A few things made making this pita bread easy and delicious, namely the closet that holds my hot water heater and my cast iron pan. Quite honestly I was always intimidated by cast iron because I heard how it requires so much upkeep. That, I have determined, is a lie. It’s so easy and really no more steps than any other pan but maintains a wonderful nonstick surface. I can see why it still remains popular today.

The closet that holds my hot water heater is perfect for proofing anything and everything yeast related. Not too hot and not too cold and super easy to stack.

While proofing might take a bit of time, the actual prep work is quick and easy. Serve with hummus and feta, stuffed grape leaves, falafel, what have you!

Ingredients

• 1 cup water plus one tablespoon lukewarm water for proofing yeast
• 2.5 cups all purpose flour, more flour for dusting
• 2 teaspoon active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1. Proof the yeast by combining tablespoon lukewarm water with yeast and sugar.
2. Once it has bubbled (so you know it’s alive), combine with the rest of the ingredients and knead for about 5 minutes until dough is smooth.
3. Proof for about 1 hour in a warm place, or until dough has double in size.
4. Preheat cast iron skillet to medium high heat.
5. Divide into equal pieces (bigger or smaller is dependent on your preference) and with a rolling pin, flatten into discs.
6. Cook them one at a time on the skillet until both sides are slight charred and cooked through.

Ah, my latest obsession–Brazilian Cheese Bread. I actually had this for the first time at a Brazilian steak-house in my adulthood, and enjoyed the pillowy, cheesy delights which I unfortunately tried very hard not to fill up on. It’s very much a if-bread-and-mochi-had-a-baby type texture which makes it dangerous and addictive. I spent this week experimenting with different recipes since there are so many types of batters/dough for this across the internet, all with differing but delicious results (my husband has very much enjoyed eating the test products). The final recipe I settled on was the one I listed, because it created a fluffy version that wasn’t so delicate it would collapse.

The runny batter types are delicious too but fall more into the butter mochi category of being chewy but denser than the dough type–they all do very well being reheated in the air fryer though so their outside crisps up while the inside remains soft and fluffy. Also, yes, I made these all in my air fryer which has served me well in cutting down the cooking time.

Pao de queijo is traditionally made with yucca flour (which, since it comes from the same starchy root, is interchanged with tapioca and cassava flour) which is naturally gluten free. I never really thought I was gluten intolerant, but do notice that I don’t feel heavy/bloated, nor do I get acid reflux from this bread compared to bread made from wheat. I bought the tapioca flour on Amazon, and it came quickly.

A few things surprised me about working with this dough. First, it incorporates liquids easily compared to wheat flour so it wasn’t difficult mixing by hand and it maintains a pretty nice texture even once cooled which isn’t always true of regular bread rolls. It’s very neutral as far as flavor goes, and I was almost tempted to call it glutinous-rice like.

Of course, me being definitely more extra as far as decadence goes made sure to make this with butter (instead of vegetable or olive oil), and I added bacon, which was either a really smart (because it’s delicious) or really dumb (because we can’t stop eating it) decision. I did make it with olive oil and vegetable oil first just to get a base idea but turns out I enjoy it with butter way more. You can omit the bacon, just like I can… but won’t. You can also use less cheese than I do, if you are the responsible sort of person I’m not.

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups Tapioca flour
• 1/3rd cup butter (salted or unsalted–if salted skip the additional salt)
• 2/3rds cup milk
• 1 egg
• Optional: Crumbled cooked bacon or bacon bits, to taste (don’t let me stop you from adding a quarter cup or so.)
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup Mozzarella cheese (you can actually use cheddar, Swiss, muenster, pepperjack, smoked gouda etc. all to devastating effect.)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)

1. Combine salt and tapioca flour and set to the side.
2. Bring milk and butter to a boil on the stove. Add to tapioca flour and mix until combined well.
3. Add one egg and continue to mix until egg has been incorporated into the dough.
4. Add bacon if using, Parmesan cheese and Mozzarella (or cheese of your choice) and mix well.
5. Roll dough into balls (I recommend oiling your hands first to prevent it from sticking) about the size of a ping pong and placing on a greased baking sheet.
6. Bake in the air fryer at 350 for 8-10 minutes, until outside is golden and crispy. Due to the air fryer’s convection capabilities, it tends to burn at higher temperatures.
7. Remove and enjoy! I recommend serving it with a tomato jam for a twist on a bacon and tomato sandwich