I’ve been obsessed by Pão de Queijo (Brazilian cheese bread) since I first arrived in Brazil in 2009… and on the hunt for the ultimate Pão de Queijo recipe since then. I’m so obsessed that Pão de Queijo is the first thing I ever buy when I land in Brazil (it’s sold on almost every street corner and in the airport), and it’s an essential item I carry on the road for wine trips (Pão de Queijo is perfect with a thermos of coffee at any time of day!) And my love for these gooey Brazilian cheese puffs goes so far that I named my cat, Pão, after them.

In Brazil it’s rather easy to make Pão de Queijo at home. You can buy a packet of ready-made mix, add some eggs and bake. In Argentina, you can also just about get away with pre-mixed packets of chipa (the Argentine equivalent) and add a healthy handful of cheese to it. But if you are far from the land of Pão de Queijo, you’ll need to hunt down tapioca flour and a few other essentials to make this delightfully fluffy, gooey cheese bread. After months of practising during the pandemic lockdown in England, I’m now ready to share my ultimate recipe for Pão de Queijo. And – good news for coeliacs – Pão de Queijo is gluten free! (But wonderfully indulgent all the same.)

The ultimate Pão de Queijo recipe

Ingredients for Pão de Queijo

• 500 grams of tapioca flour (17.5 ounces, 4 cups)
• 250 ml milk (8.5 fluid ounces, 1 cup)
• 100 ml water (3 fluid ounces, 1/2 cup)
• a good glug of oil (about 5 tablespoons)
• a small knob of butter
• 250 grams of mixed grated cheese (9 ounces, 2 cups). See notes below!
• a sprinkle of garlic powder
• 2 eggs
• a large pinch of salt
• a small grind of black pepper