Recipe

Galician empanada with guava and cheese: a delicious Cuban fusion

Name: Galician empanada with guava and cheese: a delicious Cuban fusion
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 185 min
Ingredients: 500 g all-purpose or medium-strength wheat flour; 230 ml warm water; 70 ml mild olive oil; 7 g dry baker's yeast (or 20 g fresh yeast); 1 tablespoon sugar; 1 level teaspoon salt; 350 g firm Cuban guava paste in bar form; 300 g Galician Tetilla cheese, rind removed, cut into thin slices; A pinch of lemon zest (optional); 1 beaten egg, for brushing; 1 teaspoon sugar for sprinkling (optional)

Large, round Galician empanada made with yeast-leavened bread dough and crimped edges, filled with Cuban guava paste and Tetilla cheese. A baked fusion.

CiberCubaNovember 6, 2026

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Preparation35 min
Cooking40 min
Total time3 h 5 min
Servings8-10 servings
DifficultyMedium

This empanada is a creative interpretation, not a historical Galician recipe. The shape and technique come from Galicia: a large, round empanada with yeast-leavened bread dough, two lids, edges sealed with a crimp (repulgue), and a chimney in the center. The filling is a pure Cuban nod: guava paste with cheese, the classic pairing in our snacks and bakeries.

For the cheese, we use Galician Tetilla, soft, buttery, and excellent for melting, which embraces the sweet acidity of the guava just as white cheese does in a Havana pastry. The result is a thin, spread-out empanada, perfect for cutting into triangles and serving with good Cuban coffee or café con leche for an afternoon snack or Sunday dessert.

Method

Dough

Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm water and let rest for 5 minutes until it becomes slightly foamy. If you use instant dry yeast, you can skip this step and mix it directly with the flour.
In a large bowl, mix the flour with the salt. Add the water with the yeast and the olive oil, and knead for 8-10 minutes until you have a smooth, elastic, soft dough that is barely sticky. Only if absolutely necessary, add one more tablespoon of flour.
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Form into a ball, place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a cloth, and let rise in a warm place for 60-90 minutes, until it doubles in volume.

Filling

While the dough rises, remove the rind from the Tetilla cheese and cut it into thin slices. Cut the guava paste bar into 4-5 mm thick slices; if it is very hard, cut it into small strips to distribute it better. Do not heat it or add water: the filling must remain thick.
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Assembly and baking

Preheat the oven to 190 °C with top and bottom heat (180 °C with fan) and line the baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide the risen dough into two: about 450 g for the base and the rest (about 370 g) for the lid.
Roll out the larger portion into a circle of about 34 cm and 3-4 mm thick, and place it on the parchment. First spread the guava slices evenly, then the cheese, distributing them uniformly without high mounds, leaving a 2-3 cm border free. It should be a thin, spread-out empanada, not a tall cake.
Roll out the other portion into a circle of about 30 cm and cover the filling. Join the edges, press, and seal them with a firm crimp (repulgue) or Galician braid, leaving no openings. Make a small hole in the center of the lid (the chimney) for steam to escape, and if needed, make 2-3 discreet pricks. If there are scraps left over, use them to decorate.
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Brush the entire surface with beaten egg and, if desired, sprinkle a very small amount of sugar. Bake at medium height for 35-40 minutes, until the dough is well cooked and golden. If it browns too quickly, cover loosely with aluminum foil and finish baking.
Let the empanada rest for at least 20 minutes before cutting, so the filling thickens and does not spill (the guava straight from the oven burns). Serve warm or at room temperature, in triangular portions, with Cuban coffee or café con leche.
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Tips and variations

Bread dough, not puff pastry. If you use commercial puff pastry, it is no longer a Galician empanada; the charm lies in that fermented dough, tender and slightly crispy on the outside.

Guava paste in bar form, never jam. The firm paste holds up in the oven without becoming soggy. Do not heat it or add water: if it becomes liquid, it soaks the dough and may open the crimped edge.

If you cannot find Tetilla cheese, use another soft cheese that melts well and does not release much water, or a firm cream cheese well drained. Keep in mind this would then be a variation.

Instant yeast: if you use instant dry yeast, you can mix it directly with the flour, following the manufacturer's instructions.

Storage: since it contains cheese, do not leave it at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Refrigerate leftovers well covered (at 4 °C or less) and consume within a maximum of 3 days. To reheat, warm in the oven at 160 °C for about 8-10 minutes; in the microwave, the dough becomes soft.