Cubano Bread

Joshua Weissman's cuban sandwich bread. Yields 2 loaves of bread.

Ingredients

300 ml water
1 tbsp yeast
3.5 cup (500g) all-purpose flour
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt
1.5 tbsp lard or tallow

Alternately, double the recipe but with 7 tsb salt and half/half all-purpose and whole wheat flour for nice artisanal loaves. This still yields 2 loaves but of larger size.

Technique

Dough

Mix water and yeast in a bowl

Mix the other dry ingredients (minus lard) in another bowl

Mix and knead together the two bowls of ingredients

After ~3 minutes add lard then knead another 1 minute

Proof for 45 minutes

Forming bread

Place on a flour-dusted surface and cut the dough in two

Let rest for 10 minutes

Take a dough half and press down to a 1/2 inch thick rectangle

Roll the rectangle into a cylinder

Taper the ends and elongate to 16 inches

Do as above for the other loaf.

Put the two loaves on a baking sheet and cover, proof for 30 minutes

Baking

Pre-heat oven to 400F

Mist dough with water and score with a razor down the loaf length

Place baking sheet of loaves along with a pot of boiling water in the oven. Spray oven with a bit of water too

Let it steam for 8-10 minutes

Reduce heat to 375F and remove the pot, bake for another 22 minutes

Notes

Accidentally didn't remove the boiling pot of water but bread turned out good anyway. You can also just toss some water into the bottom of the oven at the start.