Brazilian cheese bread

It is made with tapioca starch, cheese, eggs, milk and oil or butter. The tapioca gives the rolls their springy, slightly chewy centre and makes them naturally gluten-free, though other ingredients or cross-contamination can change that.

Follow the packet’s liquid and egg quantities, then mix until the dough is smooth and roll it into small balls with lightly oiled hands. Bake on a tray in a preheated oven, usually at about 180–200 °C, until puffed and golden; they are best eaten warm.

Yes. Shape the balls, freeze them in a single layer, then transfer them to a sealed container. Bake from frozen, adding a few minutes to the usual baking time, rather than thawing them first.

Keep cooled rolls in an airtight container at room temperature and eat them within a day or two; they lose their crisp outside as they sit. Reheat briefly in a hot oven to bring back some crispness, or freeze them for longer storage.

It is commonly eaten warm for breakfast or as a snack, alongside coffee. Serve it plain or with butter, and it also works with soup or as a small savoury side.

Cheese is central to its savoury flavour and stretchy texture, so leaving it out makes a different roll. For a dairy-free version, use a tested recipe with a melting plant-based cheese and a suitable milk substitute rather than simply omitting the cheese.

Yes. Pão de queijo is the Portuguese name for Brazilian cheese bread; recipes often use sour or sweet tapioca starch and a firm, salty cheese such as Minas cheese or Parmesan.

Brazilian cheese bread is a savoury, chewy roll made mainly with tapioca starch, while Brazilian cheese cake is a sweet baked cake with a softer crumb. Per 100 g, the bread has 1 g protein and the cake has 8 g.