Yes, Cheese Bread (Pão de Queijo)

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  The moment I decided to write this blog, I already knew what recipe would be the first. Cheese Bread!
                Oooooh cheese bread…you are the reason why I don’t crave other breads…

I learned to cook Pão de Queijo (cheese bread in Portuguese) with my mom, who had to learn how to make it when she married my dad.  You see, my father is from Minas Gerais, a state in Brazil that is known for many things, especially for its cheese bread! And my dad, like a good Mineiro (people from Minas Gerais), loves pão de queijo, and I, as a daughter of a Mineiro, could only love it too. There is even a joke about a Mineiro that found a magical lamp and wished for 2 cheese breads and a beautiful woman because he was too shy to ask for a third cheese bread 🙂
Many people told me that I reacted very well when I was diagnosed with gluten sensitivity because if it was them, they would have freaked out with the thought of not eating doughnts, pizza, cakes, etc.  In my case, I started thinking of what I could eat, and I literally jumped for joy when I remembered that cheese bread was gluten free.

This recipe is delicious. You can eat it with ham, salami, cheese, jam, butter, cream cheese, or by itself.

I am sure you will love Pão de Queijo, just like Mineiros do!

Ingredients:

• 5 cups of Tapioca Flour (It is Gluten Free)
• 1 cup (not too full) of Oil
• 2 ½ cups of Milk
• 6 eggs
• 2 cups of grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1 Tablespoon of salt

Procedure:

1. Measure the 5 cups of Tapioca Flour and put it into a bowl.
2. In a large saucepan, pour the milk, oil and salt and bring it to a high heat. When it starts to boil, remove it from the heat immediately (this happens fast, be careful) and mix it with the tapioca flour.
3. Stir the mixture until you get a smooth-textured dough. If you have a stand mixer, it will help you a lot in this step. If not, stirring the dough will be a great exercise for your arms.
4. Let the mixture cool for about 25 minutes. It is important to let the dough cool before you add the eggs, otherwise you won’t get the desired texture.
5. Stir in the cheese and one egg at a time. Mix it well. You can use the stand mixer here too.
6. When you get a homogeneous dough, make little balls of the size of a golf ball. Put some oil in your hand to help you shape the dough.
7. Place them in a baking sheet 1-2 inches apart.
8. Bake it in a preheated oven (375 degrees F) for 20-25 minutes, or until they are lightly brown on top.  The baking time may be more or less depending on the size of the balls you make.

*Notes: You can try this recipe with different kinds of cheese, like Mozzarella or Cheddar, but beware that some are oilier than others. In that case, you may need less eggs and oil. For example, if you use mozzarella, after you add the 5^th egg, you should check if the dough is too soft to handle. If so, don’t add more eggs. Also, if you use extra large eggs, you may only need 4 eggs.
You can freeze them before baking, and then you can eat warm and delicious cheese bread anytime you feel like it.

And there you have a great recipe of Cheese Bread. Enjoy it with some coffee or tea!

Let me know how your experience with pão de queijo goes. And if you have any questions, I will be glad to answer them 🙂

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