Milena Burnquist Ziober hand cranks balls of cheese bread for her company, Bela Baker. (Submitted photo)

Sandwiched between ready-made products in a freezer aisle at Market of Choice are bags of Bela Baker’s authentic Brazilian cheese bread, also known as pão de queijo.

The bread is an integral part of Brazilian culture, where it is found on nearly every street corner, bakery and cafe in Brazil, said Milena Burnquist Ziobler, who founded the wholesale company with her husband, Luis.

Milena remembers waking up to the tangy smell of the bread as her grandmother, whom she calls Bela and who is the namesake and the logo of the business, baked and filled a fresh basket of the rolls.

Milena’s sister, a graphic designer, created a cartoon version with the likeness of their grandmother whistling while mixing a bowl, which is affixed to every bag that is sold.

Before relocating to Bend 17 years ago, the Zioblers ran a restaurant in San Diego. The best-selling item was the cheese bread, Milena said.

“When people go to Brazil, there are so many different dishes that are famous, but the cheese bread’s the one that sticks with everyone,” Luis said.

Seven simple ingredients

The bread comes together at Prep — A Chef’s Kitchen on Revere Avenue and is made with a recipe developed over 20 years ago. The Ziobers and an assistant work alongside other businesses such as El Sancho, Miyagi Ramen and Aina Kauai Style Grill, where the shared space lends itself to shared ideas among business owners, Luis said.

“It is a work of passion and we just love making it,” he said.

The ingredients in Bela Baker’s product are made with just seven ingredients: tapioca flour, parmesan cheese, milk, eggs, butter, salt and water.

Tapioca flour and salt are added to boiling water, milk and butter and mixed until the dough becomes a sticky consistency. Then the parmesan cheese and eggs are added to a machine that is manually hand-cranked to spit out the balls.

The balls are parbaked, so those who buy the frozen product may place the bread directly on a baking sheet and put it in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes until it has puffed slightly and is golden brown.

The cheese balls are small, about an inch and a half in diameter, with a crackly exterior, an elastic inside and a savory, cheesy flavor.

And it all just happens to be gluten-, yeast- and sugar-free.

In Brazil, traditional pão de queijo recipes are made with the easily accessible cassava flour. In the U.S., however, tapioca flour is more accessible. The two flours are often used interchangeably and both originate from the yucca plant, but cassava flour uses the whole root of the plant, while tapioca flour is extracted from the starchy liquid of the cassava root.

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Where can I find Bela Baker?

For many years, the Ziobers sold their product at farmers’ markets across the state and were regular vendors at Bend’s Saturday NorthWest Crossing Farmers Market, selling the cheese bread with the help of their daughters Makaya Sol and Brisa, now ages 20 and 22, respectively.

This will be the first in 12 years that the family won’t be selling Bela Baker at farmers’ markets,

Milena said, as they are taking a summer off to refocus and plan to participate in holiday events come winter.

Bela Baker comes in three flavors: original, chive and rosemary garlic. In addition to Market of Choice, it may also be found at Newport Market, Central Oregon Locavore and is in about 27 stores across Oregon, including Sisters, Terrebonne, Eugene, Corvallis and Portland.

Every year, the business expands and grows just a little bit, Milena said.