Pastéis de Queijo with Lime-Hot Sauce

Steps

1. Step 1

   In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Add the oil, the cachaça or vodka if using, the vinegar and the warm water. Stir with a fork until shaggy, then turn out onto a work surface and knead 5 minutes, until smooth and elastic. If it feels sticky, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time; if dry and crumbly, add water 1 teaspoon at a time.

   10 min

   • 2 cups all-purpose flour
   • 1 tsp salt
   • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
   • 1 tbsp cachaça or vodka
   • 1 tbsp white vinegar
   • 2/3 cup warm water
2. Step 2

   Wrap the dough in plastic or cover the bowl with a damp towel and let it rest at room temperature. This makes it much easier to roll thin.

   30 min, hands-off

3. Step 3

   Meanwhile, make the dipping sauce: stir the hot sauce, lime juice, olive oil, cilantro and garlic together in a small bowl. Season with salt and set aside.

   5 min

   • 2 tbsp hot sauce
   • 2 tbsp lime juice
   • 1 tbsp olive oil
   • 2 tbsp cilantro or parsley
   • 1 clove garlic
   • salt
4. Step 4

   Toss the mozzarella with the oregano and black pepper in a bowl.

   3 min

   • 8 oz low-moisture mozzarella
   • 1 tsp dried oregano
   • 1/4 tsp black pepper
5. Step 5

   Cut the rested dough into 4 pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll one piece out as thin as you can — about 1/16 inch, thin enough to almost see through. Cut it into 3 rectangles, roughly 4 by 5 inches each. Keep the other pieces covered.

   8 min

6. Step 6

   Put a heaping tablespoon of cheese on one half of each rectangle, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Brush the border with water, fold the dough over the filling and press the edges firmly, pushing out any air. Seal the edges with the tines of a fork. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling to make 12 pastries.

   12 min

   • 8 oz low-moisture mozzarella
7. Step 7

   Pour the frying oil into a deep, heavy pot to a depth of about 1 1/2 inches and heat over medium until it reaches 350°F (a scrap of dough should bubble briskly and float right away).

   8 min · 350°F

   • 4 cups neutral oil, for frying
8. Step 8

   Fry 2 or 3 pastries at a time, spooning hot oil over the tops as they cook to make them puff and blister. Turn once and fry until deep golden, about 1 minute per side. Lift out onto a rack or paper towels and repeat with the rest, letting the oil come back to temperature between batches.

   15 min

9. Step 9

   Let the pastries cool 2 to 3 minutes — the cheese is molten — then serve hot with the lime-hot sauce for dunking.

   3 min, hands-off

Where it’s from

Written by AI from an idea

Version 1, saved Oct 5, 2026