cuban bread

Homemade Cuban bread, or pan Cubano, is perfect for Cuban sandwiches or just eating plain with butter.  This recipe shows you how to make one loaf of soft white bread, so you don’t have to move to Miami or Cuba!

Homemade Cuban Bread (Pan Cubano)

bread flour, sifted (470 grams)

lard, melted (55 grams)

room-temperature water (295 ml)

fast-action yeast (7 grams)

sugar (8 grams)

salt (10 grams)

Cornmeal

Sift the bread flour into a bowl and set aside.  Melt the lard in the microwave or in a small saucepan, being careful not to let it get over 115 F.

Stir together the water, yeast, and sugar in the bowl with your hand until blended.

Add the melted lard and half of the flour to the mixture.  Mix until a wet paste has formed, then add in the salt and enough flour to make a somewhat sticky dough.

Knead the dough on a floured surface for 10-15 minutes until the dough is smooth, no longer sticky, and passes the windowpane test.  Test the dough by breaking off a lump of dough and stretching it between the thumb and forefinger of each hand to create a windowpane.  The dough should stretch until it’s translucent in places without breaking.  If it does, this means the dough has been sufficiently kneaded.  If not, continue kneading for a minute longer and test again.

Shape the dough into a ball, place in an oiled bowl, and cover tightly with plastic wrap.  Let the dough prove until at least doubled in size, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Making the Dough (25 minutes + 1 hour proving)

Lightly dust a 11x17 inch rimmed cookie sheet with semolina or cornmeal.

Dump the dough onto a floured surface and punch it down all over to knock out air pockets.

Shape it into a rectangle and roll it up tightly from one of the long sides.

Pinch the seam and ends to seal, then roll it gently with the palms of your hands to extend its length to about 20 inches.  Place it diagonally along the prepared tray.

Place the tray inside of a clean, large garbage bag.  Inflate the bag and tuck the ends under the tray to seal.  Let the dough prove for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the loaf has doubled in size and the dough springs back quickly when lightly prodded with a fingertip.

While the dough is proving, prepare your scoring device.  Place a strip of palmetto frond or a long stem from the palmetto plant in a shallow dish.  Pour some boiling water over top and let it sit in the water for about 5 minutes to clean them.  Rinse and dry the frond strips or stem and set aside.

About 10 minutes before the dough is finished proving, preheat the oven to 400 F.  Put an old metal casserole dish on the lowest shelf of the oven to preheat.

Shaping the Loaf (10 minutes + 45 minutes proving)

Once the loaf is fully proved, push the palmetto strips or stem along the top of the loaf.  Put the leaves or stem in on an angle to create a better score as the loaf bakes.

Slide the tray into the oven, pour a cup or two of water into the hot metal dish, and quickly shut the oven door.

Bake the loaf for about 20-25 minutes, until the loaf is golden brown and has an internal temperature of at least 190 F.

Let the loaf cool for 15 minutes on a wire rack before slicing and serving.

Baking the Loaf (20 minutes + 15 minutes cooling)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcQv1v0VvjY

Homemade Cuban bread, or pan Cubano, is perfect for Cuban sandwiches or just eating plain with butter.  This recipe shows you how to make an amazing loaf of soft white bread, so you don’t have to move to Miami or Cuba to get it from a bakery!  Follow along with each step, and you'll get a beautiful loaf of bread to enjoy.

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🍞 INGREDIENTS
🔹 4 cups bread flour, sifted (470g)
🔹 1/4 cup lard, melted (55g)
🔹 1 1/4 cups room-temperature water (295 ml)
🔹 2 1/4 teaspoons fast-action yeast (7g)
🔹 2 teaspoons granulated sugar (8g)
🔹 2 teaspoons fine salt (10g)
🔹 Cornmeal or semolina, for dusting


👩🏻‍🍳 FULL RECIPE here: https://savortheflavour.com/homemade-cuban-bread-pan-cubano/
🖨 PRINT RECIPE here: https://savortheflavour.com/homemade-cuban-bread-pan-cubano/print/3536/



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How to Make Cuban Bread for Cuban Sandwiches

Anyone who has ever been to the South Florida-Miami area may be familiar with the classic Cuban Sandwich. These sandwiches, piled high with cold cuts and cheeses, can only be made authentically with the use of Cuban Bread. Whether you want to make a Cuban Sandwich or you just need a delicious loaf of bread to accompany your dinner, this recipe for Cuban Bread will hit the spot.

Cuban Bread Authentic Pan Cubano Recipe

Water

Yeast

Flour

Sugar

Instant Yeast

Salt

tbsp Lard

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.

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Homemade Cuban Bread (Pan Cubano)

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Top 2 cuban bread recipes from across the web

The most viewed cuban bread recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

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Homemade Cuban Bread (Pan Cubano)

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The most viewed cuban bread recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine