Pao de Queijo (Cheese Bread)
Dinner decisions, handled: Pao de Queijo (Cheese Bread) pairs tapioca starch with parmesan for a 40-minute Brazilian snack.
✓ USDA-verified nutrition data
400 calories
19g protein
4g carbs
34g fat
1g fiber
Ingredients
- 2.5 cups Tapioca starch
- 1.5 cups Parmesan
- 1 cup Mozzarella
- 3 Eggs
- 1 cup Milk
- 0.5 cup Vegetable oil
- 1 tsp Salt
Steps
- Bring the milk, oil, and salt to a rolling boil, then pour over the tapioca starch in a large bowl. Stir vigorously — the starch will seize into a shaggy, gluey mass. That is correct.
- Cool 10 minutes until you can handle it, then knead in the eggs one at a time. The dough will feel impossibly sticky at first; keep kneading and it comes together.
- Work in the grated parmesan and mozzarella until evenly distributed. The dough should be soft, smooth, and slightly tacky.
- With oiled hands, roll into golf-ball-size spheres and space them on lined baking sheets. They puff dramatically, so give them room.
- Bake at 400°F for 20 to 25 minutes, until puffed, golden, and crisp-shelled. Do not open the oven early — they can deflate.
- Serve warm, within the hour. Pão de queijo waits for no one; the magic is the contrast of crisp shell and stretchy, cheesy center.