I have been borrowing cookbooks like crazy from the library. One of my recent borrows is the cookbook, Simply Nigella by Nigella Lawson. I’ve taken to placing post-it notes at each recipe that I want to try and one of them was her recipe for Brazilian Cheese Bread. I was able to make this bread on Friday, but I haven’t had a chance to post about it until now. I do have a few bakes scheduled for today, but before I go tackle those, I wanted to post about these little puff balls of chewiness.
Here is a recipe for Brazilian Cheese Bread at Simply Recipes. I haven’t tried this particular cheese bread recipe but I probably will soon. I love anything I have made from Simply Recipes.
I can’t seem to find the actual recipe I used online anywhere. This is probably because it is from a published cookbook.
Some issues I had with the recipe from Simply Nigella:
- The batter was really, really runny. I think this might be because I didn’t bring the milk up to enough of a boil before adding it to the tapioca flour.
- I had one child who did not like the cheese bread. I think for him it was a texture thing.
- I ended up making about 90 of these breads instead of just 50 like the recipe said.
- I don’t think the breads puffed up as much as they should have.
Josh and I went on a gluten-free diet for about a month sometime last year. So I had to buy gluten-free flours. Once we were off the diet though, I was left with flours that I don’t use very much taking up space in my fridge! This is one reason I made the macarons a few weeks ago. My goal for the next month or two is to use up these flours. Who knows though; I may end up buying a few of these flours regularly!
This is the consistency of my cheese bread batter before I added the milk mixture from the stove.
This is after I added the milk. It was very, very runny!
The cheese bread on the baking sheet and in the oven.
My cheese breads all puffed up after baking. But… some of them didn’t stay that way. Some of them went flat after baking!
The texture of these was a little odd and took a bit of getting used to (very chewy!), but they were kind of addicting! In fact, I had little people (and one big son who is taller than I am) coming into the kitchen every few minutes to take one or two to snack on. I think they lasted maybe two days. They were really, really chewy the next day, but that didn’t bother my kids any. They still ate them up with lunch or as a snack. The cheese bread also toasted up decently in the toaster oven and regained its crispy exterior.
I will definitely make these again! I will try a different cheese next time and use a different recipe. I also need a recipe that doesn’t make quite so many!
-Lynn
They’re so cute. 🙂
I’m amazed how much your cheese ‘bread’s’ puffed up based on their initial appearance on the tray. I bought the tapioca flour specifically for these breads and now I have most of the bag left. I have another version of the breads that I want to try and when I pick up some appropriate cheese, I’ll do so.
These were fun to make and they would make a great appetizer! I just think I need to get a recipe that works better for me.
I don’t have a reference for this recipe but it’s one I want to try.
Drop Brazilian Cheese Bread (Pao de Queijo)
“These yummy gluten/wheat free breads are good for those with Celiac disease or gluten intolerance. These are good either served plain, or with marinara sauce. For more variety, try adding a variety of herb seasonings, such as Italian seasoning or try substituting other cheeses for the Parmesan.”
1/2 cup olive oil or butter
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup milk or soy milk
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups tapioca flour
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 beaten eggs
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Pour olive oil, water, milk, and salt into a large saucepan, and place over high heat. When the mixture comes to a boil, remove from heat immediately, and stir in tapioca flour and garlic until smooth. Set aside to rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
Stir the cheese and egg into the tapioca mixture until well combined, the mixture will be chunky like cottage cheese. Drop rounded, 1/4 cup-sized balls of the mixture onto an ungreased baking sheet.
Bake in preheated oven until the tops are lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes.