I love Brazilian food, and when I first met a plate of these, I couldn’t stop eating them. At the time, I was trying to simply publish the most authentic recipe for this Brazilian delicacy that I could find.
But ten years later, the recipe has become valuable because these little goodies are gluten-free as well as dynamite. They are so forgiving and easy to make that a monkey could bake them. They are just as chewy and delicious as any wheat-based cheese bread.
Pão de Queijo is pronounced “pow duh KAY-zhoo.”
1-2/3 C tapioca flour (available at Asian food stores)
1/4 C light olive oil
1/3 C water
1 t salt
1 egg, beaten
1/3 C yogurt
1 C grated Cheddar cheese (or us a mixture of your favorite cheeses)
Optional: Poppy seeds, sesame seeds, or flax seeds
Preheat oven to 450 F. In a small saucepan, combine oil and salt with water and bring to a boil. Pour over the tapioca and stir with a fork to make a crumbly dough. When it cools, stir in the yogurt, cheese, and egg. Drop spoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet — I like to make 30 small ones, but you can make them larger if you wish.
You can sprinkle the dough with poppy seeds (shown above), flax seeds, or sesame seeds at this point.
Turn the oven down to 350 and bake 25 to 30 minutes, until puffed and golden. Cool on a wire rack. Best eaten within 24 hours.
Proportions for original recipe:
1-2/3 C tapioca flour
1/4 C sunflower oil
1/3 C water
Generous pinch of salt
1 egg, beaten
1/3 C yogurt
1/2 to 3/4 C grated hard cheese, like parmesan