a boil. Watch closely as it may boil over. Remove from heat and set aside.65 ml full fat milk, 10 gr butter, 1/4 tsp salt
- Sift tapioca starch into a large bowl.125 gr tapioca starch
- Pour the boiled (hot) mixture over the tapioca and start stirring with a fork. The milk mixture will not be enough to form a dough yet. You will have a lumpy mixture, that's what it is supposed to be.
- Keep stirring with the fork, breaking down the lumps as much as you can, until the mixture cools down to warm.
- At this point, preheat your oven to moderately hot 400° F/200° C/gs mark 6
- Add the grated cheese to the tapioca mixture and mix well, now using your hands.60 gr Monterey Jack Cheese
- Add the egg, mix with your hands until the dough comes together. I suggest you lightly beat the egg with a fork and add little bits until the dough comes together into a soft but pliable dough. You only have to knead it a bit, not as much as you would knead a yeasted bread. It's OK if it is slightly sticky.1 egg
- Form balls with the dough and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silicon mat or lightly greased with vegetable oil. If necessary, you can oil your hands to make shaping easier. The size of the balls may vary from small bite-sized balls to the size of ping pong balls. They will puff up quite a bit after baking.
- Bake for about 25 minutes or until they just start to brown on the bottom. You may have golden spots of cheese on the crust. Don't over-bake as they will get hard and bitter.
Nutrition
Calories: 41kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 55mg | Potassium: 12mg | Sugar: 0.2g | Vitamin A: 53IU | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 0.1mg