Brazilian Cheese Bread
User Reviews
5
Brazilian Cheese Bread
Description
This Brazilian Cheese Bread recipe relies on tapioca flour as the base, combined with grated Parmesan and crumbled queso fresco for a rich, cheesy flavor. The cooking process involves simmering milk and oil, then mixing this hot liquid into the dry tapioca flour and salt, resulting in a gummy dough. After cooling, beaten eggs and cheese are incorporated to create a homogeneous dough that can be formed into small balls before baking.
The baking at 350°F allows the dough balls to puff and form a golden crust while maintaining a chewy, airy interior characteristic of this gluten-free bread. The combination of two cheeses adds complexity: Parmesan for sharpness and queso fresco for a milder, creamy note. Oiling hands helps handle the sticky dough easily during shaping.
Serving Brazilian Cheese Bread warm allows the cheese flavor to be most prominent and the texture to be soft yet chewy. It is a popular snack and breakfast item in Brazil and works well as a gluten-free bread alternative. The recipe notes suggest substituting queso fresco with grated aged white cheddar if unavailable, preserving the flavor and texture.
Use aged white cheddar if queso fresco is unavailable, freshly grated for best results.
Ingredients
- 1 cup Parmesan Cheese grated
- 1 oz queso fresco see below for option, round, crumbled
- 1 cup milk full fat
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil plus 1 Tbsp for oiling your hands
- 2 egg
- 1 lb tapioca flour also known as tapioca starch
- 2 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
Prepare the Dough:
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Add the tapioca flour and the salt to a large bowl, whisk to combine and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine the cheeses and the eggs and set aside.
- Add the milk and the oil to a small saucepan and bring to a simmer on stove top over medium heat.
- When the liquid simmers, remove the pan from heat, and immediately pour the hot liquid into the tapioca mixture and using a wooden spoon, stir to combine - the mixture will not be homogeneous, it'll be gummy and clumpy. See step by step images above for reference.
- Wait 5-10 minutes until the tapioca mixture is cool to touch, and only then add the cheese and egg mixture to the tapioca mixture. Mix with a wooden spoon, or your hands to combine. Now you should have a homogeneous mixture and it should come together as a ball. You'll still see some white tapioca specks in the dough - don't worry, that's totally normal!
Roll the Little Balls:
- Oil your hands, then scoop a Tbsp to 2Tbsp size portions, roll them into balls, and arrange them in a baking sheet approximately 2" apart from one another. *For freezing instructions see section below!
- Bake until golden brown, approximately 30-35 minutes.
Make-ahead Freezer Instructions:
- To freeze your Brazilian cheese bread for later, follow all steps up until rolling the little balls and placing them the baking sheet. Then, just place the baking sheet in the freezer for 15 minutes for the balls to set (just enough for them to hold their shape).
- When the balls are set, you can place them in a freezer safe ziplock bag and freeze for up to 3-4 months.
- To bake them, no thawing needed! Just preheat the oven to 350F, then arrange the little frozen balls in a baking sheet about 2" apart from one another and bake until golden brown - approximately 40-45 minutes.
Bom Apetite!
Notes
- Use aged white cheddar if queso fresco is unavailable, freshly grated for best results.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 30Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 90 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1serving | |
| Calories | 90kcal | 5% |
| Carbohydrates | 14g | 5% |
| Protein | 2g | 4% |
| Fat | 3g | 5% |
| Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 15mg | 5% |
| Sodium | 221mg | 9% |
| Potassium | 25mg | 1% |
| Sugar | 1g | 2% |
| Vitamin A | 58IU | 1% |
| Calcium | 41mg | 4% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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