Pão de queijo in the Air Fryer
Brazilian cheese buns with a crisp crust and a chewy, cheesy centre, made with scalded tapioca starch and Parmesan and baked golden in the air fryer. Naturally gluten-free and ideal for the breakfast table.
Equipment
- 1 Air fryer
- 1 Small pot
- 1 Mixing bowl
- 1 Parchment paper (for air fryer)
Ingredients
- 250 g tapioca starch also called tapioca flour
150 ml whole milk
50 ml neutral oil e.g. rapeseed oil
0.5 tsp salt
1 pcs egg large
100 g Parmesan finely grated
Instructions
Preparation
- Finely grate 100 g Parmesan and set it aside.
- Put 150 ml whole milk, 50 ml neutral oil and 0.5 tsp salt in a small saucepan and bring the mixture to the boil.
- Put 250 g tapioca starch in a mixing bowl. Pour the boiling milk mixture over it all at once and stir straight away with a large spoon until all of the starch is moistened. The mixture will become lumpy and rubbery – it is the scalding that gives the chewy centre.
- Let the mixture cool for about 10 minutes, until it is lukewarm, so the egg does not set when it goes in.
- Add 1 pcs egg and stir it in thoroughly until the mixture is glossy and well combined.
- Knead the grated Parmesan into the dough with your hands for 2-3 minutes, until the dough is soft, pliable and slightly sticky. If it is too dry to come together, knead in 1-2 tbsp more milk.
- Shape the dough into about 24 balls of about 25 g each (about 3 cm in diameter) with lightly oiled hands.
Cooking in the air fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 180 °C fan.
- Line the basket with baking paper for air fryers and place half of the balls in it with 2-3 cm between them, so they have room to rise.
- Bake the balls at 180 °C for 14 minutes. Keep the basket closed for the first 10 minutes so they can rise undisturbed, then turn them gently if the underside is pale.
- Check that the balls have risen, are firm on the outside and lightly golden. If they are still pale, give them 1-2 minutes more at 180 °C.
- Repeat with the rest of the balls at 180 °C for 14 minutes.
Serving
- Serve pão de queijo warm while the centre is still soft and chewy.
Notes
Tips for a perfect result:
The milk mixture must be boiling when it is poured over the tapioca starch. The scalding gelatinises the starch, and it is this – not wheat flour – that gives pão de queijo its chewy, elastic centre. Use a kitchen scale if you can, so the balls end up the same size and bake evenly. Tapioca starch:
Also sold as tapioca flour or tapioca starch in Asian supermarkets. In Brazil, people use polvilho doce or the soured polvilho azedo, which gives a slightly airier bun. Potato starch does not give the same chewy texture, and tapioca pearls cannot be used. Variation:
In Minas Gerais, the cheese queijo minas is used, which has been swapped for Parmesan here. You can also use half Parmesan and half aged Gouda for a milder flavour. If the dish needs to be fully vegetarian, choose an Italian hard cheese made with microbial rennet, as genuine Parmigiano Reggiano is made with animal rennet. Serving:
Eat pão de queijo warm for breakfast or brunch with a cup of coffee, ideally with butter, jam or a slice of ham on the side. The recipe makes about 24 pieces, which is about 6 per portion. Freeze raw balls:
Freeze the shaped balls on a tray, and put them in a bag once they are frozen. Bake them straight from frozen at 180 °C for 18-20 minutes. Portion size:
The recipe is designed for two batches in an ordinary air fryer. If your air fryer is smaller, you can make the dish in three batches, and if you have an air fryer with two baskets, you can bake it all at once.
The milk mixture must be boiling when it is poured over the tapioca starch. The scalding gelatinises the starch, and it is this – not wheat flour – that gives pão de queijo its chewy, elastic centre. Use a kitchen scale if you can, so the balls end up the same size and bake evenly. Tapioca starch:
Also sold as tapioca flour or tapioca starch in Asian supermarkets. In Brazil, people use polvilho doce or the soured polvilho azedo, which gives a slightly airier bun. Potato starch does not give the same chewy texture, and tapioca pearls cannot be used. Variation:
In Minas Gerais, the cheese queijo minas is used, which has been swapped for Parmesan here. You can also use half Parmesan and half aged Gouda for a milder flavour. If the dish needs to be fully vegetarian, choose an Italian hard cheese made with microbial rennet, as genuine Parmigiano Reggiano is made with animal rennet. Serving:
Eat pão de queijo warm for breakfast or brunch with a cup of coffee, ideally with butter, jam or a slice of ham on the side. The recipe makes about 24 pieces, which is about 6 per portion. Freeze raw balls:
Freeze the shaped balls on a tray, and put them in a bag once they are frozen. Bake them straight from frozen at 180 °C for 18-20 minutes. Portion size:
The recipe is designed for two batches in an ordinary air fryer. If your air fryer is smaller, you can make the dish in three batches, and if you have an air fryer with two baskets, you can bake it all at once.
Nutrition
Calories: 465kcalCarbohydrates: 58gProtein: 12gFat: 21gSaturated fat: 6.2gPolyunsaturated fat: 3.6gMonounsaturated fat: 9.9gTrans fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 73mgSodium: 732mgPotassium: 107mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 331IUCalcium: 363mgIron: 0.8mgNet carbohydrates: 57g
