Cuban Bread Recipe 365

CHEF JOHN'S CUBAN BREAD

Steps:

• Combine 1/2 cup warm water, 1/2 teaspoon yeast, and 1/2 cup flour in a bowl or measuring cup. Whisk the starter until well blended. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• Place 1 package active dry yeast and 2 teaspoons sugar in a mixing bowl. Pour in 3/4 cup warm water. Let rest 15 minutes to ensure yeast is alive (bubbles will form on surface). Add lard and salt to bowl; add 1 cup of the flour. Mix until all ingredients are incorporated and dough forms a sticky ball. Add the starter (reserving 1/4 cup if you want to keep the starter going, if desired. Otherwise add it all.). Sprinkle most of the rest of the flour on the dough, reserving 1/2 cup to be used if needed when kneading.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until dough comes together in a firm ball, adding additional flour only as needed. Dough should be soft and supple with just a bit of tackiness on the surface.
• Place dough in a bowl and coat surface with a little vegetable oil. Cover bowl with a damp kitchen towel and place in a warm spot to rise. Let rise until at least doubled in size, about 2 hours.
• Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and sprinkle with a little cornmeal.
• Transfer dough onto lightly floured surface. Lightly press the dough into a rectangle with your lightly floured hands. Divide dough in half and press and shape each half into a long 1/2-inch thick rectangle about 12 inches long. Roll up tightly starting at the long end to form a skinny loaf. Flatten a bit. Transfer each loaf to a prepared baking sheet and dust with a bit of flour. Cover with a light, dry towel and let rise until doubled in size, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Cut a 1/4-inch deep slit down the top of the loaves with a sharp knife or razor. Mist loaves lightly with water.
• Place pans in pre-heated oven, one pan on lower rack, one on higher rack. After 10 minutes, switch pan positions. Continue to bake until loaves are golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Transfer loaves to cooling rack and let cool to room temperature before slicing.

HOMEMADE CUBAN BREAD/PAN CUBANO CASERO

Steps:

• 1. The day before baking your bread make the starter. Mix starter ingredients dissolving the yeast in very warm water, Not hot but warm. You want a thick paste when you add the flour. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let "ripen" in refrigerator for 24 hours. Left over starter will keep for several days in the refrigerator or can be frozen.
• 2. Dough: Dissolve the yeast and sugar in three 3 tablespoons of warm water in a large mixing bowl. When the mixture is foamy (5-10 minutes)Stir in lard. (It's best to melt the lard in the microwave but it should not be hot just warm) Let cool if the lard or shortening is too hot. Next add the remaining warm water and half of the batch of the starter. Refrigerate the other half or freeze.
• 3. Mix well with your hands or a wooden spoon. Stir in the salt and the flour 1 cup at a time. You want a dough that is stiff enough to knead. You can also mix and knead with a dough hook or in a food processor fitted with a double blade.
• 4. Turn dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth and elastic. About six to eight (6 to 8) minutes, Adding flour as necessary. The dough should be pliable and not real sticky.
• 5. Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, cover and let rise in a warm draft-free spot until it doubles in bulk, about 45 minutes. Then Punch down.
• 6. After punching down next to form the loaves, divide the dough in 4 pieces. Roll each one out to form a 14 inch long tube, with rounded ends. (sort of like a long meatloaf) Put 2 loaves on a baking tray or sheet, about 6 inches apart. You can lightly spray each tray or sheet with a little Bakers helper or very lightly oil and flour the tray. Or you can use parchment paper first then spray a little with the Bakers helper. Cover the loaves with a dampened cloth or clean dish towel and let rise in a warm draft-free spot, until doubled in their bulk. About One (1) hour. Then Pre-heat the oven on 350 degrees, then lay a warm dampened thick piece of kitchen twine or butchers twine about 18 inches long, all along the top length of each loaf. Press the twine down on each loaf just a little. Bake the bread until the breads are a lightly golden brown on top and sound hollow when lightly tapped about 30 minutes baking time. Then remove let cool slightly and remove strings.
• 7. This will leave a distinct little ridge on top of each loaf. Very typical and the trademark of Authentic Cuban bread. Transfer loaves to a cooling rack. Enjoy as is with butter or sliced for Cuban pork sandwiches or for making Cuban toast. Any way it is delicious. Buen Appetito... Enjoy
• 8. The above picture is not mine. It is a picture of Cuban bread from the Cuban Bakery. They do not show the distinctive ridge across the top. I am planning baking some Cuban bread for the holidays. I will post a picture of my own home made bread then. The picture above is of good Cuban bread.

EASY CUBAN SANDWICH

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375ºF and line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.
• Place the pork tenderloin on the prepared baking sheet. In a small bowl whisk the olive oil, orange juice, lime juice, garlic cloves, oregano, and cumin together and pour over the pork.
• Cook for 30 to 40 minutes or until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 145ºF. Thinly slice the meat and set aside.
• Slice the loaf of bread in half lengthwise and then cut into 4 equal parts.
• Begin layering the ingredients by adding half of the cheese to the bottom layer of the sandwich bread. Top with the smoked ham, sliced pork, and pickles. Place the remaining cheese on top. Spread mustard on the top piece of bread and place on the sandwich.
• Melt the butter in a skillet or griddle over medium heat. Add the sandwiches and set a heavy skillet, such as an iron skillet, on top of the sandwiches to press them down. Once toasted flip the sandwich and repeat.
• Slice the sandwiches in half before servings.

CUBAN-STYLE BREAD

Steps:

• In a mixing machine fitted with a dough hook, add the water, salt, sugar, shortening, and yeast. Add the flour slowly, making a stiff dough that is silky smooth.
• Turn dough out into a large oiled bowl, cover with a cloth. Place dough in a warm place, and allow to double in bulk.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Pound and knead the dough, until it is silky smooth. Return the dough to the bowl, cover, and let rise again, until doubled in bulk.
• Meanwhile, sterilize the palmetto leaves or shoe strings by soaking them in boiling water.
• Portion dough into 10-ounce loaves. As a loaf is formed, immediately place a palmetto leaf or shoestring down the length of the loaf, and turn the loaf over onto a baking sheet, leaf/string side down. Repeat with the remaining loaves.
• Let the dough rise, leaf side down, for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Bake loaves until they are golden brown, about 30 minutes.

CUBAN BREAD AUTHENTIC PAN CUBANO RECIPE

Steps:

• To create the starter, combine the warm water and the yeast.
• Set it aside for about 15 minutes and then check the bowl.
• The mixture should be foamy and bubbly. If it's not, your yeast is not fresh, so try again with fresh yeast.
• If the yeast is alive, stir in the flour. Cover it loosely with plastic wrap and set it aside overnight.
• The next morning, the starter should be bubbly and slightly risen. Set it aside while you prep the rest of the ingredients.
• Use the remainder of the package of yeast and combine it in a clean bowl with the sugar.
• Stir in the warm water and let it sit for about 15 minutes to check the yeast for freshness. When the time has passed, the yeast mixture should be bubbly and foamy.
• Melt the lard and add it to the bowl, along with the salt and one cup of the flour.
• Mix it well to form a sticky, wet dough.
• Add the starter from last night along with another cup and a half of the flour.
• Stir well. The dough should start to form a ball. You should have about a half cup of flour left for kneading.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead in some of the remaining flour.
• You should knead this dough for at least 20 minutes to get the texture right. If you don't want to knead by hand, feel free to use a stand mixer with a dough hook.
• When you are done kneading, the dough should be a ball that is smooth, shiny, and elastic.
• Coat a large mixing bowl with cooking oil and place the dough ball in the bowl, turning it to coat.
• Cover the dough ball with a clean dish towel and allow the dough to rise in a warm place for at least two hours or until it is doubled in size.
• Grease a large baking sheet with a rim and sprinkle cornmeal all over it.
• Punch down the dough and transfer it to a lightly floured surface.
• Divide the dough in half.
• Shape each half into a long rectangular loaf that is about a half-inch thick and twelve to eighteen inches long.
• You can use a rolling pin if you like. Roll the dough from the long side to form a very skinny, rolled loaf.
• Place the loaf on one of the prepared pans and repeat with the remaining piece of dough.
• Cover the loaves with clean dish towels and allow them to rise for about 60 to 90 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Cut a slit in the top of the loaves by running a sharp knife or razor blade lengthwise down the loaf of bread.
• Lightly spray the loaves of bread with water.
• Place the loaves in the oven and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, misting every 10 minutes with water.
• Remove from the oven and allow the bread loaves to cool for about twenty minutes before slicing.
• Cuban bread dries out very quickly. If you can't eat it all within a day, freeze the bread, tightly wrapped in aluminum foil, for up to a month.

CUBAN BREAD

Steps:

• Grease a large bowl, and set aside.
• Take a small bowl and dissolve the yeast and sugar in 1/4 cup of warm (110 degrees F) water. Place the bowl in a warm place and let it stand until it starts to foam and double in volume, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, measure out 1/4 cup of lard Heat in the microwave until melted.
• Place the water/yeast/sugar mixture in the mixing bowl of a stand mixer. Add the rest of the warm water and the salt. Using the dough hook, mix on low speed until blended.
• Take your measuring cup and sift together the two flours.
• Gradually add the flour mixture, a little at a time, to the wet ingredients in your mixer -- mixing constantly. At the same time you are adding flour, gradually pour in the melted lard. Keep adding a little flour and a little lard until all of the lard is added.
• Continue adding more flour until you make a smooth and pliable dough. Try to add just enough flour to make the dough elastic -- just as much as necessary so that the dough hook barely cleans the sides of the bowl. Too much flour and your bread will be too dense! You will use approximately 3 1/4 cups of sifted flour to bring the dough to this point. (More or less, this is where the art of baking comes in!) Save any leftover flour mixture for rolling out the dough.
• Now let the machine and the dough hook go to work kneading the dough. Set the mixer on a low speed and knead for about 3 to 4 minutes, no more! Your dough will be fairly sticky at this point.
• Shape the dough into a ball and place it into the greased bowl.
• Flip the dough ball a few times to grease it up on all sides. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and place in a warm place. Let the dough rise until it doubles in size -- about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board, using the leftover flour you have in the bowl. Sprinkle some flour on the dough and use a rolling pin to roll it out. This recipe called for a large loaf, shaped to fit a long baking sheet diagonally -- about 20 inches long. So we try to roll out a 12 x 20-inch rectangle. BUT:( I prefer 4 smaller ones for individual rolls)Sprinkle more flour on the dough and turn it over a few times as you roll it out, to keep it from sticking to the rolling pin. The added flour at this rolling stage should take care of most of the stickiness of the dough.
• Roll the dough up into a tightly rolled long cylinder, with a slight taper at both ends. Wet your fingers and pinch the loose flap of the rolled dough into the loaf, making a tight seam.
• Grease a baking sheet and sprinkle lightly with cornmeal.
• Place the loaf diagonally onto the baking sheet, seam side down. Dust the top with a little extra flour and cover very loosely with plastic wrap. (You don't want the rising dough to dry out or stick to the plastic wrap.).
• Place in a warm spot and allow the loaf to stand and rise once again until it is about 2 1/2 times it's original size, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Cuban bread is wider than French bread, so expect your loaf to spread out quite a bit as it rises.
• Preheat oven to 450º F. Place a pan of water on the lowest rack of the oven.
• Use a sharp knife to cut a shallow seam down the middle of the top of the bread, leaving about two inches of uncut top on each end of the loaf.
• Brush the top of the loaf with water and place in your preheated oven on the middle shelf. After about 5 minutes of baking, brush some more water on top of the bread.
• Bake the loaf until it is light brown and crusty -- about 12 to 18 minutes total baking time.