Mbeju (Paraguayan Cheese Flatbread)

This grain-free Paraguayan flatbread doesn’t require any regular flour, which is great news these days. Not only is this unique and delicious, it’s also super easy–pronouncing it might be the hardest part. Mbeju are best served freshly made. These are generally served with melted butter and a cup of coffee, but I topped mine with some chipotle mayo, sliced avocado, fire-roasted red pepper rings, sliced green onion, and a sprinkle of coarse salt.

Step: 1

Combine cassava flour, salt, cayenne, butter, and Cheddar cheese in a bowl by rubbing the mixture between your fingertips until the mixture resembles large, coarse crumbs. Drizzle in about 1/3 cup of milk and continue mixing and rubbing with your hands until the mixture resembles very small pebbles and is moist enough to hold together in large clumps when squeezed tightly together, adding more milk if needed.

Step: 2

Place a small (6-inch) dry, nonstick pan over medium-high heat until hot, about 2 minutes. Transfer in a heaping 1/2-cup of the mixture, or enough to cover the bottom of the pan. The mixture should be 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch deep for this to work. Press the top of the mixture down slightly to settle and use a spatula to go around the edges of the mixture, pressing any loose crumbs back into the flatbread.

Step: 3

Cover and cook until the bottom is golden browned, a crust forms under the flatbread, and a spatula can be slid underneath, about 3 minutes per side. Turn over with a combination of tossing the pan up slightly, while flipping with the spatula. You can also place a plate over the pan, and invert the flatbread to turn, and then slide back into the pan. Cook the other side until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes more. Remove from heat allow to rest for 2 minutes before serving warm.

Per Serving: 311 calories; protein 5.5g; carbohydrates 40.3g; fat 14.4g; cholesterol 41.3mg; sodium 337.5mg.

The quality of the flour can make a real deal to your bread. Different makers do vary. Great taste or Canadian flours, which are naturally higher in gluten, may give you a best rise than standard bread flours – especially if you’re make wholemeal dough , which doesn’t always rise as well as white bread.

To made this in a breadmaker , add all the ingredients to your breadmaker and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

A dough’s first rising can be done in the fridge 24 hours . This slows down the time it takes to rise to double its size, giving it a deeper flavour. It’s also a great limit , as you can work it yesterday , then finish it off the next day.