Cuñapes/Pão de Queijo (South American Cheesy Bread) Recipe

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine tapioca starch, salt, baking powder, milk, butter, and eggs (for an evenly textured bread use scalded milk; for pops of crusty cheese use cold milk—the choice is yours). Using your hands, knead dough until thoroughly combined, about 2 minutes.

2. Add chopped cheddar and Grana Padano to the dough. Knead gently to evenly distribute the cheeses while allowing some larger chunks of cheese to remain, about 2 minutes.

3. Cover the tapioca dough with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the dough's surface. Refrigerate overnight to allow the starch to fully hydrate.

4. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and adjust oven rack to the center position. Remove the tapioca dough from the refrigerator and roll into 2-inch balls using the palms of you hands. Make an indentation in the bottom of each roll using the back of a wooden spoon or your thumb.

5. On a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet, arrange the rolls leaving one inch of space between them. Bake until puffed and golden brown, about 20 minutes, rotating the pan once during baking. Alternatively, freeze the rolls on the sheet tray until hard, then transfer to a zipper-lock bag to store in the freezer. Bake from frozen as directed above.

Special equipment

Scale, rimmed baking sheet

Notes

This dough feels very different than dough made with wheat flour. After mixing, it appears both runny and thick at the same time, and brittle and dry after the overnight rest. If it's your first time making it, I strongly recommend using a scale until you get accustomed to the texture of the dough. After that, feel free to eyeball quantities, try different cheeses, and add seasonings. As long as the texture of the dough is right, you'll end up with great results every time.

This Recipe Appears In

• Cheesy Bread Is Absurdly Good, No Matter What You Call It