Brazilian Cheesy Bread

This was very good, I tried to use cupcake papers rather than grease the pan, bit that was a mistake. It just stuck to the paper. Oh well, next time will grease.

Really wonderful gluten-free bread! We love our cheese, so I increased the grated cheddar to 6oz. Also added 1/2 tsp. dry mustard. I've made this with Asiago cheese instead of cheddar with good results.

i am brazilian and happy that you're spreading our beloved cheesy bread around the world

Easy and delicious! Served with pot roast, chili, bacon and eggs or spicy jam - always a hit!

Made these and they're so delicious, however didn't keep the roundness/rise. did I keep them in for a smidge too long?

I just made these and they did not disappoint. This is a very thin batter, definitely not a dough as some reviewer/commenters tried to say. Tapioca flour has the feel of corn starch and I assume it puffs up so beautifully because of this, since there is no baking powder or soda in it. The recipe comes together quickly and is so simple - reminds me of gougere but is so much easier to make. Because I had it on hand, I used gruyere instead of cheddar, but I think any good hard cheese will work. This is very much like the “Pan de Bono” we get in Cuban bakeries here in Miami. I’m going to make them in mini muffin tins next time and also will try to freeze them. This is definitely 5 stars. (BTW, Bob’s Red Mill makes tapioca flour and this recipe is on the bag, using olive oil instead of canola)

Thank you for this wonderful recipe. Almost like the popovers I make, but very much easier. I see endless possibilities. Again thank you.

I made two dozen this weekend exactly as written (using sharp cheddar for both batches but sprinkling blue cheese on top of one dozen) and all I can say is WOW. They taste EXACTLY like the ones at Texas de Brazil, and the texture is just the same too. We had friends over and these things were gone in a heartbeat, with someone asking for the recipe. I'm ready to make another batch right now! It came together VERY easily in the food processor, and we didn't have any trouble finding tapioca flour.

I agree that there's no way this could be rolled into balls; the texture is definitely batter and not dough. It's like a thicker pancake batter. I dumped mine from the food processor bowl into a batter bowl, but instead of trying to pour (I know my weaknesses - haha) I used a big ice cream scoop as a guideline.

Bottom line? Absolutely delicious, very simple, and man, I wish I had leftovers!! :)

I have only made Pão de queijo vith boiling milk and oil, mix with flour and salt. After that whipping in the egg and at last the cheese. That makes it like a Petit choux dough.

I have never seen Tapioca Flour, but then I have never looked for it. I live in Los Angeles so I should probably be able to find it somewhere!

The Brazilian women who have taught me to make these have never used any type of mixer other than spoon and hand.

I made these as instructed, although I had no milk so used dried skim milk powder rather than whole milk (with no apparent problems in the final product, though I'll certainly make them with whole milk next time). I also used sunflower oil as canola is less common in my country.

The batter is very thin, and after spooning out the first you can judge the rest by eye and pour out from a jug. Ignore the purist in the comments, there is no way this batter could be rolled into balls (it is a similar recipe to Yorkshire puddings). I'm sure there are other ways to approach this bread, of course, but I doubt anything rolleable could be as light and airy as these.

Final product was delicious - crisp shell, cheesy but light centre. I used a standard cheap English cheddar, but will try some of the other recommendations from the comments - parmesan might help make them a little lighter I think, as it is a dryer cheese, but of course you'd need to add in some cheddar or similar to melt into the bread.

Pão de queijo is never made in muffin tins. They are rolled as balls; usually small like the size of a donut hole, but sometimes big. For a more authentic taste, use a mixture of mozzarella and parmesan or asiago. The cheese used in Brazil is called Queijo Minas which is difficult to duplicate here in the states. If you have a Brazilian market nearby, however, it's possible you can find this cheese. I always use my hands to mix the ingredients. This allows me to kneed the dough and feel whether or not I have used to much polvilho (tapioca flour). There are two types of polvilho: azedo (sour) and Doce (sweet). Both can be found in Brazilian markets and really comes down to personal preference when choosing which to use. Each mixes differently, however. Some Asian Markets carry tapioca flour that is akin to polvilho doce, but azedo is more difficult to find.

I love making Brazilian cheese breads and make a very similar recipe and bake them in a mini muffin tin. Play around with the cheeses you use - I always use parmesan and then add gruyere or cheddar or any other sharp cheese I have on hand

With Brazil's love for cassava, I wouldn't expect anything less than tapioca flour for this recipe. However, can all-purpose flour be substituted?

Yay! I love these little breads. I've always used a similar recipe (and a blender) but don't make them very often because I'm one of those people that for some reason dreads the idea of cleaning out the blender. I know it's easy. I know the warm water and soap into the blender trick. But I hate it. So I wanted to ask, has anyone made them by hand just with a bowl + whisk/wooden spoon?