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Rotina Diária

Savory Snacks

Brazilian Cheese Bread (Pão de Queijo)

Make pão de queijo with scalded tapioca starch for a crisp outside and chewy center, with aged cheese. Includes instructions for freezing the unbaked dough balls.

  • Total time 1 h 20 min
  • Prep time 30 min
  • Oven time 35 min
  • Rest or chill time 15 min
  • Temperature 355 °F (180 °C)
  • Makes about 40 small cheese breads
  • Difficulty Intermediate

Brazilian cheese bread is made with tapioca starch, extracted from cassava, rather than wheat flour. The key step for getting the right texture is scalding the starch: boiling milk and oil are poured over it, partially cooking the starch and making the dough elastic. That’s what gives the bread its chewy center.

Sour tapioca starch makes the rolls puff up more, with hollow centers and crisp crusts; sweet tapioca starch makes them softer and denser. This recipe uses equal amounts of both for a crowd-pleasing balance.

Ingredients

Amounts for 40 servings (about 40 small cheese breads).

Equipment

  • Grater
  • Pot
  • Large bowl
  • Wooden spoon
  • Baking sheet

Instructions

  1. Step 1 Bring the milk, oil, and salt to a boil

    Add the sweet and sour tapioca starch to a large bowl. In a saucepan, heat the milk, oil, and salt until boiling.

    • 8 3/4 oz sweet tapioca starch
    • 8 3/4 oz sour tapioca starch
    • 1 cup milk
    • 1/2 cup oil
    • 1 teaspoon salt

    About 5 min

  2. Step 2 Scald the tapioca starch

    Pour the boiling liquid over the tapioca starch all at once and stir with a wooden spoon. The mixture will be sticky and lumpy—that’s normal. Let it cool for about 15 minutes, until you can handle it.

    About 15 min

  3. Step 3 Add the eggs and cheese

    Add the eggs one at a time, kneading by hand until each one is incorporated. Add the grated cheese and knead for about 5 minutes, until the dough is smooth, soft, and no longer sticky.

    • 2 eggs
    • 7 oz grated meia cura cheese

    About 5 min

  4. Step 4 Shape the dough into balls

    Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease your hands with oil and roll the dough into walnut-size balls. Arrange them on an ungreased baking sheet, leaving space between each one.

    • 1 tablespoon oil, for greasing your hands

  5. Step 5 Bake

    Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the rolls have puffed up and are lightly golden on the bottom. Serve warm.

    About 30 min

Tips for success

  • If the dough is too soft to roll, add sweet tapioca starch a spoonful at a time; if it’s dry and cracking, add a little milk.
  • To freeze, place the unbaked balls on a baking sheet in the freezer. Once firm, transfer them to a freezer bag. Bake straight from frozen, adding 5 to 10 minutes to the baking time.
  • Mixing Parmesan with meia cura cheese gives the rolls a stronger flavor.

Substitutions

Meia cura cheese
Minas padrão cheese, Parmesan (use 150 g, since it’s saltier), or a mix of the two.
Half sweet and half sour
Use only sweet tapioca starch for softer rolls, or only sour for crispier rolls with hollow centers.

How to store

They’re best fresh from the oven; the next day, warm them in the oven for 5 minutes. Unbaked rolls keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Allergens

Contains: Dairy, Eggs.

Packaged ingredients may contain traces of other allergens. Always check the labels of the brands you use.

Published October 13, 2026. US measurements: 1 cup = 240 mL, 1 tablespoon = 15 mL, 1 teaspoon = 5 mL; 1 oz = 28 g.