Brazilian Cheese Bread is my new addiction. This recipe is super easy to make, no yeast involved, and the recipe is gluten free, too!
Brazilian cheese bread
Now you know I am not one who needs anything gluten free, but in researching these the key was using tapioca flour. So no wheat involved with these beauties. It is an amazing ground flour and the end result is this wonderfil, crackled exterior that encases a light, fluffy and super cheesy inside.
I decided to add some pancetta to the batter. Why you ask, because I could. Who doesn’t love bacon, right? Well in this case… pancetta, but you get it.
While pancetta is the unsmoked version of bacon, and it’s what I had on hand, it’s what I used. Although crumbled bacon would do quite nicely here as well.
One batch of this batter makes twenty-four little muffin sized cheesy bread rolls. They are absolutely delicious and trust me, they will be gone in no time.
Perfect to serve with a salad or soup for alight lunch or with dinner.
If you like Brazilian foods, try my Brazilian Braised Pork in Passion Fruit, Orange and Guajillo Peppers, this Potato Cheese Soup with Chicken or if another bread is needed for dinner check out my Cheesy Bacon Buttermilk Biscuits. Enjoy!
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Brazilian Cheese Bread + Video
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon (See Note 1)
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup grated Parmesan (See Note 2)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 2 cups tapioca flour (See Note 3)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut the bacon or pancetta into pieces. In a large skillet over medium high heat cook the bacon or pancetta until rendered, brown and crispy. Be sure not to burn. Drain on a paper towel and set aside.
- Using a blender or Vitamin add the milk, egg, oil and cheese. Pulse to blend.
- Add the cooked bacon, salt, baking powder and half the tapioca flour. Pulse to blend and add remaining tapioca four. Blend to mix.
- Pour into prepared mini muffin pans coated with cooking spray and bake for 22-25 minutes until golden brown.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- Feel free to substitute two 1/2-inch thick slices of fresh pancetta for the bacon.
- Feel free to use Pecorino Romano cheese if Parmesan is not available.
- I find tapioca flour at Whole Foods, Sprouts and Trader Joes. Bob’s Red Mill makes it, too. It is sometimes labeled as tapioca starch as well.
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Can I use regular flour?
For these to turn out right you need to use the tapioca flour. I hope you give them a try!
You had me at cheese and bacon. These rolls look delicious!
Seriously can’t go wrong there, right?! Thanks Jeff. 🙂
I have never used tapioca flour before. For some reason I always thought it was “less healthy” or “more artificial”, I’m starting to realize those thoughts were pretty unfounded though… Thanks for the cool recipe!
I hope yo udo give these a try, they are pretty amazing. Let me know what you think Kevin. Cheers!
I think I lost count of the pão de queijo I consumed whilst in Brazil – good and bad. I loved going to the pão de queijo bakeries first thing in the morning and getting them while still hot. They’re incredible!
I bet you guys did! I found them quite delicious and the added salty pancetta didn’t hurt either! 😉
I love everything about these! That you added pancetta, and can’t go wrong with cheese. I also love the size – just a bite or two so you don’t feel guilty if you eat a few more.
Bite-sized goodness. Really impressive and tasty Marissa.
Hey Kevin. These sound so good and yet easy to make. I can get Bob’s Red Mill products at one store here, not sure if they have the tapioca flour, but I’ll check it out. Not sure how long these would last, we both tend to munch away when there are rolls around.
They are so good we devoured them all. I actually had 8 while photographing them!
These look delicious, and easy to make. Once it cools down here in the South, I will try making these. I hate turning on the oven when it is 98 degrees and humid out! Are these good a day later? I have never used tapioca flour and not sure if the rolls would be as good the next day. Love all of your recipes!
These are pretty amazing and I don’t think I would turn on that oven either with 98°F wow! I was just back in Charlotte and Pittsburg and that humidity! Wow I so prefer the dry heat out here on the West Coast. As for eating these I found after day 2 they are hard. Best that day or the next. Thanks so much Naomi and have a wonderful summer! 🙂