Brazilian Cheese Bread (Pão de queijo), Gluten Free

Brazilian Cheese Bread (Pão de queijo) – Traditional Recipe

Brazilian cheese bread made from scratch is gluten free, grain-free and nut-free.  It’s delicious to serve anytime of the day.  It is super fun to make, easy and the kids can help to roll the balls. 

This recipe makes around 50 delicious cheese balls.  This may seem like a lot, but my two kids can eat up half the batch by themselves as an after school snack or during a playdate.  The uncooked balls can be frozen for up to a month, then you just pop them into the preheated oven for 25-35 minutes for a fresh warm snack.  The cooking time depends on the size your cheese balls.  I try to keep them about the size of a tablespoon as you can see in the pictures and video.  I bake the frozen Brazilian cheese bread balls to give the kids at breakfast.  They are a delicious way to start the day! 

You can find the main ingredient, tapioca flour, here in the US.   It is known as both tapioca flour or tapioca starch.  Tapioca flour comes from a root that has a few different names (yuka, cassava, and manioc).  In Brazil, this raw root is found in many dishes such as stews, soups, gnocci, a large variety of tapioca cakes, and a popular street food crepe.

For this recipe, I use two types of tapioca flours.  I use sweet tapioca flour/starch and sour tapioca flour/starch (known in Brazil as polvilho doce and polvilho azedo).  It can be found under the brand name of Bob’s Red Mill, or in many Asian and Latin markets under other brand names.  The polvilho azedo or sour starch is a type of tapioca flour which is fermented after grinding the vegetable roots of the cassava. You can find the sour tapioca starch online to purchase.

Why do I use the sour tapioca starch?

There are many varieties of Brazilian Cheese Bread recipes in Brazil.  I’ve tried many recipes and simply love the texture and the flavor of the combination of both tapioca starch/flours in this recipe.  This recipe of Brazilian Cheese Bread holds its shape very well after cooling down unlike many other recipes.  The buns don’t deflate.

For cheese I use the Trader Giotto’s – Quattro Formaggio from Trader Joe’s. This cheese combination is a good balance of mild-shape flavor cheeses.  I don’t recommend using a semi-soft cheese or moist cheeses such as shredded mozzarella.  That would change the texture of the dough and make it too sticky making it hard to shape into balls.  For a sharper flavor you can use Parmesan cheese alone.  Experiment with different cheese mixtures to find out what tastes best to you.

When you bake the cheese bread balls, expect a delicious cheesy smell to fill your kitchen and maybe the entire house.

Serving Suggestions

• Snack
• Appetizer
• Side Dish
• Potluck
• Lunch box to school

IT’S SIMPLE TO MAKE.  JUST FOLLOW THE RECIPE BELOW!

Yield: 50 Servings

Brazilian Cheese Bread

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Additional Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

This traditional cheese bread is a popular snack throughout Brazil. Known locally as Pão de queijo, it can be found in restaurants, cafes, street stalls, supermarkets, and in many home kitchens. Pão de queijo is served any time of day. Sometimes it will be part of breakfast or served with afternoon coffee. It is also served as a side dish in many Brazilian restaurants and churrascarias (poplular Brazilian steakhouses).

This recipe is one of my favorite simple Pão de queijo recipes. It is easy and fun to make. The kids can help mix and roll out the doughy cheese balls, and the cheese balls freeze well for later baking.

This cheese bread is best served warm, and it is also gluten free.

Print

Ingredients

• 1 Cup Water
• 1 Cup Whole Milk
• 1 Cup Vegetable Oil
• 1 Tbs Salt
• 5 Eggs
• 1 1/2 Cups Parmagien Cheese
• 1 Cup Provolone Cheese
• 3 Cups Sour Tapioca Flour
• 2 Cups Sweet Tapioca Flour
• 1 tsp Butter

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375. Line baking sheets with silicone liner or parchment paper.
2. Add all flours to a large metal or ceramic bowl.
3. Place water, milk, oil and salt into a medium sauce pan. Whisk to incorporate salt. Heat on stove until the first bubbles appear. Watch carefully so it does not boil over.
4. Immediately, carefully pour hot milk mixture into the flour.
5. Using a wooden spoon, fold the flour until it is fully incorporated and turns into a dough and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Let cool for 15 minutes until it feels warm and has some elasticity. To check for elasticity, pinch off a piece and and pull apart with your finger to find the stretchiness.
6. Add one egg, use your hands to incorporate into the dough, then add ½ cup cheese, mix, then alternate until all the ingredients are incorporated.
7. Butter your hands to keep the dough from sticking to them. Get a heaping spoonful of dough (about 2 tablespoons or ping pong ball size), and roll into a ball.
8. Place ball on baking sheet at least 1 inch apart.
9. Bake for 25-30 minutes until tops look dry and the bottoms are golden brown.
10. Serve immediately.

Notes

These cheese breads are best when served warm.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

50

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 116Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 25mgSodium: 182mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 0gSugar: 1gProtein: 2g