Delicious Pão de Queijo Recipe: Easy & Authentic Brazilian Cheese Bread

Contents

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Tips and Variations
• CHEF’s Tips

Ingredients

For the Dough:

• 500g of tapioca starch (sour)
• 200ml of milk
• 100ml of oil
• 2 large eggs
• 200g of grated Minas cheese (cured)
• 100g of grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon of salt (adjust to taste)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
2. In a saucepan, boil the milk with the oil and salt.
3. Scald the tapioca starch: pour the boiling mixture over the tapioca starch in a large bowl and mix well with a wooden spoon or spatula.
4. Let it cool slightly and add the eggs one by one, mixing well after each addition.
5. Add the grated cheeses and mix until you get a homogeneous dough. If necessary, add a little more tapioca starch to reach the right consistency (the dough should not stick to your hands).
6. Grease your hands with oil and roll small balls of dough.
7. Place the pão de queijo on a greased baking sheet or one lined with parchment paper, leaving a small space between them.
8. Bake in the preheated oven for about 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown.
9. Serve the pão de queijo warm and enjoy!

Tips and Variations

• For a more intense flavor, use Canastra or Meia Cura cheese.
• Add chopped fresh herbs to the dough for a special touch.
• Freeze the shaped pão de queijo before baking. To bake, no need to defrost, just add a few extra minutes to the oven time.
• Experiment with using different types of tapioca starch (sweet and sour) in varied proportions to test different textures. Pão de queijo is delicious either way!

CHEF’s Tips

The key to perfect pão de queijo lies in the quality of the ingredients and the temperature of the milk when scalding the tapioca starch. Use good quality cheeses and don’t hesitate to adjust the salt amount to your taste. The dough should be homogeneous and slightly sticky, but not liquid. If it’s too soft, add a little more tapioca starch. The secret to incredibly flavorful pão de queijo is to bake in a preheated oven and not open the oven before they are golden brown, so they don’t deflate. Try adding a touch of creamy requeijão (Brazilian cream cheese) to the dough for an even softer and tastier pão de queijo. This pão de queijo recipe is versatile and can be adapted to your liking, allowing for the addition of various cheeses and seasonings. The important thing is to have fun in the kitchen and experiment with new flavors! Don’t forget to serve your pão de queijo warm, accompanied by a good coffee or tea.