Brazilian cheese bread, or pão de queijo, is a small, chewy roll made with tapioca starch, cheese, milk, oil and eggs. This UK-friendly version uses mature Cheddar and Parmesan for a savoury flavour, with a crisp outside and springy centre; recipes vary across Brazil, including in their choice of cheese and tapioca starch.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) neutral oil, such as sunflower or rapeseed oil
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) fine salt
- 2 cups (250 g) tapioca starch, also sold as tapioca flour
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature if convenient (about 100 g without shells)
- 1 cup (100 g) finely grated mature Cheddar
- ⅓ cup (35 g) finely grated Parmesan
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) oil for your hands, if needed
Instructions
- Heat the oven and prepare a tray. Set a conventional oven to 400°F (200°C), or a fan oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a large baking tray with baking paper. Keep it nearby while you make the dough; the rolls need space between them because they puff as they bake.
- Warm the milk mixture. Put the milk, ⅓ cup (80 ml) oil and salt in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat until steaming and just beginning to bubble at the edges, stirring once or twice. Take it off the heat before it boils vigorously.
- Scald the tapioca starch. Tip the tapioca starch into a large heatproof bowl. Pour the hot milk mixture over it and stir firmly with a wooden spoon until no large dry patches remain. The mixture will look clumpy and may seem uneven; that is normal. Leave it for 10 minutes so it cools to warm rather than hot. This pause makes the eggs easier to incorporate.
- Mix in the eggs. Add one egg and work it into the dough with a sturdy spoon or your hands. It may look slippery before it comes together. Add the second egg and mix again until the dough is cohesive, soft and tacky. If your eggs are particularly large, hold back a spoonful of the second beaten egg at first and add it only if the dough feels dry or crumbly.
- Add the cheese. Mix in the grated Cheddar and Parmesan until they are evenly distributed. The finished dough should be soft enough to roll but not runny. Avoid adding extra flour: tapioca starch behaves differently from wheat flour, and too much additional starch can make the centres dry and dense.
- Shape the rolls. Lightly oil your palms if the dough sticks, then roll it into 20 balls about the size of a walnut, roughly 3–4 cm (1¼–1½ inches) across. Arrange them on the tray with at least 3 cm (about 1¼ inches) between each one. If the dough is very sticky, use lightly oiled hands rather than dusting the counter with flour.
- Bake until puffed and golden. Bake for 20–22 minutes, until the rolls have risen and their tops are lightly golden. For the egg-safety check, use a food thermometer in the centre of a larger roll: USDA FSIS gives 160°F (71°C) as the safe minimum internal temperature for egg dishes. Leave the rolls on the tray for 5 minutes before serving; their centres will be very hot straight from the oven.
Tips
- Check the packet says tapioca starch. Tapioca flour is another name for the same ingredient, but cassava flour is different: it is made from the whole root and will not give this dough the same stretchy, airy texture. UK supermarkets and specialist shops often stock tapioca starch in the world-food or gluten-free aisle.
- Grate cheese finely. Fine shreds mix through the dough more evenly and melt without leaving large pockets. Use a block of Cheddar and Parmesan rather than pre-grated cheese if possible; some ready-grated cheeses contain coatings that can affect how smoothly they blend.
- Expect a tacky dough. Tapioca dough does not handle like bread dough made with wheat flour. If it is too sticky to shape, lightly oil your hands and work quickly. If it is genuinely loose and pourable, mix in a tablespoon of tapioca starch at a time, stopping as soon as it can hold a ball.
- Use room-temperature eggs if you can. They blend more easily into the cooled starch mixture. If you forgot to take them out of the fridge, set them in a bowl of warm tap water for a few minutes while the milk heats; do not add eggs to the dough while it is still hot.
Serving Suggestions
Serve pão de queijo warm, when the crust is at its crispest and the middle is soft and chewy. The rolls are often eaten as a snack or alongside coffee, and they also work well as part of a breakfast or brunch spread. Put them in a cloth-lined basket and serve them soon after baking, rather than sealing them while hot, which traps steam and softens the crust.
For a simple savoury spread, offer butter, cream cheese or a mild chilli jam alongside. They can also sit beside soup or a salad as a bread-like accompaniment, though their chewy texture is quite different from a conventional wheat roll. Because they are small and rich with cheese, plan on about three or four per person as a snack, or more if they are the main bread on the table.
Variations
Try a different cheese blend. In Brazil, pão de queijo is made with regional cheeses, and household recipes vary. Queijo Minas is a traditional option that can be difficult to find in the UK. Mature Cheddar gives this version a familiar sharp flavour, while Parmesan adds saltiness and depth. You can replace some of the Cheddar with a firm, well-drained mozzarella for a milder, stretchier result, but avoid using only fresh mozzarella because its moisture can make the dough too wet.
Use sour tapioca starch for a tangier roll. Brazilian recipes may use polvilho azedo, or sour tapioca starch, sometimes alongside sweet tapioca starch (polvilho doce). If you find it in a specialist shop, replace up to half of the tapioca starch with the sour kind. It brings a more pronounced tang and can change how much the rolls expand, so use the same total weight of starch and expect some variation in shape.
Add a little seasoning. A pinch of black pepper, smoked paprika or dried oregano can be mixed in with the cheese. Keep extra salt modest because Parmesan and mature Cheddar are already salty. For a less sharp flavour, replace the Parmesan with the same weight of finely grated mild hard cheese, understanding that the finished rolls will taste gentler and a little less savoury.
Storage and Reheating
These rolls are at their best on the day they are baked. Once they have cooled, put any leftovers in a covered container and refrigerate them within 2 hours; they keep for 3–4 days in the fridge. Chilling makes the crust soft and the centre firmer, so reheating is worthwhile. Set them on a baking tray and warm in a 325°F (160°C) oven for 5–8 minutes, until hot through. A microwave will heat them faster, but leaves them softer rather than crisp.
To freeze baked rolls, cool them completely, freeze in a single layer until firm, then transfer to a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months for best quality. Reheat from frozen in a 350°F (180°C) oven for about 10–12 minutes, checking that the centres are hot. You can also freeze the shaped, unbaked dough balls on a tray and pack them once solid. Bake them from frozen at the recipe temperature, adding about 4–6 minutes and checking for the same puffed, golden finish and safe internal temperature.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is tapioca flour the same as tapioca starch?
Yes. In most UK and US grocery packaging, tapioca flour and tapioca starch refer to the same fine starch made from cassava. Choose a product labelled either way. Cassava flour is not interchangeable: it contains more of the root and does not produce the characteristic stretchy crumb in these rolls.
Can I make Brazilian cheese bread without Parmesan?
Yes. Replace it with the same weight of finely grated mature Cheddar or another firm, savoury cheese. The rolls will still work, though they will lose some of Parmesan’s concentrated salty flavour. Taste the cheese blend before adding any extra salt, since the Cheddar may already provide enough.
Why did my rolls turn out flat?
Common causes are dough that is too wet, starch measured inaccurately, or an oven that was not fully heated before baking. Weighing the starch is the most reliable option. Make sure the milk mixture is hot when it is poured over the starch, then allow it to cool before adding the eggs. If the dough feels loose, add tapioca starch gradually rather than a large amount all at once.
Can I prepare the dough in advance?
For the most dependable texture, shape and bake the rolls soon after mixing. The dough can be shaped and frozen on a tray, then stored frozen and baked without thawing; allow a few extra minutes in the oven. Avoid leaving raw egg dough at room temperature for an extended period, and do not count frozen rolls as ready until they are baked through.
Are these rolls gluten-free?
The ingredients listed are naturally gluten-free, but packaging and preparation can introduce cross-contact. If gluten avoidance is important, check the labels on the tapioca starch, cheese and other ingredients, and use clean equipment and a clean tray. The recipe’s chewy texture comes from tapioca starch, not wheat flour.
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- Brazilian Brigadeiro Recipe: Rich, Chewy Chocolate Truffles
- Brazilian Ribeye Steak in the Oven
- What Is a Typical Brazilian Breakfast?
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Safety notes: safe minimum internal temperatures from USDA FSIS; raw and undercooked fish guidance from the U.S. FDA. Food safety notes
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