Pan Cubano (Cuban Bread)
From "Three Guys From Miami Cook Cuban." Makes 1 large wide loaf. Their rule is that Cuban bread has to have lard - don't substitute. In Tampa the seam is made with palmetto leaves; a knife cut works too.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Active dry yeast
- 2 tsp Sugar
- 1 1/4 cup Water, warm (110 degrees F), divided
- 2 cup Bread flour
- 2 cup Flour, all-purpose
- 2 tsp Salt
- 1/4 cup Lard, melted
- 2 tbsp Water, warm, for brushing
- Cornmeal, for the baking sheet
Directions
- Dissolve the yeast and sugar in 1/4 cup of the warm water and let stand in a warm place until foamy and doubled, about 10 minutes. If it doesn't foam, the yeast is bad.
- Put the yeast mixture, the rest of the water and the salt in a stand mixer and blend on low with the dough hook.
- Sift the two flours together. Gradually add the flour and the melted lard a little at a time with the mixer running, until the dough is smooth and elastic and the hook barely cleans the bowl - about 3 1/4 cups of sifted flour. Too much flour makes dense bread. Save the rest for rolling.
- Knead on low 3 to 4 minutes, no more (or about 10 minutes by hand). The dough will be fairly sticky.
- Shape into a ball in a greased bowl, turn to coat, cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Roll out on a floured board to about 12 by 20 inches, flouring as needed. Roll up into a tight cylinder with slightly tapered ends and pinch the seam closed.
- Set diagonally, seam down, on a greased baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal. Dust with flour, cover loosely with plastic and let rise to about 2 1/2 times its size, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F with a pan of water on the lowest rack. Cut a shallow seam down the top, leaving 2 inches uncut at each end.
- Brush with water and bake on the middle shelf, brushing again after 5 minutes, until light brown and crusty, 12 to 18 minutes total.