Studio Break Pão de Queijo
Small golden, elastic balls made from cassava starch (polvilho) and cheese, crispy outside and soft inside. Eaten hot, for breakfast or at any time of day.
Small golden, elastic balls made from cassava starch (polvilho) and cheese, crispy outside and soft inside. Eaten hot, for breakfast or at any time of day.
Ah, this, my bem, is the absolute danger: you eat one, and then pfft, the basket is empty! The secret is the polvilho, the cassava starch, which you scald with a little hot milk — it surprises the dough, and then it puffs up all elastic in the oven. On set we always had a basket, nice and hot, with the cafezinho. Small, golden, and gone in one bite, querido!
- •Polvilho (cassava starch) — a large bowl (gluten-free base)
- •Aged cheese (queijo de Minas curado) — a good handful, grated (flavor and umami)
- •Milk and fat — as needed for dough (scalding)
- •Eggs, salt — to taste (binder)
Studio Break Pão de Queijo
Small golden, elastic balls made from cassava starch (polvilho) and cheese, crispy outside and soft inside. Eaten hot, for breakfast or at any time of day.
Why this dish? Hot cheese breads, perfect for snacking between segments on set: the quintessential Brazilian snack, shared standing up, a cup of cafezinho in hand, in the hustle and bustle of a studio.
Ah, this, my bem, is the absolute danger: you eat one, and then pfft, the basket is empty! The secret is the polvilho, the cassava starch, which you scald with a little hot milk — it surprises the dough, and then it puffs up all elastic in the oven. On set we always had a basket, nice and hot, with the cafezinho. Small, golden, and gone in one bite, querido!
Ingredients (period version)
- Polvilho (cassava starch) — a large bowl (gluten-free base)
- Aged cheese (queijo de Minas curado) — a good handful, grated (flavor and umami)
- Milk and fat — as needed for dough (scalding)
- Eggs, salt — to taste (binder)
Ingredients
- Sour and/or sweet polvilho (tapioca/cassava starch) — 250 g (gluten-free base)
- Sharp grated cheese (parmesan + a melty cheese) — 150 g (flavor and umami)
- Milk — 120 ml (scalding the starch)
- Oil (or butter) — 80 ml (softness)
- Eggs — 2 (binder)
- Salt — 1 tsp (seasoning)
Method
- Heat milk, oil, and salt until simmering.
- Pour this boiling liquid over the polvilho and mix vigorously: the dough becomes lumpy and sticky (this is the escaldado).
- Let cool slightly, then incorporate eggs one by one, then the grated cheese, until a smooth, supple dough forms.
- Form small balls (oiled hands) and place on a baking sheet.
- Bake at 180-200°C for 20-25 minutes, until puffed and golden. Serve hot.
How it was made : Originating in Minas Gerais, pão de queijo relies on polvilho, starch extracted from the cassava root — an indigenous South American ingredient. Naturally gluten-free, it was baked in wood-fired ovens and spread throughout the country as a snack and breakfast item.
The contemporary twist : Insert a small cube of cheese into the center of each ball before baking, for a gooey center at first bite.
Hebe Camargo · Charactorium