Revised: 01/19/2022
A handful of ingredients is all you need to make this incredibly easy gluten free Brazilian cheese bread. In under 30 minutes, you can make a roll that is simple to make, and consistently delicious.
This is one of the original recipes published on Just As Good Gluten Free and it was high time for an upgrade in photographs and procedures. While the recipe is tried and true, I have changed a few methods over the years to make a simple recipe even more simple!
In the past, I would indent a thumbprint on the bottom side of the dough. I find this step unnecessary. Sometimes the Brazilian cheese bread will puff up large, and other times not. In the past I thought this was due to the indentation, but side by side testing has proved unnecessary. Especially when baking in a muffin tin.
Baking in a muffin tin is another huge improvement made to this recipe. I used to bake the bread on a baking sheet, but sometimes the bread would stay shaped in a ball and other times it would go flat. It was very inconsistent. Baking in a muffin tin allows for each bread roll to bake perfectly while maintaining its shape.
Originally called Bolivian cheese bread, or cunapes, on this site, it seemed more universal to call them Brazilian cheese bread. Whatever you call them, it is a common recipe found throughout South America with very few changes (besides the name!) from region to region.
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What type of flour to use in Brazilian cheese bread?
Tapioca flour and tapioca starch are the same exact thing. Do not be concerned if your package says one or the other. This is the only flour/starch you need for gluten free Brazilian cheese bread!
Tapioca flour is derived from the root of the cassava plant, typically grown in South America.
I have found tapioca flour to be very common in grocery stores or on-line these days. You can buy it in bulk if you use it often, or in a small bag at your grocery store for fairly inexpensive.
Because I use tapioca flour in my gluten free flour blend, I buy tapioca flour in bulk from Amazon and store it in the freezer.
What type of cheese to use in Brazilian cheese bread
In my refrigerator, you can almost always find a wheel of queso fresco. Our family loves to eat Brazilian cheese bread and since it’s so simple to make, we make it often.
While you can find queso fresco under names such as queso blanco, they are all similar in that it is a crumbly white cheese often used in Mexican dishes. It is slightly saltier and tangier than something like mozzarella.
That being said, mozzarella, feta, goat cheese, cheddar cheese and even Monterey jack would be a suitable substitutes and some I have personally used. Make sure the cheese is shredded before adding it to the remainder ingredients.
Begin by mixing all of the ingredients with a spoon. I find it best to switch to clean hands to combine everything together, kind of like kneading bread by hand. Once everything comes together, it looks like the picture below where you can easily form balls.
Each ball can be placed in a standard size muffin tin. They will puff up as they bake.
What if I don’t have a muffin tin?
If you do not have a standard size muffin tin, place the dough balls on a baking sheet like the picture below. They may bake slightly flat, but will be just as delicious.
Once baked, the gluten free Brazilian cheese bread will have a golden brown color with a crusty exterior.
What to serve with gluten free Brazilian cheese bread
You often find Brazilian cheese bread at Brazilian steak houses where they bring a large chunk of steak, chicken or other meat and slice off portions at your table. That being said, this cheese bread pairs well with a lot of grilled or baked meats like chicken and steak. It can also be served alongside Mexican dishes that are not heavy on other carbohydrates (since tapioca is a starch and higher in carbs).
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Gluten Free Brazilian Cheese Bread (Pão de queijo)
Ingredients
- 1 cup (160 grams) tapioca flour/starch
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup (2 oz.) water
- 1 large egg
- 10 oz. pkg queso fresco, crumbled
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Set aside a 12-cup standard muffin tin.
- In a medium bowl, combine all of the ingredients. I usually start mixing with a large spoon, but I find it works best to use my hands to incorporate the ingredients.
- Using your hands, shape 12 pieces of dough into 2 inch diameter balls (slightly larger than a golf ball).
- Bake at 425 degrees F for 20-22 minutes, or until golden brown on top.
- Remove from oven and cool slightly before serving.
adapted from www.boliviabella.com
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