There’s an alchemical feel to making a batch of Brazilian pão de queijo: A short spell in the oven transforms rounds of wan, shaggy dough into puffed, golden spheres with an irresistible cheese pull. “It’s one of those rare dishes that feels both humble and special,” says Abraham Ramirez, co-owner of the Logan Square cocktail bar La Licor Panamericana. After mixing, don’t skip the one-hour chill; it makes the sticky dough much easier to shape.
La Licor Panamericana’s Pão de Queijo
Makes: 25 to 30 pieces
Active time: 25 minutes
Total time: 2 hours
| 2½ cups | tapioca flour (like Bob’s Red Mill brand) |
| 1 cup | whole milk |
| 4 Tbsp. | unsalted butter |
| 1 tsp. | salt |
| 1 | large egg |
| 1½ cups | cups grated queijo Minas cheese (available at Brasil Legal Cafe), or 1 cup shredded mozzarella plus ½ cup grated Parmesan |
| Oil, for shaping |
1. Place flour in a large bowl. In a small saucepan, bring milk, butter, and salt to a simmer. Remove from heat and add to flour. Mix with a wooden spoon until well combined. Rest mixture for 5 minutes.
2. Stir in egg. Add cheese, and mix until the dough is smooth and elastic. (It will remain slightly sticky.) Cover the bowl and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
3. Heat the oven to 375 degrees and line two baking trays with parchment paper. Remove the bowl from the refrigerator, lightly oil your hands, and scoop out a golf-ball-size piece of dough, rounding it in your palms before placing it on the baking tray. Repeat with remaining dough, leaving at least 1 inch of space between each round.
4. Bake until puffed and lightly golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve warm.