Golfeado

Ingredients

Dough

• 600 gplain flour
• 250 mlwarm milk
• 10 gdried yeast
• 80 gsugar
• 80 gbutter, softened
• 2eggs
• 1 teaspoonsalt
• 1 tablespoonaniseed
• 100 mlwater, for the anise infusion

Filling

• 350 gpapelon, grated
• or 350 g panela or dark muscovado
• 200 gqueso blanco, grated
• or 200 g feta, rinsed and grated
• 2 teaspoonsground cinnamon
• 60 gbutter, softened

Syrup

• 150 gpapelon
• 150 mlwater
• 1 teaspoonaniseed
• a squeeze of lime

To top

• 150 gqueso de mano
• or queso blanco, grated

Directions

1. Boil the aniseed in the water. Let it simmer for five minutes. Take it off and let it steep now. Give it a good fifteen minutes. Strain it and keep the liquid. Let it cool right down to lukewarm. Warm the milk to just above body temperature. It should feel barely warm to a clean finger.
2. Stir the yeast and a spoon of sugar into it. Let it stand five minutes until it foams. Combining it takes only a moment. Put the flour, sugar and salt in a bowl. Whisk them together thoroughly. Add the yeasted warm milk to it.
3. Add the cooled anise infusion. Beat the eggs and add them in. Add the softened butter to it. Bring it together into a soft dough. Turn it out onto a floured surface. Knead it for a good ten minutes. It should become smooth and elastic. Put the dough in an oiled bowl. Cover it over with a clean cloth. Leave it somewhere warm to rise. It should roughly double in size.
4. Grate the papelon into a bowl. Add the grated cheese to the bowl. Add the ground cinnamon to it. Mix it all together thoroughly. Roll it out into a large rectangle. Aim for about half a centimetre thick. Spread the softened butter over it. Scatter the filling evenly over the butter.
5. Press it down gently so it sticks. Leave a clear border at the far edge. Roll it up tightly from the long side. Keep the roll even all the way along. Pinch the long seam closed firmly. Cutting it takes a sharp knife. Cut the roll into thick slices. Aim for about four centimetres.
6. Use a sharp knife or dental floss. Set them cut side up on a lined tray. Cover them over with a clean cloth. Let them rise for about forty minutes. They should look visibly puffed. Heat the oven to 180C before baking. Bake them for about twenty-five minutes. They should be deep golden brown. Put the papelon and water in a pan. Add the aniseed to the small pan. Warm it until the papelon dissolves.
7. Let it simmer for about ten minutes. It should thicken to a pourable syrup. Add a squeeze of fresh lime juice. Strain the aniseed back out of it. Glazing them is done straight from the oven.
8. Brush the hot buns generously with syrup. Brush them twice as it soaks in. Do it while they are genuinely hot. Grate queso de mano over the hot buns. Do it while they are still warm. Warm them briefly and add fresh cheese.

Technique

• The bun is very sweet and the cheese on top is salty and mild, and those two together are the whole idea; a golfeado without cheese is a different thing entirely.
• Papelon is unrefined whole cane sugar, called panela elsewhere and piloncillo in Mexico, and its molasses flavour is essential, since white sugar gives a flat sweet bun.
• Queso de mano means cheese made by hand and softens rather than melting into a pool, which is why it is grated over the buns while they are still warm.

Substitutions

• Panela, piloncillo or dark muscovado stand in for papelon.
• Rinsed grated feta stands in for queso de mano, with the rinsing taking off some salt.

Variations

• Some bakers add more cheese inside and less on top.
• A version without anise is made in some bakeries.
• Golfeados are sold plain or split and filled with more cheese.

History

Caracas sweet roll of papelon and anise, served warm with grated queso de mano melting on top.

Frequently asked questions

What is Golfeado?

Golfeado is a bread & pastry from Venezuela: sticky papelón-cinnamon bun topped with salty cheese. Caracas sweet roll of papelon and anise, served warm with grated queso de mano melting on top.

How long does Golfeado take to make?

Golfeado takes 45 minutes plus rising of preparation and 30 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes about 12 buns. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Golfeado?

Yes, within limits. Panela, piloncillo or dark muscovado stand in for papelon. Rinsed grated feta stands in for queso de mano, with the rinsing taking off some salt.

What is the most important thing to get right in Golfeado?

The bun is very sweet and the cheese on top is salty and mild, and those two together are the whole idea; a golfeado without cheese is a different thing entirely.