They are similar to the quintessentially Brazilian and much loved Pão de Queijo but use Japanese glutinous rice rather than tapioca flour. They taste equally delicious dense, a tad gooey and very cheesy.
The dough will keep for days in your fridge and it freezes well too, so make double or triple quantities, shape them into golf-sized balls and pop them in your freezer. Bake them from frozen for a quick snack. They are at their very best eaten while still hot!
Ingredients
- 7 oz/1¾ cups (200 g) glutinous rice flour (mochiko or shiratamako)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 2 fl oz/¼ cup (50 ml) whole milk
- 2 fl oz/¼ cup (50 ml) melted butter or sunflower oil
- 1¾ oz (50 g) Parmesan cheese, grated
- 5½ oz (150 g) mature
- Cheddar cheese, grated
How to Make It
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4.
- Mix the rice flour and baking powder with the sea salt in a bowl until well combined.
- Break the egg into a separate bowl and beat it with a whisk until lightly frothy.
- Add the egg to the flour mix, followed by the milk, melted butter or sunflower oil and both grated cheeses. Knead the dough until all the ingredients are completely incorporated into a firm dough. Do not worry if the dough seems too dry at the start, it will take about 5 minutes of kneading for it to bind together.
- Cut the dough into 20-30 equal parts and roll them into individual balls with your hands. Place them on a baking tray (sheet) lined with baking (parchment) paper or into a non-stick muffin tin and bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until lightly golden.
- Transfer the cheesebreads to a cooling rack and let them cool down slightly before eating. They are best eaten while hot.
