Dia’s Cheese Bread	Dia’s Cheese Bread

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Dia’s Cheese Bread (Pão de Queijo)

Source: Ment'or, May, 2014

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Ingredients

• 1 cup canola oil

• 1 1/2 cups whole milk

• 2 1/2 tsp fine sea salt, plus more for topping the bread

• 6 large eggs

• 26 oz tapioca starch

• 8 oz queso blanco, grated

• 4 oz sharp Cheddar cheese, grated

• 2 oz Parmesan cheese, finely grated

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Preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

While the oven is preheating, put the canola oil, milk, and salt in a medium pot set over medium high heat, stirring to dissolve the salt, and bring the mixture to a boil. Meanwhile put the tapioca starch in a large, heatproof bowl. Once the oil comes to a boil, remove from heat, and carefully pour it into the tapioca starch. Use a silicone spatula or wooden spoon to gently combine the liquid and starch. The mixture will be crumbly and moist.

Once the starch cools slightly, add all of the eggs to the bowl and gently fold them into the starch mixture, being careful not to overwork the dough. Once the eggs have been absorbed, add the cheeses and gently fold them into the dough. When the cheeses have been incorporated you will have a cohesive, slightly tacky dough.

Line your sheet pan with a silicone mat (preferred) or parchment paper. Use a 1-ounce ice cream scoop to portion the dough into balls. You can dampen your hands with water and roll each one smooth for a more uniform appearance. Lay them out on the sheet pan, leaving about 2 inches of space between each ball. You may need 2 sheet pans to portion all of the dough. Sprinkle the rolls lightly with salt and bake for 15 minutes until they are golden brown and cooked through.