Pão de Queijo

Ingredients

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 210°C. Lightly grease a small baking tray or line it with baking paper. Finely grate the queijo Minas so it mixes evenly into the dough.

2. 2

   Place the milk, butter, and salt in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat just until the butter melts and the mixture reaches a strong simmer; do not let it reduce significantly.

3. 3

   Put the tapioca starch in a heatproof bowl. Pour the hot milk mixture over it and stir with a spoon until all the starch is moistened. The texture will look clumpy at first; that is normal. Let it cool for about 3 minutes so the egg does not cook on contact.

4. 4

   Add the egg and mix thoroughly until the dough becomes sticky and more unified. Add the grated queijo Minas and mix again until evenly combined. If the dough feels too stiff to scoop, mix for another 30 seconds; if extremely loose, let it stand 1 minute for the starch to hydrate.

5. 5

   With lightly oiled hands or two spoons, divide and shape the dough into 8 small balls, about 25-30 g each, and place them on the tray with space between them. Smooth any rough cracks so they bake evenly.

6. 6

   Bake for 15-18 minutes until puffed, lightly golden in spots, and set on the outside. The centers should stay soft and chewy. For a little more color, bake 1-2 minutes longer, but avoid overbaking or they will lose their tender interior.

7. 7

   Let the pão de queijo rest on the tray for 2 minutes, then serve warm while the crust is delicate and the inside is stretchy and moist.

Nutrition per serving

Notes

• •For the best texture, use finely grated cheese; large shreds can make shaping harder.
• •If queijo Minas is unavailable, use a mix of mozzarella and Parmesan for a similar balance of stretch and saltiness.
• •These are best eaten warm from the oven, but you can reheat them for 3-4 minutes at 180°C.
• •A small cookie scoop makes portioning easy for beginners and helps the rolls bake evenly.

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