I lived in Brazil, in the state that made this bread famous, for almost 5 years. I was so excited when I read the "bad" review that the bread was "rubbery." That is exactly the way it's supposed to be! Yeah! I did take out the garlic as that's not a normal thing for this bread, and I switched the ratio of water and oil as there was WAY too much oil in it. Overall, was great to find this recipe. My husband loves it and it helps with the home sickness!
This recipe turned out perfectly for luncheon today - crispy on the outside almost creamy on the inside. My children loved it and decided it tastes like Cheetos only better! I used the exact proportions stated in the recipe but omitted the garlic because I wanted the cheese to predominate. If you don't let the dough rest 15 minutes before you put in the cheese and egg it will be very runny like a crepe batter. Things I Did Differently: I used grape seed oil instead of olive oil and warmed the liquid ingredients in the microwave until a little white foam appeared on the top of the mixture. I did the rest of the mixing as instructed except I hand kneaded the dough a bit in the bowl to get a smoother mixture. I used the 1 & 1/2 inch scoop that I use to make drop cookies to put the dough on the cookie sheet. But then I went back and rolled each little ball between my well-oiled hands to smooth them. I had to bake them a little longer but then my oven's always slow.
I am from Minas Gerais and since I grew up having the convenience of finding these everywhere, I never bothered to learn how to make them. It took me moving to California to finally try making my own pão de queijo from scratch, so I tried this awesome recipe and it was absolutely perfect. On a personal note, I preferred to use the butter instead of olive oil, I tried both and found that one more authentic tasting.
I am from Brazil and am so grateful to have found this recipe. A few changes to make it taste like the original dish: NO garlic whatsoever, real butter instead of oil and more cheese (about 2/3 cup more cheese). I like to add 1 cup of Italian blend shredded cheese and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Now for beginner cooks like me: make sure all the butter is melted before adding the flour, the consistency of it will be way better ;)
This is the best recipe i've used to far! I would like to point out a few things to those who've had bad results:
1) heat the water/oil/milk to boiling then the tapioca will seize.
2) when it says to mix till smooth, think more like 10 mins + by hand or use a dough hook on a stand mixer for 3-4 mins...that will help the texture & the air bubbles form.
3) try a mix of parm & queso fresco for a nicer texture.
I grew up in Brazil. This is a great recipe but has one significant problem. The ingredients really need to be put into a blender, as the Brazilians do. Otherwise it is difficult for the ingredients to properly incorporate and you may find that your oil or butter does not adhere, but leaks out into the pan. Other than this I would give the recipe five stars. It is also simpler to mix in a blender, and you do not have to heat ingredients in a pan first. If you try substituting cheeses other than parmesan, make sure to use a dry cheese. Something moist like mozarella will not give the same result. I hope this helps someone.
when my Brazilian boyfriend and I make these we use LOTS of mozzarella cheese!
Pao de Queijo I can't believe I found a recipe for it. Thank you thank you thank you. I love this stuff. (Btw the super dense rubbery super flavor is intentional.)
I added probably another cup of flour because the batter was very runny and first they came out as little pancakes. Next time I will also add more cheese - I just think it could use more. Other than that it tasted almost as good as the ones that our Brazilian friends make from store bought frozen cheese bread balls.
