I found a really fun flour blend made specifically for pandebono in a cornershop near me a.k.a. Colombian gluten free cheese bread. If you’ve never tried or heard of these, it’s an absolute must in my opinion! Such a good naturally gluten free gem. They’re incredibly soft (unlike a lot of gluten free bread), a little chewy and taste fantastic!
I posted → my first attempt ← on Instagram the other day and hesitated to share the recipe at the time as they came out really flat. But as promised, I whipped up a second batch this morning and here is the final result! The issue was easily fixed just by freezing the dough balls for a 15-20 minutes before baking. 👍
And if for any reason yours turn out flat, they make the perfect little burger buns!
P.S.: it’s basically a blend of cassava/tapioca starch, cornflour and pre-cooked cornmeal with some added sugar and salt so you could also make it from scratch if you can’t find it where you live.
I bought mine in a little shop in North London (Holloway) called Seven Sisters Green Grocers so if you live locally, go check it out. Otherwise have a look online, it’s often the best way with these elusive exotic gluten free flours (and I promise it’s worth the buy). 😅
Pandebono / Gluten Free Cheese Bread Buns Recipe:
- 175g / 1 + ½ cups Pandebono flour blend (I used Ingredion which is certified gluten free)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 65g / ½ cup feta cheese
- 210g / 2 cups fresh shredded mozzarella (I used this type , specially made for pizza)
- 45g / 3 Tbsp butter
- 1 large egg (50g)
- Milk (just a bit, only if the dough is too dry)
BAKING TEMPERATURE: 220C (428F)
BAKING TIME: 20 to 22 minutes
* If you don't have access to a pandebono flour blend where you live, you can also use a mixture of cassava starch and cornflour. About 115g (1 cup) of cassava/tapioca starch + 60g (1/4 cup) cornflour. I've never actually tried it myself, but this is what's generally recommended. 👍
Directions
- Pre-heat your oven to 220C (428F).
- Crumble both cheeses together in a bowl and then add the flour, baking powder, butter (room temperature or softened in the microwave first) and egg.
- Mix with a spoon until the dough starts to come together, then carry on with your hands and knead the dough until you have a smooth, lump free ball. Note: The dough should feel a little sticky, but still very easy to handle without it sticking to your hands. If for any reason the dough is too dry – depending on what cheeses and flour blend you use, it can happen – add a bit of milk, one teaspoon at a time. If it’s too wet, add a little more flour.
- Divide the dough into 12 portions and shape them into balls. Note: you can also make them bigger but bear in mind that the bigger they are, the flatter they’ll probably turn out.
- Place your pandebono dough balls on a baking tray (lined with baking paper), cover with cling film and freeze for 15-20 minutes. This step is optional, but it will prevent your cheese breads from spreading too much and ending up flat.
- Meanwhile, pre-heat your oven to 220C (428F).
- Bake on the middle shelf for about 20 minutes, until they turn a nice golden colour.
Enjoy!
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Hi Kimi, I live in Ireland, so it’s not easy to source the ingredients listed in this recipe. Could you please tell me what flours are in the Pandebono flour blend?
Hi! The blend is a mixture of cassava/tapioca starch, cornflour and pre-cooked cornmeal. I haven’t tried making it myself from scratch yet, but based on all the research I’ve made, you should get a similar result by using 115g (1 cup) of cassava/tapioca starch with 60g (1/4 cup) cornflour.
And I know right, it’s a pain that all these ‘exotic’ flours and flour blends can be hard to source, even here in London. If you’re struggling to find the tapioca starch btw, have a look in Asian/Chinese supermarkets (if you have one nearby) or you can buy it online. It’s well worth it.
Hope this helps! 🙂