Pao de Queijo

Impossibly chewy, golden Brazilian cheese bread balls made with tapioca flour and loaded with salty Parmesan. Crispy on the outside, gloriously stretchy and hollow inside, these addictive puffs vanish the moment they leave the oven.

Ingredients

• 2 cups tapioca flour (tapioca starch)
• ½ cup whole milk
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1.5 cups finely grated Parmesan cheese (or Minas cheese)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a saucepan, combine the milk, oil, and salt. Bring to a boil, then immediately remove from heat. Pour in all the tapioca flour and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until a thick, sticky dough forms.
3. Transfer the dough to a mixing bowl and let it cool for 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition until fully incorporated. The dough will be sticky and stretchy.
4. Mix in the grated Parmesan cheese until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
5. With lightly oiled hands, roll the dough into 1.5-inch balls and place them on the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes until puffed up and golden brown on the outside. They should be hollow and chewy inside. Serve warm.

Chef's note: These can be frozen before baking: freeze the shaped balls on a sheet pan, then transfer to a bag. Bake from frozen at 400 degrees F for 28-30 minutes. Traditional Brazilian recipes use queijo Minas, but Parmesan is the most accessible substitute.

Nutrition per serving

More Brazilian recipes

• Feijoada
• Acai Bowl