Cuban Bread

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Aunt Bea

Master Chef
Joined
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[FONT=&quot]This recipe was passed to me by a friend years ago. It is quick, for a yeast bread, and quite good.
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[FONT=&quot]Cuban Bread[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]5-6 cups AP flour [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]2 T dry yeast[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]2 T sugar[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]1 T salt[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]2 cups hot water – 120 to 130 degrees[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]1 T sesame or poppy seeds[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Mix the flour with the yeast, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor, fitted with a dough blade. Drizzle in the hot water with the machine running until the dough forms a ball. Spin the ball 20 to 25 times. Place in a greased bowl and let rise 15 minutes. Punch down and form into two round loaves. Place on a baking sheet. Slash an X in the top of each loaf, brush with water and sprinkle with seeds. Place in the middle of a COLD oven. Place a flat pan of boiling water on the bottom shelf. Turn the oven to 400 degrees and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. The bread should be deep golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. This bread is best when hot and fresh from the oven.
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[FONT=&quot]I usually make this bread by hand instead of using the food processor. See below.[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]Mix the flour with the yeast, sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl. Pour in hot water and beat 100 strokes by hand. Stir in the remaining flour and stir until the dough is no longer sticky. Knead 8 minutes by hand. Place in a greased bowl and proceed with the recipe as shown above.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]I don’t keep much bread in the house so I usually cut this recipe in half. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] I like to make this recipe when I am having a soup meal on a cold winter night. The leftovers make great toast.[/FONT]
 
That's a pretty simple recipe.
What makes it Cuban? It looks like your typical French/Italian loaf ingredients. Maybe a bit more salt. Is it the method of starting in a cold oven?
 
Thanks, will have to try your recipe. I went through a phase of making my own bread and the first few came out really good but then I had a few bad loaves and was put off and went back to buying. These days I prefer rye bread.
 
This might be a lame question - but when you say bake for 40-50 minutes, is that from the time you put the loaves in the cold oven or from the time your oven is finally preheated to 400 even tho the bread has already been in there during heating?
 
This might be a lame question - but when you say bake for 40-50 minutes, is that from the time you put the loaves in the cold oven or from the time your oven is finally preheated to 400 even tho the bread has already been in there during heating?


From the time you turn on the oven.
 
That's a pretty simple recipe.
What makes it Cuban? It looks like your typical French/Italian loaf ingredients. Maybe a bit more salt. Is it the method of starting in a cold oven?

They are a pretty similar recipe. . .but doing a Cuban on a baguette is good, just not the same. . .

Add 1-2 Tbls lard and then you'll have Cuban bread

That helps with the texture. The best thing, and CRUCIAL ingredient is indeed the bread. The lard I am sure helps once you get to the pressing part, and helps it get that super crispy outside, while staying soft, yet gummy on the inside.

NOM NOM NOM, Mi Gusta!
 
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