Pao De Queijo
Ingredients
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- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup neutral oil
- 1 tsp fine salt
- 2 cups sour tapioca starch (polvilho azedo)
- 2 cups sweet tapioca starch (polvilho doce)
- 3 large egg – lightly beaten
- 8 ounces Minas cheese (queijo Minas meia-cura) – finely grated
Instructions
1. Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Combine the milk, water, oil, and salt in a saucepan and bring just to a boil over medium heat. Remove from the heat as soon as it bubbles.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the sour tapioca starch and sweet tapioca starch. Pour the hot liquid over the starches and stir with a sturdy spoon until evenly moistened and shaggy. Let cool until warm to the touch, about 10 minutes.
4. Add the lightly beaten eggs in 2–3 additions, mixing well after each until fully absorbed; the dough will be sticky and elastic.
5. Add the finely grated Minas cheese and knead in the bowl until the dough is smooth, glossy, and pulls away from the sides, 2–3 minutes. If too soft to handle, chill for 10 minutes.
6. Scoop heaping tablespoon portions (about 1–1.25 inches wide) and roll into balls with lightly oiled hands. Arrange on the prepared sheets, spacing about 1.5 inches apart.
7. Bake until puffed, set, and lightly golden in spots, 18–22 minutes. The bottoms should sound hollow when tapped. Serve hot.
Pao de Queijo are small, naturally gluten-free cheese rolls with a crisp exterior and a tender, stretchy interior. Their signature chew comes from cassava starch, while the cheese perfumes the dough and melts into pockets that keep the centers moist. Eaten warm, they have a gentle tang, a buttery aroma from the oil and dairy, and a satisfying pull that makes them irresistible alongside coffee or as a snack.
Originating in Minas Gerais, Brazil, the rolls evolved from cassava-based breads made when wheat was scarce. Over time, local cheeses—especially queijo Minas meia-cura—were kneaded into the dough, and bakers refined techniques like scalding starch with hot milk and oil to achieve the characteristic puff. Today, Pao de Queijo is a national staple found in padarias, cafés, and homes across Brazil, with regional preferences for sour or sweet starch shaping subtle differences in texture and flavor.