I remember seeing these tasty morsels a few years ago and was intrigued by the tapioca flour ingredient but I soon forgot about them. Recently, we were watching America’s Test Kitchen and by fluke, they were making a batch which reminded me how much I had wanted to make them. These days, more and more of our friends have become gluten intolerant or simply wish to reduce their gluten intake so this recipe comes at the right time. Plus the weather is perfect for cocktails on the back deck while the sun moves across the sky for its exit. I’ve made a few adjustments to the original recipe and have converted it to metric weight measures because that is my preference for baking.
We loved these little cheesy dough balls and you can bet that I will make them again and again. I hope you try them too.
Brazilian Cheese Bread (gluten-free, lactose-reduced)
Makes 50-60 little balls. For the original recipe, please click here.
Ingredients:
- 390 g tapioca flour (starch)
- 8 g baking powder
- 10 g plus 2 g salt, divided
- 2 eggs, plus 2 egg yolks, divided
- 200 mL lactose-free milk
- 25 g unsalted butter
- 115 mL grapeseed oil (any vegetable oil)
- 212 g sheep’s milk semi-firm cheese
Directions:
- Combine tapioca flour, baking powder and salt and mix well in the large bowl of your stand mixer.
- In a small saucepan, heat until just boiling the milk, butter and grapeseed oil.
- While mixing the flour on low spead, add the hot milk solution and beat well for about 3 minutes.
- Add the eggs one at a time and beat for about 8 minutes or until dough is shiny and smooth.
- Add the cheese and mix for about 1 minute.
- Preheat the oven to 450° F. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with damp parchment paper. Put the baking sheet on top of another baking sheet (these little breads tend to burn on the bottom so insulating the bottom will help them bake more evenly).
- Scoop out 15 mL spoonfuls the prepared baking sheet. It’s easier if you dip your scoop into water each time. Shape into little balls.
- Combine the egg yolk with the 2 g salt and mix well.
- Brush the egg yolk mixture on top of each dough ball and bake until tops are golden and crusty 18-20 minutes. Turn the pan around for the last 5 minutes of baking.
- Refrigerate the dough while baking the first batch. Repeat making little balls of dough until finished.
- Cool for 10 minutes and serve.
Notes:
- Check the saltiness of the cheese you use, and adjust the salt measurement accordingly. I found America’s Test Kitchen recipe was a little saltier than I like.
- I used Starkey and Hitch goat’s milk gouda in this recipe.
- America’s Test Kitchen found the dough too sticky to work with so they rested the dough in the refrigerator for 2 hours before baking. I did not find the dough too sticky so I skipped that step (it’s about the same as choux pastry) .
- The recipe is as easy as making choux pastry but the texture is quite bready.
- Freeze in a zip-lock baggy. To reheat frozen balls, bake them at around 275° F until defrosted and warm.
They look beautiful and so tempting! I would only try to make these if I had guests because otherwise I’d probably eat the whole batch, haha!
By the way, our shops started to add “lactose-free” to all the gruyère labels because it’s naturally practically lactose-free (it’s still the same cheese though). I find it weird that lactose-avoiding customers need this mention to buy the cheese…
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Eating the whole batch certainly is a risk Sissi, but I usually freeze them as soon as they cool down. Risk averted!
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Mmmmmm what an irresistible treat! Yumm! I think going with a less saltier version was appropriate for these little bites. Nice job girlfriend ❤
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Thanks Dana.
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You make the best little snacks! I know I would love these. GREG
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Awe, thank you so much Greg! So jealous of your recent holiday, can’t wait to see what wondrous dishes you bring back on your blog!
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They sound like the perfect nibble with a glass of white wine.
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They absolutely are!
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We love these balls so much but have had some great ones and not so great ones at restaurants. I find home made ones the best!
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What a treat to have had the real thing. I’m going to try to find a Brazilian bakery to try the real thing!
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I agree that these look like gougères! Which I love. 🙂 So I’m sure I’ll like these. Hadn’t heard of these — thanks for the intro!
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They are much chewier than gougières but are equally as tasty. They don’t have as many caverns within either. Thanks John.
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These remind me of gougères, French cheese puffs. I think you could also make those using tapioca flour. We love anything with cheese!
PS one cannot “become” gluten intolerant, one can only discover this genetic defect that is there from birth. There is no rational reason to reduce gluten intake for those who are not really intolerant.
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That may be true, but I do enjoy my friends and will indulge their idiosyncrasies ;).
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Of course. You are absolutely right. I have even cooked vegan food on occasion and that was certainly not for a medical reason.
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Now that is a challenge!
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They look amazing! Love anything with cheese :-))
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They freeze well too. A perfect snack with a glass of wine.
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Well these look wonderful! I never saw them when we were in Brazil or I would have definitely tried one and definitely taken a photo! The ingredients are fun.
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Although I’ve never been to Brazil, I met a Brazilian man (photographer) and he couldn’t stop talking about them. He said they have mixes for them now but I made mine from scratch!
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Scratch is always better!
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Delicious looking morsels. I’ve made the much more liquid version (kind of like a popover batter) and have always been curious about this thicker one. I still have a box of tapioca flour rattling round in my pantry. I wonder if it’s still good. 🙂
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So easy to make, I think you’d love them too. Hope you can give them a go.
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