Cuban-Style Bread
A professional chef's recipe that may be hard to reproduce at home. Palmetto leaves (or unbleached or colored shoe strings) make the seam on top.
Ingredients
- 1 pt Water, ice
- 1 tbsp Salt
- 1 tbsp Sugar
- 1 oz Lard, or vegetable shortening
- 1 oz Active dry yeast, 4 packets
- 1 1/2 lb Flour, plus more if necessary
- Vegetable oil, for coating
Directions
- In a mixer with the dough hook combine the water, salt, sugar, shortening and yeast. Slowly add the flour to make a stiff, silky smooth dough.
- Put in a large oiled bowl, cover with a cloth and let double in a warm place.
- Pound and knead on a lightly floured surface until silky smooth, then return to the bowl and let double again.
- Sterilize the palmetto leaves or strings in boiling water.
- Portion into 10-ounce loaves. As each is formed, lay a leaf or string down its length and turn it over onto a baking sheet, leaf side down. Let rise 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes.