Pandebono is a type of cheese bread that can be served for breakfast or a snack. These rolls are naturally gluten-free and are made with tapioca starch and sometimes blended with a type of corn flour called masarepa (the same flour traditionally used to make arepas) and generous amounts of cheese. I had to develop a dairy-free cheese that could withstand baking to sucessfully make these buns. This is one of the best Paleo bread replacements I have ever created (and that is saying a lot!).
Ingredients
- 1 cup (128 g) tapioca starch
- 1½ tbsp (11 g) sifted coconut flour
- ½ tsp cream of tartar
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp fine Himalayan salt
- 1 large egg, or 4 tbsp (60 g) canned pure pumpkin puree
- ½ batch “Queso” Blanco
How to Make It
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- In a food processor, combine all the ingredients and pulse several times until everything just comes together to form a lumpy dough. Over processing will make the dough extremely sticky and harder to work with. Scrape the dough out with a spatula.
- Due to the nature of the dairy-free cheese, the batter is sticky no matter what. You can lightly grease your hands and spatula to help prevent sticking. You can also sprinkle a small amount of tapioca starch on the outside of the buns to assist in shaping them.
- Divide into 4 equal portions, handling the dough very gently and not pressing too hard on it. Very carefully form the portions into ball shapes, but do not worry if the dough is too sticky to smooth over it will still bake up smoothly. Place the buns on a light-colored baking sheet and bake for 16 to 18 minutes, or until the tops are lightly golden. Serve immediately because tapioca starch baked goods harden as they cool.
