Pan De Bono (Colombian cheese bread) + Video

Only 6 ingredients! If you love the taste of quesadillas, but want it in the form of a soft, pillowy, chewy roll–then look no further than Pan De Bono. A Colombian cheese bread that is naturally gluten-free. Great as a snack or side dish, you’ll fall in love with this South American favorite. (Soy, peanut and tree nut free too!)

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WHAT IS PAN DE BONO?

Pan de bono (also sometimes spelled pandebono) is a Colombian cheese bread. Cheese lovers unite! With two kinds of cheese, and masa harina as an ingredient it tastes like if you were to make a quesadilla out of corn tortillas. Except, instead of being crunchy, it’s soft, chewy and pillowy.

When researching this recipe, I found there were quite a few different variations. Some used butter and baking powder in the recipe, and others did not. I stuck with the most basic recipe, as I felt this would be more true to the story of pan de bono, as I read it was created to be a more filling snack for workers down in Colombia.

This is a great recipe for dipping your toe into gluten-free baking. With no gluten-free flour blends, or even any type of gums (like guar gum or xanthan gum) it’s a fairly basic recipe that will still give you a roll-type/carby/cheesy dish.

WHAT IS MASA HARINA? IS IT THE SAME AS CORNMEAL?

No, it is not. Masa harina is made of corn like cornmeal, but it’s treated with an alkaline agent and it has a more distinct flavor.  It has a strong, corn flavor, more savory than sweet like a cornmeal has. You cannot interchange them in this recipe. If you’ve ever had tamales, this is the product they use for those, and these taste strongly of tamales. Great for tamale lovers with way less work.

WHAT IS MASECA?

Maseca is a popular brand of masa harina. That is the brand that I used in this pan de bono recipe. 

WHAT CHEESE DO I USE IN PAN DE BONO?

Most recipes that I researched were developed in the United States, so they relied on Queso Fresco, which is traditionally a Mexican cheese, in place of the more traditional Quesito. Most recipes also called for feta (greek) cheese–which gives a nice saltiness. I even saw one calling for Mozzarella, which to me has a softer taste. I would think most cheeses would work and you could swap in your favorite as long as it doesn’t throw off the texture.

I’ve never tried this recipe with dairy-free cheese. While 99% of my recipes are dairy-free, for my son who has dairy allergies, I didn’t bother making this dairy-free, as I personally don’t like any brand of dairy-free cheese. I find them expensive and they don’t melt well and they glop together, so I was afraid it would throw the texture off too much of this bread, that has so few ingredients and cheese really is the star of the show.

WHAT TOOLS DO I NEED?

• Measuring cups and spoons
• Food processor
• Pastry brush
• Baking sheet/cookie sheet
• Silicone baking mat or parchment paper
• *Not required, but I like to have a digital food scale. Every time I’ve bought cheese and it claims “8 oz” it’s always over. This way, I can make sure my cheese is measured properly.

WHAT INGREDIENTS ARE IN PAN DE BONO?

• 1 cup feta (8 oz)
• 1 cup queso fresco (8 oz)
• 1/3 cup masa harina (I use the brand Maseca)
• 2/3 tapioca flour/starch
• 1 large egg
• 2 Tablespoons butter

HOW TO STORE PAN DE BONO

Hopefully you won’t be storing this for long. As there are no preservatives in this, it shouldn’t last long. It’s meant to be eaten quickly, while still warm. After it’s initial baking, it can get hard and stale quickly. If you need to reheat it a few hours after, popping it in the microwave for a few seconds could refresh it somewhat, but do plan on eating it the same day.

DO I HAVE TO USE A FOOD PROCESSOR?

Yes. Because feta is a harder cheese, and because there’s not much moisture, it would take a lot of hand strength to pull this dough together. Not to mention, it wouldn’t be as smooth, and you would probably have chunks of cheese unless you have a high powdered food processor to grind down the cheese for you. I would not recommend making this recipe without one. 

IS COLOMBIAN PAN DE BONO LIKE THE BRAZILIAN  PAO DE QUEJO?

It’s very similar. They’re both cheesy type rolls, that are both naturally gluten-free, that both come from South America. The recipes that I’m familiar with for Pao de Queijo use two additional ingredients: milk and oil. This type of bread has become quite popular in Brazilian steak houses like Rodizio Grill and Tucanos. You can also find them in the supermarket under the name Brazi Bites.

DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER GLUTEN FREE BREAD RECIPES?

I do! I have gluten free breadsticks, gluten free orange rolls, gluten free banana bread, gluten free banana bread, gluten free pancakes, and gluten free bread. Hopefully all of those will help you still enjoy some carbs, even if you’re avoiding gluten.

IS TAPIOCA STARCH THE SAME AS TAPIOCA FLOUR?

Yes. You can purchase it under either name, they are interchangeable.

IS TAPIOCA STARCH THE SAME AS CASSAVA?

If you look at traditional recipes for pan de bono, they call for cassava flour, which is taken from the same plant. Cassava uses the entire root, and tapioca is taken from just the starch. They are both similar enough to use in this recipe, and I find tapioca flour/starch is more readily available and easy to find. Plus, you can use any leftover in my homemade gluten-free flour recipe afterwards.

DO I HAVE A VIDEO SHOWING HOW TO MAKE PAN DE BONO?

Yes! I do. You’ll see as long as you have a food processor, it’s very easy. Simply mix in the food processor, shape in your hands and then bake! The video should automatically pull up, if it does not, it is embedded into the bottom of the recipe card. And, if all else fails, you can view it on my YouTube Channel.

 

DON’T FORGET TO PIN IT, SO YOU DON’T LOSE IT. WHILE YOU’RE THERE, CHECK OUT MY OTHER GLUTEN-FREE PINS.