Trevor Ng
If you have a sweet tooth, you may want to try a Venezuelan delicacy called golfeados. They are sweet cinnamon and cheese buns, a must-have in Venezuela. They are a leavened dough, somewhere between bread and brioche, and are also called Venezuelan sticky buns. They are usually served with a softer cheese called queso de mano, but mozzarella or queso fresco can be used as substitutes.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Venezuela |
| Inventors | Genaro and María Duarte |
| Main ingredients | Leavened dough, cinnamon, cheese, brown sugar syrup |
| Type of dough | Leavened dough, halfway between bread and brioche |
| Cheese type | Queso de mano, mozzarella, queso fresco, feta, cottage cheese |
| Other ingredients | Butter, milk, anise, aniseed |
| Texture | Soft, sticky |
| Taste | Sweet, salty, buttery |
| Accompaniments | Coffee, lemon paprika |
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What You'll Learn
The history of golfeados
Golfeados are a Venezuelan pastry that is an essential part of the country's cuisine. They are sweet cinnamon and cheese buns, with a leavened dough that is halfway between bread and brioche. The particularity of golfeados lies in their brown sugar syrup made from panela, which gives them a shiny appearance and a sticky texture. They are usually served with a softer cheese called "queso de mano", which is a local fresh cheese that is very common in Venezuela.
The Duarte brothers baked the first golfeados in their wood-fired oven and sold them door-to-door. The soft rolls were covered with brown sugar and anise, and their swirled shape reminded customers of the coffee seed "golfiao". The aroma and beautiful golden colour from the glaze quickly attracted passers-by, and the popularity of golfeados spread.
Over time, golfeados became a success not only in Caracas but throughout Venezuela. They could be found in bakeries on almost every corner of the country, and their unique combination of sweet and savoury flavours continued to delight locals and visitors alike. The essence of the golfeado has remained intact, and they are now enjoyed as a delicious treat any time of day, often accompanied by a good cup of coffee.
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Ingredients and preparation
Golfeados are a Venezuelan pastry that combines sweet and savoury flavours. The soft, slightly sweet dough is rolled into a spiral shape and filled with a mixture of cinnamon, grated brown sugar, and local cheese known as queso de mano. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to prepare this delicious treat:
Ingredients:
- Wheat flour (or strong flour if you're making it in Spain)
- Butter
- Milk
- Brown sugar (or panela, which is unrefined brown cane sugar from South America)
- Yeast
- Salt
- Aniseed
- Cheese (queso de mano, mozzarella, queso fresco, feta, or cottage cheese)
Preparation:
- Warm the butter, milk, and brown sugar together until the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved. Allow this mixture to cool to room temperature.
- Activate the yeast by stirring it into the cooled mixture.
- Add the flour and salt to form a soft, sticky dough.
- Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic.
- Let the dough rise in a greased bowl, covered, until it has doubled in size.
- Roll out the dough with a rolling pin into a thin sheet.
- Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture over the dough, and top with grated or crumbled cheese.
- Roll up the dough tightly, starting from one long side, to form a log.
- Cut the log into individual buns, and shape each one into a spiral or snail shape.
- Place the buns onto a baking tray, cover, and let them rise again until puffy.
- Bake the golfeados in a preheated oven until golden brown.
- While the buns are baking, prepare the glaze by heating panela or brown sugar with a little water until it forms a sticky syrup.
- As soon as the golfeados come out of the oven, brush them generously with the glaze.
- Serve warm, with a side of soft cheese such as queso de mano or mozzarella.
Enjoy your homemade golfeados! This unique combination of sweet and savoury flavours is sure to impress and satisfy your cravings.
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The unique flavour combination
The type of cheese used in golfeados is important to the overall flavour profile. Traditionally, a fresh, soft cheese called "queso de mano" is used. This cheese is said to have a subtle salty or savoury flavour that provides the perfect contrast to the sweet and buttery filling. In Venezuela, "queso de mano" is widely available and commonly used in cooking. However, it may be difficult to find outside of the country. Substitutes such as fresh mozzarella, feta, or cottage cheese can be used, but they may alter the flavour profile slightly.
The brown sugar used in golfeados is typically unrefined, which gives it a characteristic caramelised touch. This type of sugar, known as "panela" or "rapadura", is made from cooking the juice of sugarcane at high temperatures to obtain molasses. It is a common ingredient in Latin America and is much cheaper than refined sugar. The use of unrefined sugar contributes to the unique flavour of golfeados, setting them apart from other sweet breads or pastries.
Another key ingredient in golfeados is anise or aniseed, which adds a subtle aromatic flavour to the sweet and savoury combination. The original recipe for golfeados, created by the Duarte brothers, included anise, and it has remained an essential element of the flavour profile.
The combination of sweet, salty, and savoury flavours in golfeados, along with the use of unrefined sugar and anise, creates a unique and delectable treat. The soft, slightly sweet dough, the buttery and cinnamon-spiced filling, and the salty cheese come together to form a harmonious and indulgent flavour experience.
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The cultural significance of golfeados
Golfeados are a beloved part of Venezuelan culture and cuisine. These sweet cinnamon and cheese buns are considered an essential food in Venezuela, and they can be found in almost every bakery in the country. They are also enjoyed by Venezuelans living abroad, who associate golfeados with home and nostalgia.
The unique flavour of golfeados comes from the combination of sweet and savoury ingredients. The soft, slightly sweet dough is filled with cinnamon, brown sugar or honey, and local cheese, which provides a salty contrast. The buns are then glazed with a brown sugar syrup made from panela, which gives them a shiny appearance and sticky texture.
The origin of golfeados can be traced back to the beginning of the 20th century in the town of Petare. The creators were two brothers, Genaro and María Duarte, who wanted to offer something different by combining sweet and savoury flavours in a bread. They were inspired by the culinary traditions of the Canary Islands, which had been introduced to the area by families who had settled there, and they created the first golfeados by revisiting a Canary recipe with Venezuelan ingredients. The Duarte brothers baked the golfeados in a wood-fired oven and sold them door-to-door, and their delicious creation quickly became a success.
The shape of the sticky buns is said to have given them their name. The swirled shape of the pastry reminded customers of the coffee seed "golfiao," and they would request the rolls by this name. Over time, the popularity of golfeados spread beyond Petare and throughout Venezuela. They are now enjoyed as a dessert or a savoury item, and they are often served with a softer cheese called "queso de mano" or substituted with mozzarella or queso fresco.
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Where to find golfeados
Golfeados are a Venezuelan pastry, a take on the traditional sticky bun with a couple of distinct twists. The filling is not just butter and sugar, there's also cheese in there. The dough is soft and slightly sweet, and it is rolled into a spiral shape and filled with papier-melon honeydew. The unrefined sugar gives it a caramelised touch. The detail that sets them apart from other sweet breads is the hand cheese, a Venezuelan cheese that provides a perfect salty contrast.
You can find golfeados in bakeries in almost every corner of Venezuela. They are usually eaten as a side dish or as a topping for sweet cinnamon rolls. They are also served as a garnish for arepas or cachapas.
If you are in the United States, you can find them in some Venezuelan restaurants in Queens and Brooklyn, New York. Empanadas Mix on Northern Blvd mentions them in the general info section, but they do not appear on the actual menu. There are also places in Miami that will ship them.
If you are in Spain, you can make them at home with a few substitutes that you can find at local supermarkets. You can use fresh cheese, mozzarella, feta cheese, or cottage cheese instead of Venezuelan hand cheese. You can find flour in supermarkets such as Mercadona, Carrefour, or Lidl. You can also find panela, a substitute for newsprint, in shops specializing in Latin products or some supermarkets.
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Frequently asked questions
Golfeados are sweet cinnamon and cheese buns that are a must in Venezuela. They are made from a leavened dough that is halfway between bread and brioche. They are also called "Venezuelan sticky buns".
The dough is filled with cinnamon and a local cheese called "queso de mano". The buns are then shaped like snails. The particularity of golfeados lies in their brown sugar syrup made from panela, which gives them a shiny appearance and a sticky texture.
The dough is rolled out and then filled with a cinnamon and cheese filling. It is then shaped into buns and brushed with panela syrup. The panela syrup gives the golfeados their golden brown colour.
The buns are mostly sweet with brown sugar and caramel overtones. The cheese adds a subtle salty/savoury undertone. The combination of sweet and savoury may seem unusual, but Venezuelans have perfected the combination.
