Air fryer Brazilian cheese breadcrisp outside and stretchy inside
Traditional Brazilian cheese bread made with tapioca starch and cheese, shaped by hand and air-fried until puffed and golden.
Brazilian pão de queijo gets its elastic crumb from scalded tapioca starch rather than wheat flour. Hot milk and oil hydrate the starch, while eggs and finely grated cheese create a cohesive dough that expands in the air fryer. The balls emerge crisp outside, tender and slightly stretchy within.
Ingredients
Dough
Preparation
Scald the starch
Heat milk, oil and salt until steaming. Pour over the tapioca starch and stir until crumbly.
5 minutesCool the mixture
Let the scalded starch cool for 8 minutes so the eggs will not cook on contact.
8 minutesMake the dough
Work in the eggs one at a time, then knead in the grated Parmesan until the dough is uniform and soft.
7 minutesShape the balls
With lightly oiled hands, divide into 18 balls of about 35 g.
8 minutesAir-fry
Preheat to 180°C. Arrange in one layer with space between them and cook for 12 to 15 minutes until puffed and golden.
15 minutes
Substitutions
A firm aged cheese may replace Parmesan. Do not replace tapioca starch with wheat flour because the structure is different.
Storage
Cool promptly and refrigerate sealed. Reheat in the air fryer until hot throughout.
Approximate shelf life: Up to 3 days refrigerated; raw shaped balls may be frozen for 2 months.
Nutrition values are estimates and may vary by brand, substitution and actual yield.
