If you have ever tried Pao de Queijo and are looking for a good recipe, you are in the right place. If you have never tried it, get ready to taste the most cheesy bread that is soft and chewy.
Pao de Queijo is a Brazilian cheese bread that is a very popular breakfast served next to a cafézinho (coffee). But if you live outside of Brazil, you probably see this bread served in many Brazilian restaurants like Fogo de Chao before your dinner.
You can also find these cheese breads frozen at many supermarkets, but trust me, nothing beats freshly baked at home! Perfect to dip in a creamy potato soup or the cheddar broccoli soup.
I love these with some sweet Puerto Rican guava sauce drizzle on top because the contrast between sweet and salty is amazing. But you can serve on the side of sweet guava sauce meatballs.
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Why This Recipe Works
- Easy to follow recipe!
- This is a simple recipe with ingredients you can find at any big chain supermarket.
- This is a bread you can serve as a breakfast bread, a side bread, or just as a snack.
Recipe Ingredients
- Tapioca flour- This flour you must not confuse with cassava flour. It is different. The cassava flour is made from the whole vegetable, and the tapioca flour is made only from the starch. You’ll be able to find tapioca flour next to the specialty flours in the supermarket.
- Salt- We only need a little bit of salt in this recipe because the cheese also adds saltiness to this bread recipe.
- Water & milk & oil- We use equal parts of water, regular milk, and oil. I used vegetable oil.
- Egg- Some recipes add 2 eggs when making this cheese bread. What I do is I add only 1 large egg. If all I have are very small eggs, then I add 2.
- Cheese- Depending on who you ask, the cheese preference will change. If you live in Brazil, you would use queijo minas or something similar. But for the rest of us, we have to use what we have. I used mozzarella cheese, but you can also use half Parmesan and have mozzarella.
How to Make Pao de Queijo
- Photo 1: The first step is adding the milk, oil, and water to a small pot and heating it up until it boils. Now, I have tested it without boiling as well, just warm liquid, and the difference is in how the batter gets.
- Photo 2: In a big bowl, add the flour, salt, and liquids. Mix until most of the liquid is absorbed. Depending on how hot your liquids are, your dough will have a very goey texture or a crumbly one if the liquid is colder. Then add the egg and mix it in. Then add the cheese and mix.
- Photo 3: Your mixture will be wet and sticky. So the first thing you want to do is to oil your hands or wet them with water. Then, take about ¼ cup of dough and roll it to roughly make it look like a ball. I use an ice cream scoop to make even balls, plus it is easier to shape this way. Shape and place on a tray. No need to use any parchment paper.
- Photo 4: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Once hot, bake for 25 minutes. Don’t be tempted to open the oven door while they bake because they can deflate.
Recipe Tips
- Shaping the bread. You will notice that this cheese bread can be found in many shapes. Some people make them with like a more cylindrical shape. Some people make them into small balls, and some bigger, like this recipe. You can give them the shape you prefer.
- Storing. You always want to store this bread in a ziplock bag or any tight container. This bread can last you 2 days fresh; after that, it starts getting hard.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you make this cheese bread recipe in the air fryer. Set the air fryer to 400°F and cook for 10 to 15 minutes.
Yes, you can make it in a muffin pan. The only thing is that they have a very puffed shape.
Other Delicious Breads to Try
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Pao de Queijo (Brazilian Cheese Bread)
Ingredients
- ¼ cup milk (68g)
- ¼ cup water (68g)
- ¼ cup vegetable oil (60g) + 1 TB for hands
- 2 cups tapioca flour (250g)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup shredded mozarella (120g)
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 425°F.
- In a small pot over high heat, add the milk, water, and oil. Heat this until it bubbles, for about 1 minute.
- In a big bowl, add the flour, salt, and the hot liquids. Mix until all the flour is combined. Then add the egg and mix. After, add the cheese, and combine until you have a gooey mix.
- Grease your hands. Take about ¼ cup of the bread dough and roll it into a ball, and place it in a tray. You can also use an ice cream scoop to make the balls.
- Bake for 24 minutes. Serve immediately, buen provecho.
Recipe Notes
- Shaping the bread. I gave these a round shape, but you can also give them a more cylindrical shape. Just use the same amount of dough.
- Dough. Once you place the dough on the tray, it will look like it’s spreading. Don’t worry, because the dough will rise once it starts baking.
- Serving. This can be served as a breakfast bread with coffee. My favorite way is to serve it with a salsa de guayaba as a snack or appetizer.
- Storing. You always want to store this bread in a ziplock bag or any tight container. This bread can last you 2 days fresh; after that, it starts getting hard.
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