Pão de queijo

Small tapioca cheese buns with a golden crust and chewy centre.

The cook stands beside the oven holding a tray of golden cheese buns with two oven mitts; a second tray rests on a cooling rack.
Makes
18–20 buns
Heat
190°C
Baking time
About 20 min

First boil the liquid mixture to scald the starch.

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Pão de Queijo

Makes
18–20 buns
Heat
190°C
Baking time
About 20 min

First boil the liquid mixture to scald the starch.

Brazil World collection

Pão de Queijo

Method

  1. 01 · Prepare

    Use: Sheets

    Preheat oven; line two sheets.

    Ready when: Oven hot

    Hands smoothing parchment onto one of two empty baking trays in a professional bakery.
    01 Prepare the trays and ovenLine two baking sheets while the oven heats.

  2. 02 · Scald

    Briefly

    Use: Butter, water, milk, salt; starch

    Boil liquids with butter and salt; pour over starch. Beat vigorously.

    Ready when: Elastic paste

    Seen from the side, the cook leans over a steel bowl and beats elastic tapioca paste with a wooden spoon.
    02 Make the starch pasteBeat the hot milk, water and butter mixture into the tapioca starch until elastic.

  3. 03 · Finish dough

    Use: Garlic, cheese, eggs

    Beat in garlic and cheese. Cool until comfortably warm; gradually beat in eggs.

    Ready when: Smooth

    Standing at the opposite side of the bench, the cook pours beaten egg into tapioca-cheese dough while holding a hand mixer.
    03 Mix in the cheese and eggsAdd the garlic and cheese, cool until comfortably warm, then beat in the eggs gradually.

  4. 04 · Portion

    Use: Dough

    Scoop 30 mL mounds, 4 cm apart.

    Ready when: Mounds hold

    The cook reaches over the bench with a spoon to finish portioning raw cheese dough onto two lined trays.
    04 Portion the doughScoop small mounds onto the lined trays, leaving space between them.

  5. 05 · Bake

    About 20 min

    Use: Portioned dough

    Bake; serve warm.

    Ready when: Pale gold with browned cheese flecks

    The cook stands beside the oven holding a tray of golden cheese buns with two oven mitts; a second tray rests on a cooling rack.
    05 Bake and serve warmLook for pale-gold buns with browned cheese flecks.

What to look for

StageLook / feel forNeeds attention
ScoopMounds relax slightly.Puddles.

Troubleshooting

If you see thisLikely causeWhat to do nowNext time
Runny doughStarch absorption varies.Beat in additional starch gradually.Check scoopability.
Uneven colorOven hot spots.Exchange tray positions halfway.Space mounds evenly.

Use tapioca starch, not whole-root cassava flour.

Show ingredient flow

Recipe

Pão de Queijo

Chewy tapioca cheese buns.

How do I make it?

  1. Get ready

    Heat the oven to 190°C and line two baking sheets.

    Hands smoothing parchment onto one of two empty baking trays in a professional bakery.
    Line two baking sheets while the oven heats.

    Ready when: Oven hot

  2. Make the paste

    Briefly

    Bring the butter, water, milk and salt to a boil. Pour them over the tapioca starch and beat hard until you have a stretchy paste.

    Seen from the side, the cook leans over a steel bowl and beats elastic tapioca paste with a wooden spoon.
    Beat the hot milk, water and butter mixture into the tapioca starch until elastic.

    Ready when: Elastic paste

  3. Add cheese and eggs

    Beat in the garlic and cheese. Let the dough cool until comfortably warm, then beat in the eggs a little at a time until smooth.

    Standing at the opposite side of the bench, the cook pours beaten egg into tapioca-cheese dough while holding a hand mixer.
    Add the garlic and cheese, cool until comfortably warm, then beat in the eggs gradually.

    Ready when: Smooth

  4. Scoop

    Scoop 30 mL portions onto the sheets, leaving 4 cm between them. The little mounds should hold their shape.

    The cook reaches over the bench with a spoon to finish portioning raw cheese dough onto two lined trays.
    Scoop small mounds onto the lined trays, leaving space between them.

    Ready when: Mounds hold

  5. Bake

    About 20 min

    Bake for about 20 minutes, until pale gold with browned cheese spots. Serve warm.

    The cook stands beside the oven holding a tray of golden cheese buns with two oven mitts; a second tray rests on a cooling rack.
    Look for pale-gold buns with browned cheese flecks.

    Ready when: Pale gold with browned cheese flecks

What can go wrong, and how can I fix it?

What you noticeLikely causeWhat to do
Runny doughStarch absorption varies.Beat in additional starch gradually. Check scoopability.
Uneven colorOven hot spots.Exchange tray positions halfway. Space mounds evenly.
Useful recipe notes

Use tapioca starch, not whole-root cassava flour.

See the detailed method and ratios in , or follow ingredients through the .

Ingredient proportions & recipe details

Pão de Queijo at a glance

Makes
18–20 buns
Heat
190°C
Baking time
About 20 min