Chipá (Yuca and Cheese Bread)

Name: Chipá (Yuca and Cheese Bread)
Prep time: PT0D0H0M
Cook time: PT0D1H0M
Total time: PT0D1H0M
Yield: makes 12 rolls
Ingredients: ⅓ cups milk, plus more as needed; 1 large egg; 3⅓ cups cassava starch (11½ oz.), plus more as needed; 7 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature, cubed, plus more for greasing; 2½ oz. Argentine sardo cheese (not Italian Pecorino Fiore Sardo), or provolone, cut into ½-in. cubes; 2½ oz. Tybo cheese (or Monterey Jack), cut into ½-in. cubes; 1 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste

This fluffy, dairy-rich bun is more than a regional staple—it’s a way of life.

Serves
makes 12 rolls
Time
1 hour

PHOTOGRAPHY BY PAOLA + MURRAY; FOOD STYLING BY JASON SCHREIBER; PROP STYLING BY CARLA GONZALEZ-HART

By Romina Esquivel

Published on May 20, 2022

The word “chipá” (often spelled “chipa”) refers to a family of breads and casseroles made from a combination of mandioca (also known as yuca or tapioca) starch, corn, and cheese. Enjoyed in northeast Argentina and Paraguay, it’s the keystone of a centuries-old food canon that fuses long-standing Guaraní corn dishes with dairy, introduced by Spanish Jesuits. The recipe that follows is the reigning rendition, a simple cheese and yuca bun enjoyed from dawn to dusk, most often alongside a cup of yerba mate.

Featured in: “This Glorious Root Is Northeast Argentina's Pantry Staple.”

Ingredients

⅓ cups milk, plus more as needed
1 large egg
3⅓ cups cassava starch (11½ oz.), plus more as needed
7 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature, cubed, plus more for greasing
2½ oz. Argentine sardo cheese (not Italian Pecorino Fiore Sardo), or provolone, cut into ½-in. cubes
2½ oz. Tybo cheese (or Monterey Jack), cut into ½-in. cubes
1 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste

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Instructions

Step 1

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 450°F. Grease a large baking sheet with butter.

Step 2

In a small bowl, whisk together the milk and egg. To a large bowl, add the cassava starch and make a well in the center. Pour half of the milk mixture into the well, then use a fork to incorporate some of the starch into the liquid. Add the butter, cheeses, salt, and the remaining liquid, and knead until no butter lumps remain and you have a soft, smooth, nearly dry dough. (If the dough is crumbly, add more milk; if it’s sticky, add more starch.)

Step 3

Using your hands, roll 1 ounce of the dough into a ping pong-size ball. Transfer to the baking sheet, then repeat with the remaining dough, spacing the balls at least 1 inch apart. Bake, rotating the pan halfway through cooking, until the tops are golden brown and the cheese is oozing slightly, about 20 minutes. Serve hot.

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 450°F. Grease a large baking sheet with butter.
In a small bowl, whisk together the milk and egg. To a large bowl, add the cassava starch and make a well in the center. Pour half of the milk mixture into the well, then use a fork to incorporate some of the starch into the liquid. Add the butter, cheeses, salt, and the remaining liquid, and knead until no butter lumps remain and you have a soft, smooth, nearly dry dough. (If the dough is crumbly, add more milk; if it’s sticky, add more starch.)
Using your hands, roll 1 ounce of the dough into a ping pong-size ball. Transfer to the baking sheet, then repeat with the remaining dough, spacing the balls at least 1 inch apart. Bake, rotating the pan halfway through cooking, until the tops are golden brown and the cheese is oozing slightly, about 20 minutes. Serve hot.

Note: Formed chipá dough can be frozen for up to two months. Bake straight from the freezer, adding about 3 minutes to the cooking time.