Tuesday, September 8, 2015

My Addiction to Pão De Queijo (Brazilian Cheese Bread)

Fresh from the oven and ready to eat! The bread smells so nice!
My love for Latin and South American food just keeps growing and growing. I've had legit Latin roast chicken, Puerto Rican Mofongos with their tasty rice and Cubanos or Cuban sandwich in Philippines, legit tacos and burritos made by Mexican-Americans back in US, and legit tuna ceviche from my boss from Peru! Of course I know that it will always taste best at the country that it originally came from. I learned to make certain Brazilian food since I was inspired by the Brazilian-Japanese people I met back in Tokyo. There's just something in me that just feels so good when I step into a place full of Latinos and Latinas dancing in a club or dining and having a good time. Not just the food, but maybe it's the ambiance, the colorful atmosphere, or even the music playing in Spanish or Portuguese! My friend from Mexico and my boss from Peru thinks I was born a Latino in my past life because I love many things that are Latino. I learned Spanish partially in school and through those people by listening to their conversations and culture. Funny thing: if you can speak or understand Spanish, you can understand some Portuguese because of their similarities! I am hoping to visit Spanish or Portuguese speaking countries soon!



They are sticky at first, but with oiled hands, they will shape fine!

There's this one bread from Brazil which I saw from Cooking with Dog on Youtube and other cooking websites such as www.thekitchn.com. Called Pão de Queijo, it got my attention because not only do I love cheese, but I also love baking! And when I saw it being split open and eaten, I realized that I have to make that! The gooey and cheesy texture they were describing felt so good to me. They described the bread as having a texture similar to mochi, and of course, I am very much addicted to mochi! The thing that got my attention was the type of flour they used. They used tapioca starch for this recipe, which is odd for me since I have never worked with it. It's a very powerful starch which helps the bread puff up and rise without the use of yeast in the mixture. It's also gluten-free so I think a lot of people would enjoy it!

They're puffing up in the oven and almost done baking!

Finding that tapioca starch was a bit of a challenge. Very difficult to find the authentic sour tapioca starch the Brazilians use, so I had to search several stores before I found it at an Asian market (My Little Store) and at Healthy Options. The first times I made it, I used mochi flour and glutinous rice flour, assuming that since it's texture was sort of like mochi, I used that. It did not puff up, even after my second attempt! So one day, I saw the tapioca starch at an Asian market, and I decided to get it and make the bread because I was not content with what I had done. After my third attempt, it puffed up! When split it open, the feeling was just so wonderful. It was a bit crunchy on the outside, and nice and gooey on the inside. It just feels so right to me! Everyone I've baked this bread for likes it! It's definitely best fresh out of the oven, but it's so easy and inexpensive to make that anyone of us could do it!

And it's done! Look how puffy these babies look! Gooey, cheesy, yummy!

People have several methods to make this bread such as gradually mixing the ingredients into a blender or doing it by hand. They all work, but I personally like heating up the liquid before mixing it into the starch and the putting it into a mixer. I just love how the heat immediately activates the gooey texture of the starch! And also, it's less messy since this dough is very sticky. This dough should not be overmixed or else the bread will not puff up as much. When handling the dough, make sure to oil your hands throughly to prevent dough from sticking when portioning and shaping. Or you can use an ice cream scoop dipped in water to properly scoop the bread dough. Both will produce equally good results. You can even portion it out in muffin pans if you want it to be more organized!
Normally the recipe uses Parmesan cheese, but you can use any hard or firm cheese you want!
Whichever way you put it, this Brazilian cheese bread is as addicting and good as dinner rolls served in those fancy restaurants. Its texture is similar to that of Japanese mochi, Chinese tikoy or Filipino sapin-sapin, but with a haunting cheesy flavor. One of my dreams is to visit South America and make it all the way to Brazil and other parts of South America such as Peru, Colombia and Argentina! I could hear my boss from Peru screaming to the top of her lungs and me just laughing from the sound. To feel the party, the carnival parade, music, language, and people is what makes me want to visit those countries and travel the most! Try this cheese bread to taste and believe the things I am feeling for Brazil and South America!

This bread was piping hot, but I just had to split one open because it's so good fresh from the oven!

Pão De Queijo (Brazilian Cheese Bread) Courtesy of www.thekitchn.com
Makes approximately 2 dozen puffs, depending on the size
Preparation Time: 15 mins.
Baking Time: 20-30 mins
Bob's Red Mill Tapioca Flour is a good example to use for this recipe!

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup (250ml) whole milk
  • 1/2 cup (125ml) vegetable or olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon (5g) salt
  • 2 cups (10 oz.) Tapioca Starch or sour cassava flour
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1-2 cups of Parmesan cheese, grated
This dough is very sticky, but they turn out so beautiful once they finish baking in the oven!

Equipment:

  • 2-quart saucepan
  • Wooden spoon or Silicone spatula
  • Standing mixer with paddle attachment (or you can do this by hand with your palms oiled)

This dough took a while for me to make, but I'm happy that it finally puffed up!

To make the Brazilian cheese bread:
Preheat the oven up to 450°F or 220°C. Put parchement paper or Silpat mat on a baking pan and set it aside for later.
This is what the dough should look like. Very sticky so grease your hands when handling this!
  1. Combine the milk, oil, and salt in the saucepan. Stir occassionally and bring it to a boil over medium heat. Remove from the heat as soon as you start to see bubbles from the milk.
  2. Put the tapioca starch in a bowl for the mixer. Pour carefully the boiling milk and oil mixture over the tapioca starch, and mix with the wooden spoon or Silicone spatula until you see no more dry tapioca starch. Texture should be gummy and grainy at the same time.
  3.  Transfer the bowl to a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Put the mixer on medium speed and let it mix until the mixture has become smooth and the dough has cooled. This usually takes around 3-5 mins. You can also mix the mixture by hand, but be prepared to have sticky hands for this workout. This would take around 10 mins of mixing by hand. (The dough may release some oil, which is fine. Just scrap the sides after.)
  4. Crack the eggs in a bowl. When the dough is smooth enough, put the mixer into low speed. Pour each egg into the mixture, one by one until fully incorporated. Then put back on medium speed until it is mixed well. Scrape the sides as needed.
  5. With medium speed on the mixer, beat in the grated cheese and mix until incorporated. The dough should have a similar consistency to cake batter or cooked dough such as pâte à choux batter. Stop once everything is smooth and mixed well.
  6. With an ice cream scoop, oiled tablespoon, or oiled dinner spoon, scoop parts of the dough and shape into round balls using your oiled up hands. You can also weigh out the dough portion on a digital scale to be more accurate. I usually do mine from around 30-45g per dough for a good portion. Then put the dough onto the baking sheet or Silpat mat.
  7. Transfer the baking sheets with the cheese bread into the oven. Immediately turn down the temperature to 350°F or 180°C. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the puffs have puffed up, the outside is dry, and the bread in just about to color. Remove from the oven, let it cool and taste as soon as they are cool enough to touch. This bread is best fresh from the oven, but will be able to keep for up to a week in an airtight container. Just reheat in a toaster or oven for a short while to let it become crispy on the outside, but nice and chewy on the inside.
And it's done baking! I love how cute and weird they look at first. They are so good fresh from the oven.

Tapioca Starch and Cheese Used:
Sour cassava flour is often difficult to find, so plain tapioca starch is good enough for this recipe. I got several types of Tapioca Starch from Y-Mart Taiwan Specialty Products in Makati, Little Store on the Hill in San Juan, and in Rustan's and Healthy Options where I got the Bob's Red Mill brand. As for cheese used, normally any type of hard cheese aside from Parmesan can be used since fresh Parmesan cheese can be expensive here. Examples of cheeses used are Edam, Queso de bola, Ementhal or Pecorino. You can even use grated mozzarella if you prefer. Try to taste different types of cheese to see which type of cheese would taste good for you.
This bread is extremely delicious, filling, and addicting! Good thing they are inexpensive to make!

30 comments:

  1. I love cheesebread for real!! Thanks for sharing! Will definitely try this at home!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am addicted to it! And it has become a food staple with my friend that I need to bring some whenever we meet! Cheers!

      Delete
  2. you just made me craving for this right now. I don't bake, so I'll just buy. ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am not sure where you will find this, but I hope you do! Cheers!

      Delete
  3. Your skills! Would love to see more of this :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! Yeah I will post a lot of things aside from this! Cheers!

      Delete
  4. This is awesome, Yrwin! I wanna try to do this, but I'm too lazy lol :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think cooking and baking is fun! You could learn to in the future! Cheers!

      Delete
  5. I know I've had this bread before but can't remember what it tastes like. Anyway, from the sounds of it, it must be really good, right? My little niece is into baking so maybe I'll show this to her, so we can have a different recipe compared to the usual breads and cookies. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The texture is somewhat similar to mochi but with an intense or subtle cheese flavor! Very gooey and cheesy. Really addicting. Cheers!

      Delete
  6. My sister would love this. Another recipe that I'll make my sister bake for me :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes go for it! It surprises me how all this time, this stuff was just around somewhere. Cheers!

      Delete
  7. IF I COULD ONLY GRAB ONE FROM THE SCREEN, I WOULD DO SO!! They look delicious! I love food so much, and I hate you for making me hungry. Hahaha kidding! Keep cooking!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! I do hope you get to taste these in the future! Cheers!

      Delete
  8. ooooh. cheese breadddd *drools*. ive only started baking and would definitely try this (hope it goes well). Thank u for sharing. I can imagine how they smell coming fresh feom the oven. yum!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They are so intense, chewy and delicious out from the oven! I must go to Brazil and experience the real thing! Cheers!

      Delete
  9. Combination of my two favorite things cheese and bread haha! The chewy sticky texture is part of the flavor really. Mouth-watering.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes! I hope you get to taste these in the future because they are so good! Cheers!

      Delete
  10. Aha! I should really bring Brazil at home from you! I should try this one since I also love cheese.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I really hope I can make it to Brazil at some point in my life! I love this and a lot of their food! Cheers!

      Delete
  11. I always get amazed by people who can bake! God! You make me feel hungry and I'm now craving for cheese. <3

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Go for it! I hope you can learn to make these because they are amazing! Cheers!

      Delete
  12. Wow! I didn't know Brazil has this! Will try to make one soon, too! <3

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Go for it! This is like the bread they sell on the streets of Brazil I hear. And I hope to make it there! Cheers!

      Delete
  13. Wow! Amazing, this is something I'd love to have right now! Freshly baked especially, delicious!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's amazing once you try it! If you love cheese, this will be heavenly for you! Cheers!

      Delete
  14. I've only baked one thing in my life (macaron) and that's because I attended a blogger event. I remember feeling quite fulfilled after though. Nothing tastes better than the food you made yourself. I don't really have the equipment but if I did I would love to try baking pao de queijo, it looks delicious.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You don't need to have the equipment to make these. Just really strong arms for kneading the dough! Trust me, these are easier to make than macaron! Cheers!

      Delete
  15. Oh my this looks heavenly! I love cheese bread too but I am not a good cook nor baker huhu. The struggle is real haha will bookmark this for future reference. Thanks for sharing :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! It takes time to learn cooking and baking but with practice, you will get it. Cheers!

      Delete