If you’re at all like me, you believe the bread is just as important as the filling in a sandwich. And I’m always looking for new, ‘different’ breads to add to my repertoire. Enter: Pão de Queijo – Brazilian Cheese Bread!
The little gems are usually rolled-up in ‘bun format’, but the dough can be formed into small loaves and sliced for service. No matter how you form it, this soft, cheezy bread is a real treat – perhaps even a newstalgic upgrade to your regular cheese bread!
Simply irresistible…
I just love the way recipe contributor and Brazillian expat Aline (“Pronounced ‘Ay-lee-nee’, rhymes with ‘fettuccine’.”) describes this perennial Rio favourite:
“Pão de queijo as we call them in Portuguese, are a true gift to the universe! This typical Brazilian snack is lightly crunchy on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside, and has a cheese flavor that just hugs your mouth.”
After that enticement…
… Who could keep themself from dropping everything, and making a batch right away?
One thing you might not have in your pantry already – an ingredient that’s vital to the quality and authenticity of this bread – is tapioca flour.
Pão de Queijo originated in the 18th Century, in the southeastern Brazillian province of Minas Gerais. And they didn’t have wheat flour, as we know it, to speak of.
But, as Aline relates, “Just like that, with a little bit of milk, a little old/hardened cheese, and some eggs, the pão de queijo recipe was born.”
That’s right – No yeast required!
The eggs do the literal ‘heavy lifting’ in this recipe. And they do it well. But you must also pay close attention to the details of the preparation technique to ensure you get the generous, butter-gulping bubble matrix that makes this bread so soft and chewy.
The recipe calls for queso fresco. Don’t sweat it if you can’t get it. Aline suggests substituting a cup of ‘freshly grated aged white cheddar’.
You’ll want to make a big batch when you make these cheesy delights. The recipe, as is, makes 2 to 2.5 dozen buns. But you can double or triple the batch, and freeze the shaped dough balls in regular freezer bags for 3 to 4 months.
They’re as easy as that
Prep time is just 20 minutes, and bake time is just, in a preheated 350 F oven. And when made in Aline’s preferred ‘dinner roll size’, these gems clock in at just 90 Calories each.
My take
I just might embark on a weekend expedition to ‘Pão Land’ and try other savoury flavours. Olives and sun-dried tomatoes spring immediately to mind! And they’re native to Brazil’s Portuguese roots…
But I already know this new bread method will revolutionize my cheese bread repertoire in ways I haven’t even thought of yet!
~ Maggie J.