Pandebono is a Colombian cheese bread that is super moist and extra cheesy. This bread is the perfect coffee bread for my breakfasts.
This cheese bread may be a great alternative for those that are gluten intolerant and that want some kind of bread for their breakfast.
I must say that this recipe brings me memories from home — I know I’m Venezuelan, not Colombian — because in almost every bakery we could get some freshly-made, warm and savory cheese bread.
In Venezuela, we don’t call it pandebono, I just knew it as “pan de queso” but when I wanted to learn the recipe I also learned that this was, in fact, a Colombian recipe that somebody in my family was taught from a Colombian friend.
For those that don’t know, besides sharing a border, Colombia and Venezuela share a similar gastronomy. Don’t you ever get yourself between a Venezuelan and a Colombian arguing about the origins of arepas… It will be a war!
But the truth is that we have many similar dishes and sometimes we don’t even realize it.
Now talking about the details of the recipe:
First, you need tapioca starch — mandioca o yuca — you can get it in any Latin American store. Here in Portugal, I get mine from the Brazilian section of the supermarket and it’s called “Polvilho Doce”.
Now, to give the right consistency we need some corn flour and I will always recommend Harina Pan — this is the most known product from Venezuela. Luckily, nowadays is really easy to find in any big supermarket chain like Target.
As I said before, this recipe is 100% gluten-free because the two main ingredients are Tapioca starch and Corn flour.
The pandebono dough is completely mixed in a food processor, so you don’t have to knead the dough or even sweat.
In my case, I don’t have a truly potent food processor and It was kind of tricky, but with patience and the help of a spatula I got a pretty homogeneous dough.
Finally, I need to address the cheesy factor of this recipe. Traditionally this dough is made of a combination of “queso costeño” (80%) and feta cheese (20%). But here in Portugal, I can’t find “queso costeño” anywhere, so I use grated mozzarella cheese — not fresh mozzarella cheese because it has a lot more water. The result is a little bit more stringy but less strong flavor.
I hope you enjoy these pandebonos with a big cup of coffee or milk!
Pandebono Recipe (Colombian Cheese Bread)
Ingredients
- 2 cups tapioca starch
- 2 tbsp Corn Flour (note 1)
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 150 gr mozzarella cheese
- 50 gr feta cheese
- 2 tbsp softened butter
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup whole milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 220ºC (420ºF)
- In a food processor add the tapioca starch, the corn flour, the baking powder, the sugar, and the salt. Process for 20 sec until everything is well mixed.
- Add the egg and the butter and process for a minute or two until you get a thick dough.
- Now start adding the milk to help the food processor to mix.
- Add the cheese and process for 2-4 minutes until you get a smooth dough that slightly separates from the food processor. Transfer to a bowl and let it sit for 10 minutes.
- Make small balls or donut-shaped pandebonos and bake for 20 minutes. (note 2)
Notes
- Try to use Harina pan for a better result.
- The donut-shaped pandebonos will need less amount of time. About 18 minutes.
I’m Maria and I love cooking—and mostly EATING—food from all around the world. I’ve been sharing my abuela’s secret Latin-American recipes for the last 7 years with the world on this blog. I’ve been a full-time food blogger for many years and I’m always trying new delicious meals that don’t require a culinary degree or a Michelin-star chef. I also love traveling, cats, and knitting.
Excelente bread!! I love it. Very similar to the chipa paraguaya.