This cheese bread is known all over the world as a classic of any bakery. This delightful creation that is common far and wide in all of Latin America, has various names but they all indicate the same recipe of a tasty bread full of cheese.
Some of these names are:
Chipa: This is how this cheesy and delicious bread is known in Argentina and especially Paraguay.
2. Pão de queijo: That literally translates to "bread of cheese" from the Portuguese, is how this is known all over Brazil.
3. Pan de Yuca: This is the name that it has in Ecuador and its surroundings, translating literally "cassava bread" because of the main ingredient of the flour it is made with.
4. Pandebono: The way this bread is known in Colombia comes along with a story that tries to justify this name. It is said that in one city there was an Italian baker that brought this recipe to the country and because of its delicious taste he sold them in the street while he screamed "Pan de buono!" (Good Bread in Italian), naming this iconic treat.
No matter where you are or what you call it, this bread is an icon on every Latin American bakery and people line up just to buy it fresh and hot out of the oven. However, you can make it at home with this simple recipe that Latino Foods Brings you today and with that being said, let's bake!
Cheese Bread Recipe
Ingredients
Servings 12 pandebonos
2 cup cassava/tapioca flour
¼ cup corn flour (Harina Pan)
1 ¼ cup feta cheese (less if your cheese is salty)*
1 large egg
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsb salt
5 Tbsp milk (more as needed)**
Guava paste, if desired
Instructions
1. Pre-heat the oven to 220°C.
2. In a big bowl, add cassava flour, cornflour (Harina Pan), baking powder and
cheese. Mix to combine.
3. Taste your mixture and add salt as needed.* Mix to distribute the salt.
4. Add the egg, and mix well using the tips of your fingers.
5. Add 4 tablespoons of milk, one at a time, mixing until the dough comes
together. If the dough crumbles when you make a little ball, it needs more
milk. Add more milk, one tablespoon at a time, until the dough comes together
and doesn't crumble when you form a ball.*
6. Divide the mixture into 24 equal size portions, shaping them into balls.
7. Place on a baking sheet lined with baking paper and bake for about 15 to 20
minutes or until golden on top. Serve warm.
¡You can also make a filled pandebono! Usually they are filled with guava paste (dulce de guayaba / membrillo).
8. To make a filled pandebono: Make a ball with the dough and press with your
thumb making a little well in the centre. Add a small cube (1/2 cm) of guava
paste and bring the dough together covering the paste, pinching the seam to
seal. Shape into a ball again and place on the baking sheet and bake 17-20
minutes, until golden.
Don't forget to accompany this delicious little bread with a cup of hot coffee, chocolate or as they do in Argentina, with a Mate.
We invite you to make your own pandebonos and share them with us on Social Media, where you can find us as @latinofoods on Instagram and @LatinoFoodsNZ on Facebook!
Thank for reading! :D
Latino Foods Team