Beautiful Bread Balls

Also known as pão de queijo (pown-deh-KAY-zho).

These+Brazilian+bread+balls+will+make+your+holiday+meals+a+little+cheesier.

Isabel Kasathsko

These Brazilian bread balls will make your holiday meals a little cheesier.

Isabel Kasathsko, Columnist

Pão de queijo is a small, chewy cheese bread made of tapioca flour. It is a popular traditional Brazilian recipe, and you see it almost everywhere there. You can find them in supermarkets, bakeries, and from vendors on the streets. Pão de queijo is best served fresh out of the oven, perfect for a Thanksgiving side dish. 

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup oil
  • 2 pinches of salt (add more if needed)
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 16oz bag of tapioca flour

Directions:

  1. Place all the tapioca flour in a mixing bowl, then set aside.
  2. Pour the milk, oil, and salt in a saucepan. Bring to boil.
  3. Then, pour the mixture over the bowl of tapioca flour.  
  4. Add the eggs and shredded cheese to the bowl. 
  5. Beat with mixer for 8-10 minutes until it becomes a homogeneous paste.
  6. Put the paste in a fridge until it cools, for as long as needed.
  7. Make small balls and put them in a freezer. 
  8. Preheat the oven to 375° Fahrenheit. 
  9. When they become hard, place on a tray over a baking sheet to be placed in the oven.
  10. Bake balls in the oven for 18 minutes. 
  11. Take them out and enjoy!