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1
Mix the dough
20 Mins
Milk about 40°C (104°F)
Warm the milk gently until it feels like a comfortable bath on your wrist, about 40°C (104°F), then stir in the yeast and a pinch of the grated panela. Leave it for 10 minutes until it foams — if it does not foam, the yeast is dead and you need a fresh packet. Meanwhile, mix the flour, salt, anise seeds and the rest of the dough panela in a large bowl. Pour in the foamy milk, the beaten egg and the softened butter, and stir until a shaggy dough forms.
Milk hotter than 45°C (113°F) kills the yeast — test it on your wrist, not with a finger, and let it cool if it feels hot.
Done when: Yeast foams in the milk; dough comes together in one shaggy mass.
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2
Knead and first rise
100 Mins
Warm place, about 25–28°C (77–82°F)
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured counter and knead for 10 minutes, pushing it away with the heel of your hand, folding it back and turning it, until it is smooth, elastic and springs back when pressed. Put it in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a clean cloth, and leave it in a warm place for 90 minutes, until it has doubled in size.
A turned-off oven with just the light on is the perfect warm, draught-free spot for rising.
Done when: Dough smooth and springy; doubled in size after 90 minutes.
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3
Roll out, fill and cut
15 Mins
No heat
Knock the dough back gently and roll it out on a floured counter into a rectangle about 30 by 40 cm. Brush it all over with the melted butter, then sprinkle the filling panela evenly over the top, followed by the grated cheese and the cinnamon. Roll it up from the long side into a firm log, pinch the seam shut, and cut it into 12 even slices. Set the slices cut-side up in a buttered baking dish, leaving a little space between them.
Use a sharp knife or unflavoured dental floss to cut the log — a dull knife squashes the spirals flat.
Done when: Even log, 12 neat spirals, cheese and panela visible in every cut face.
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4
Rest and bake
40 Mins
Oven 180°C (350°F)
Cover the dish and leave the rolls to rest for 15 minutes while the oven heats to 180°C (350°F). Bake for 25 minutes, until the tops are deep golden brown and the syrup is bubbling at the edges. While they bake, make the syrup: simmer the panela and water in a small pan for 5 minutes until slightly thickened.
If the tops brown too fast, lay a sheet of foil loosely over the dish for the last 10 minutes.
Done when: Tops deep golden brown, rolls puffed up and touching, syrup bubbling at the edges.
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5
Glaze with syrup and cheese
5 Mins
Syrup warm, about 60°C (140°F)
Take the rolls out of the oven and brush them generously with the warm panela syrup while they are still hot, so it soaks in and turns glossy. Sprinkle the remaining grated cheese over the top, then leave the rolls in the dish for 10 minutes before serving warm, with soft white cheese and coffee on the side.
Brush the syrup on in two coats — the first soaks in, the second gives the shine.
Done when: Rolls glossy with syrup, cheese just starting to melt on top, sticky to the touch.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Brush the hot rolls generously with the panela syrup, sprinkle over the last of the grated cheese, and serve warm from the dish with soft queso de mano or queso fresco on the side and black coffee to drink.
Venezuela
3h
