Pão de Queijo (Brazilian Cheese Bread)

Pão de queijo — cheese bread — is Brazil's most beloved snack food, a small, golden sphere with a crackling crust and a molten, chewy, intensely cheesy interior that stretches like mozzarella as you pull it apart. Originally from Minas Gerais state in the 18th century, it is made with polvilho (cassava starch) rather than wheat flour, which makes it naturally gluten-free and gives it a uniquely elastic, slightly gummy texture that wheat could never replicate. Served at breakfast, as a lanche (afternoon snack), alongside coffee, or at any hour of the day, pão de queijo is an entirely casual pleasure — yet biting into a warm one fresh from the oven is one of the great simple joys of Brazilian food culture.

Serves: 4 (makes approximately 20 small rolls)

Ingredients

• 250g (9 oz) polvilho azedo (sour cassava starch; or use sweet polvilho for a milder flavour)
• 125ml (½ cup) whole milk
• 60ml (¼ cup) water
• 60ml (¼ cup) neutral oil or melted butter
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 large eggs
• 120g (4 oz) queijo Minas (or a mix of Parmesan and low-moisture mozzarella), grated

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). Grease a mini muffin tin or line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Combine milk, water, oil, and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring.
3. Pour the hot liquid over the polvilho in a large bowl immediately. Stir vigorously — the starch will partially cook and form a shaggy, sticky dough. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.
4. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. The dough will be smooth and quite sticky. Add grated cheese and mix until fully incorporated.
5. Wet your hands lightly and roll heaped tablespoons of dough into smooth balls, about 3cm (1.25 in) in diameter. Place on the prepared baking sheet or in muffin tins, spacing 3cm apart.
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes until puffed and golden with a firm, crackled exterior.
7. Serve immediately — they are at their peak for about 10 minutes out of the oven.

Cook's Notes: Polvilho azedo gives authentic pão de queijo its tangy flavour and dramatic puff; look for it at Brazilian grocery stores or online. The dough can be shaped, frozen solid on a tray, then transferred to bags and baked from frozen — add 5 minutes to the baking time. Never let them cool completely before eating; the chew is a feature, not a flaw.