Homemade pandebono: Colombian cheese and cassava buns

Method

1. 1

   Prepare the oven and cheese

   Heat the oven to 200 °C and line a baking tray. Grate or crumble the cheese very finely so it mixes evenly without large lumps.

   
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   Hands finely crumbling fresh cheese beside cassava and corn starch.

2. 2

   Mix the dry ingredients

   Combine the sour cassava starch and corn starch. Add the cheese and rub it through the starches with your hands until evenly distributed.

   
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   Hands mixing cheese with the dry starches.

3. 3

   Adjust the dough

   Add the egg and knead. Start with 30 ml milk, adding a little more only if the dough crumbles, up to 60 ml as needed. It should be soft, moldable and barely moist, without sticking to your fingers. Moist cheese may need less milk.

   
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   Hands kneading smooth, moldable pandebono dough.

4. 4

   Shape twelve buns

   Divide into 12 similar portions. Roll each into a ball and flatten slightly into a thick disc. Space them apart on the tray to allow expansion.

   
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   Twelve unbaked thick dough discs spaced on a baking tray.

5. 5

   Bake and serve

   Bake on the middle rack for 18–22 minutes, until lightly golden and puffed. Let them rest for five minutes, then serve warm.

   
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   Lightly golden pandebonos just out of the oven.

The step photos are illustrative.