Glossário Culinário

Pão de Queijo (Brazilian Cheese Bread)

Origem: from Minas Gerais, Brazil

Pão de queijo, Brazilian cheese bread, is a Brazilian cheese roll made from tapioca starch and cheese dough, with a firm crust and a soft, stretchy crumb. Born in Minas Gerais, it won over the country as coffee’s companion, from breakfast to afternoon snack, served warm, plain and unhurried.

Characteristics

The dough takes sweet or sour tapioca starch, or a mix of both, scalded with milk, oil and salt, then mixed with eggs and plenty of grated cheese. Sour starch makes the roll puffier and airier, while sweet starch yields a denser crumb. Strong-flavored cheeses such as meia-cura, Parmesan or aged mozzarella give the characteristic taste. The dough stays soft and slightly sticky, shaped into greased balls and baked in a very hot oven until golden.

Uses in the kitchen

Pão de queijo shows up at breakfast, brunch, kids’ lunchboxes and as a party snack. It goes well plain, with butter, cream cheese or dulce de leche, and also stuffed with ham, shredded chicken or roast pork. In cafés it becomes a Minas-style sandwich; at home it stands in for regular bread alongside soups and broths. The raw dough freezes very well in balls, ready to bake fresh.

Variations

The most beloved variations are the traditional Minas-style pão de queijo, skillet pão de queijo, creamy and quick for a single serving, vegan pão de queijo, with no eggs or dairy, and chia pão de queijo, with seeds in the dough. There are also versions with sweet potato, mandioquinha or fillings like guava paste, calabresa and chicken with catupiry.

Fun facts

A well-preheated oven is the secret to tall, golden cheese bread: a cold oven deflates the dough. If the dough gets too soft, chill it a few minutes before shaping. Freshly grated cheese melts better than the bagged kind. And each starch asks for its own amount of liquid, so add the milk gradually until the dough is soft but able to hold its shape.

Recipes with pão de queijo

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