Udon's mom's pão de queijo
This is a classic brazilian treat, originating from the state of Minas Gerais: a small soft bun with cheese incorporated into the dough.
It's often eaten as part of a breafast or snack spread, at cafés, or as street food. Can be eaten on their own or with accompaniments such as goiabada (guava paste) or doce de leite (caramelized milk).
There are many recipes for it online, including in english, but this is the way my mom taught me to make them.
Ingredients
- 200ml milk
- 200ml water
- 100ml neutral-flavor oil
- 500g cassava/tapioca starch*
- 1 scant Tbsp salt
- 2-3 eggs (depending on if they're large or medium)
- 250g cheese, finely grated
Most traditional for this recipe would be to use aged Minas cheese, but can be substituted for any semi-hard or hard cheese. I use a 50/50 mix of parmesan and cheddar.
* Note on the cassava starch
There are two varieties: sweet ("polvilho doce") which is the regular version, and sour ("polvilho azedo"), which is fermented and slightly acidic. The sweet version gives the dish elasticity, and the sour one gives it a dry, crispy exterior and airy interior due to air bubbles.There are debates on which one is the best for pão de queijo, but many recommend a 50/50 ratio of sweet and sour to give it "the best of both worlds". However, I know that sour cassava starch can be hard to find outside Brazil, and this recipe works just fine with only the sweet version.
Not to be confused with cassava flour. Cassava flour, which is made from the whole root, does not work as a substitute for the cassava starch.
How to make
- Preheat the oven to 190C/375F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the cassava starch to a large mixing bowl.
- Add the milk, water, and oil to a pot and bring it to a boil. Quickly pour them over the dry ingredients in the bowl and mix with a wooden spoon or similar. Let it cool down a little.
- Lightly beat the eggs and add them to the bowl. Mix well. The dough should be slightly sticky but able to separate from the bowl. If you’re using large eggs, I recommend adding 2 first and see if you need a 3rd.
- Add the cheese and knead it into the dough until evenly distributed.
- Put it in the refrigerator to cool for at least 1 hour.
- Roll the dough into balls of your desired size. I prefer smaller ones, around 4-5cm (1.5-2 inches) in diameter, but you can make them bigger.
- Place the balls on the sheet, leaving a little space between each, and bake in the oven until golden (approximately 20-25 minutes).
If you make a big batch, you can flash-freeze the balls and then store them in a ziplock bag in the freezer. You can bake them straight from frozen (around 25-30 minutes), no need to defrost.
