Pão de Queijo ~ Cheese Bread

Pão de Queijo or Cheese Bread is a Brazilian recipe of small, baked cheese roll or cheese bun, a popular snack, and breakfast food in Brazil. It is a traditional Brazilian recipe, originating in the state of Minas Gerais.

This tasty treat originated when enslaved people would soak and peel the cassava root and make bread rolls from it. At that time, there was no cheese in the rolls. At the end of the 19th century, more ingredients became available to the colonial community such as milk and cheese. They added milk and cheese to the tapioca roll making what we now know as Pão de Queijo

In the US, frozen packages of Pão de Queijo can be found in some American grocery stores such as Costco, County Market, HEB, Publix, World Market and Whole Foods.

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Pão de Queijo ~ Cheese Bread

A true gift to the universe and is easy to make! This delicious snack is light and crunchy on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside, and has a cheese flavor that just hugs your mouth.

Course Bread

Cuisine Brazilian

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 30 bread balls

Calories 385kcal

Author Mike Gonzalez

Ingredients

• 1 cup parmesan cheese grated
• 10 oz queso fresco cheese crumbled
• 1 cup full fat milk
• ¼ cup vegetable oil plus 1 tbsp for oiling your hands
• 2 eggs
• 1 lb tapioca flour also known as tapioca starch
• 2 tsp salt

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350F.
• Add the tapioca flour and the salt into a large bowl, whisk to combine, and set aside.
• In a medium bowl, combine the cheeses and the eggs and set aside.
• Add the milk and the oil to a small saucepan and bring to a simmer on the stovetop over medium heat.
• When the liquid simmers, remove the pan from heat, and immediately pour the hot liquid into the tapioca mixture and using a wooden spoon, stir to combine – the mixture will not be homogeneous, it'll be gummy and clumpy.
• Wait 5-10 minutes until the tapioca mixture is cool to touch, and only then add the cheese and egg mixture to the tapioca mixture. Mix with a wooden spoon, or your hands to combine. Now you should have a homogeneous mixture and it should come together as a ball. You'll still see some white tapioca specks in the dough – don't worry, that's totally normal!
• Oil your hands, then scoop 2 tbsp size portions, roll them into balls, and arrange them in a baking sheet approximately 2" apart from one another.
• Bake until golden brown, approximately 30-35 minutes.

Notes

Make-ahead Freezer Instructions:

To freeze your Brazilian cheese bread for later, follow all steps up until rolling the little balls and placing them on the baking sheet. Then, just place the baking sheet in the freezer for 15 minutes for the balls to set (just enough for them to hold their shape).

When the balls are set, you can place them in a freezer-safe ziplock bag and freeze for up to 3-4 months.

To bake them, no thawing needed! Just preheat the oven to 350F, then arrange the little frozen balls in a baking sheet about 2″ apart from one another and bake until golden brown – approximately 40-45 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 385kcal