I Can't Stop Making This Brazilian Cheesy Bread

Cheese and carbs have never been a tough sell, but if you’ve ever had a stretchy, springy bite of pão de queijo (a Brazilian cheese bread puff) then you know that this simple combination can soar to new heights. It’s the most utterly stretchy cheese puff you’ve ever known. If you haven’t had the pleasure of noshing on pão de queijo, then we should change that. Luckily, it only requires six ingredients and with the help of a blender or stand mixer, it’s nearly effortless. 

What is pão de queijo?

While many South American countries have a version of a this cheesy bread, pão de queijo originated in Brazil. This delightful snack owes its stretchy, gummy center to tapioca flour, a starch made from the cassava root. Cheese delivers its own stretch too, but I find it plays a bigger role as the primary flavoring ingredient. So using a powerful cheese with plenty of flavor pays off in the end. Add a bit of egg, oil, and milk and you’re on your way.

I first had pão de queijo in a Brazilian restaurant in Brooklyn, where the we were quickly supplied with a basket of golden brown flecked pastry balls about the size of a large egg. My friend stopped the conversation and directed my attention to the bread because this was the whole reason she brought me there. After tearing one in half—which took a long moment, due to the never-ending cheesy stretch—I understood why we had paused our discussion. This chewy, salty, crusty but soft pão de queijo demands your full attention, and deserves it. 

A few years later, I did have the distinct pleasure of eating pão de queijo in Brazil. It’s not uncommon to have them with breakfast, or for a café to serve a few golden spheres alongside your coffee. The ones I ate in Brazil are made in frustratingly small sizes compared to how big my appetite is for them, but not everyone is a cheese monster like I am. And in my own home, I get to make them bigger. 

There are two different methods that I’ve used for making pão de queijo: a blender version and a stand mixer version. (If you haven't joined the stand mixer club yet, here's what to look for when you're shopping for one.) Both recipes are delicious, so instead of choosing for you, I’ve provided them both.  

Pão de queijo in your blender

This style of pão de queijo is more like a batter. It’s extremely simple: I just add all of the ingredients to my Vitamix, but you can use any other blender just as well. (If you need a fancy new blender, this one has nearly changed my life.) The oven takes care of the rest. It’s better to use a cupcake pan (or a mini cupcake pan) to shape the puffs. I used this recipe from the back of the Bob’s Red Mill Tapioca Flour package. I took the liberty of adding extra cheese before baking and included that here.

Ingredients:

• 1 egg

• ¼ cup olive oil 

• ⅔ cup milk

• 1 ½ cups tapioca flour

• ½ cup grated cheddar cheese, plus extra for topping

• ½ teaspoon salt

1. Blender dump

Butter a cupcake pan, or mini cupcake pan, and preheat the oven to 400ºF. Add all of the ingredients to a blender. Blend on low speed to “catch” all of the ingredients and slowly increase the speed. Stop the blender and scrape the sides if you see any tapioca flour is stuck. Blend again if necessary.

2. Bake

Pour the contents of the blender into the greased cups of a cupcake pan, or mini cupcake pan. I only fill them about halfway to three quarters full. Then top them each with a pinch of extra cheese. Bake them for about 20 minutes, or until puffed and the cheese has browned.

Pão de queijo in your stand mixer

Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann

I used this recipe from TudoGostoso which ends up with more of a dough consistency partially due to heating the tapioca with hot milk and oil before it goes in the oven. 

Ingredients:

• 500 grams tapioca flour (I used the whole bag of Bob’s Red Mill tapioca flour)

• 1 tablespoon salt

• 250 mL milk (slightly more than 1 cup)

• 1 to 2 eggs (the second egg is only if needed)

• 12 ounce shredded cheese (I used a mozzarella, parmesan, and cheddar blend)

1. Dry and wet ingredients 

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Add the tapioca flour and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer. In a pan or pot, add the milk and oil. Heat the liquid mixture over medium until it starts to bubble on the edges. 

2. Mix the dough

Add a paddle attachment and turn the mixer on the lowest speed. Pour in the hot oil and milk mixture all at once with the mixer running. Mix until evenly incorporated and the texture is consistent and sandy. Add one egg and the cheese. If the dough is dry, add the other egg. It should feel like soft cookie dough. Mix until the dough is homogeneous and thick. 

3. Form the balls

Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann

Shape the dough into 1-inch balls. I scooped the dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and then rolled them in my palms to smooth out the shape. Give them an inch of space between each ball and bake them in a 350ºF oven until fully puffed and lightly browned on the bottom, about 20 to 25 minutes. Enjoy warm. 

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