Bacon and Cheddar Brazilian Cheese Bread
I’ve made Brazilian cheese bread, Pao De Queijo, a few times on this blog, trying out different recipes.
I love these chewy cheese puff breads so much that I’m always eager to check out more recipes. Recently I decided to check out a different recipe. Rather than just following it as is, I wanted to play around with the flavor.
I originally wanted to a jalapeno version but I didn’t have any peppers. Instead I decided to add an American twist on these Brazilian breads, by adding bacon bits and cheddar cheese.
I liked the addition of bacon in these cheese breads, even if it isn’t very authentic. These breads are really easy to make, with the main ingredient being tapioca flour, which creates a chewy texture. Tapioca flour is readily available at Asian grocery stores. This is the kind I use:
I didn’t really like the bread base recipe though. I was worried when I first made it because it was so dry and it required twice the baking time of any other recipe I made. In the end, these were dry.
Rather than posting the recipe for the breads I didn’t like, I’ll post my adaption with a bread recipe base I did like. The bread base recipe I adapted from can be found here.
Bacon and Cheddar Brazilian Cheese Bread
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/3 cup skim milk
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 cups tapioca flour
- 2/3 cup grated cheddar cheese
- 2 eggs
- 6 strips of bacon, cooked (should be thoroughly cooked but not yet crispy) and shredded in a food processor
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Pour 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 until smooth. Set aside to let the mixture cool for a few minutes.
- Stir the cheese and eggs and bacon into the tapioca mixture until well combined. Roll batter between your palms and drop balls of the mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake in preheated oven until the bread turns golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Best served warm.
Notes
Hi,
Just stumbled onto your website. I’ve been making Pao de Queijo for years in the U.S. from a Brazilian family recipe. My wife’s sister’s mother-in-law said: “Good Pao de Queijo starts with good polvilho” (Yucca flower). Amafil is the best, I was told. (sour, not sweet-> ‘Amafil Polvilho Azedo’, available from two US importers: T & R Business Corp., Pompano Beach, FL 954-978-9191 and Panamerican foods corp., Kearny, NJ 201-991-9222. Luck for me I work only 1/2 hr. away from Kearny. AND, I use 1 lb. Vermont 2-3 yr. aged White Cheddar and 2.5 lbs. Greek Feta to 1 kg. of Polvilho (I buy at Costco or Sam’s)
To this I start with 1 cup of water, boiling hot and scald the polvilho. Next 3/4 cup really hot cooking oil(not olive), scald again. Then mix in the previously grated and mixed cheese, add 2 eggs, 1 cup milk, mix the whole thing and then roll into balls…
Good Cheddar is near impossible to find in Brazil and good Canastra cheese is not found here, so this combo works very well here in US.
Thanks for all these tips!
Yum! Made these last night and they are awesome. Now I don’t have to pay an arm and a leg for these at the gluten-free bakery.
Thanks!
Ya they are super easy to make!
Hey Kirbie!
I’ve been reading your blog for a long time and really love it!
Pão de queijo also tastes really good with a sweet stuffing like a fruit (wherever you prefer) jam.
Kisses from Brazil,
Mariana
Hi Mariana. Thanks for the tip! I never had them with sweet stuffing before, it sounds delicious!