- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total time
- 50 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- EASY
- Calories
- 880 kcal
Quick summary
“Classic Minas Gerais pastry prepared by the method of scalding the sweet cassava starch with boiling milk and oil, enriched with fresh eggs and grated aged Minas cheese. Shaped into golden spheres baked at 180°C, it develops a thin, crackling crust with a chewy, soft, and airy interior.”
What you need to know
- Scalding the cassava starch with boiling milk and oil gelatinizes the starch and creates the typical elasticity of Pao de Queijo.
- Adding the eggs to the batter only when it is warm prevents premature coagulation of the proteins.
- The semi-cured Minas cheese provides the fat and salt suitable for the light growth of the balls.
Ingredients
Main
- 500g sweet cassava starch
- 250ml milk
- 100ml of oil
- 2 eggs
- 200g of grated Minas cheese
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
Principal
- In a pan, heat the milk and oil until boiling.
- In a bowl, place the tapioca starch and salt.
- Pour the hot mixture over the manioc starch and mix well with a spoon.
- Add the eggs one by one, mixing until well incorporated.
- Finally, add the Minas cheese and mix until the dough is smooth.
- With greased hands, shape small balls.
- Place the balls on the baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake for approximately 25 minutes or until golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes before serving.
Chef's tips
- Grate the cheese on a medium grater to create crispy golden spots scattered on the crust.
- Rub oil on your hands to roll the balls easily without deforming the surface.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C to ensure uniform expansion without drying out the crumb.
Variations
- Stuffed Pão de Queijo: introduce a cube of guava paste or firm cream cheese into the center of each ball before baking.
- Pao de Queijo with Herbs: sprinkle dried oregano and finely chopped fresh rosemary into dough alongside grated cheese.
- Skillet Pao de Queijo: open a portion of the raw dough into a thin disk in a greased pan and brown on both sides.
Substitutions
- Minas Padrão cheese can be replaced by semi-cured Canastra cheese, cured Prato cheese, or a mix with grated Parmesan cheese.
- Sweet cassava starch can be combined with half sour cassava starch (fifty percent of each) for puffier and hollower breads.
- Vegetable oil can be replaced by warm artisanal lard to provide a rustic country aromatic profile.
How to store
Consume preferably warm, fresh out of the oven. Roasted leftovers can stay in an airtight container for up to two days; reheat in the oven or air fryer at 180°C for five minutes to recover the external crunchiness.
Can it be frozen?
Freeze the molded raw dough balls on a baking sheet for two hours and store in plastic bags for up to ninety days. Bake directly from the freezer in an oven at 190°C for thirty minutes without needing to thaw.
What to serve with
Pair with hot drip coffee made fresh in a cloth filter, creamy spreadable cheese, and slices of pasty dulce de leche.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between using sweet manioc starch and sour manioc starch in Pao de Queijo?
Sweet cassava starch produces denser, rounder, and more uniform breads; sour cassava starch makes the bread rise more, creating a hollow crumb and irregular crust.
What is the most authentic cheese for the Minas Gerais recipe?
The artisanal cured or semi-cured Minas cheese (such as that from the Canastra or Serro region) is the classic traditional standard of Minas Gerais.
Why did my pão de queijo deflate after coming out of the oven?
This happens when the bread is removed before baking completely in the center or when the oven was at too low a temperature.
Can I freeze the dough before rolling it into balls?
No; always mold all the balls while still fresh on the baking sheet before freezing, facilitating individual baking later.
