Cuban Bread

One of my favorite things to eat is a Cuban Sandwich. Finding the proper bread in the middle of Iowa is a bit of a problem. Here is a recipe and instructions for Cuban bread that makes exactly what I had in Miami.

Pan Cubano
4 cups (17 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
4 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 1/4 teaspoons instant or active dry yeast
4 tablespoons (2 ounces) shortening; or 3 tablespoons fresh lard, cut into small pieces
1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) water

Pour water into a mixer. Add yeast and sugar and let sit a few minutes until bubbly. Next add the rest of the ingredients and mix into a dough. Using the dough hook, knead 15 minutes at medium speed. Separate into two balls, cover, and let rest 30 minutes.

Next stretch each dough ball out and roll flat into a long, 1/4 inch thick oval. Roll the edges of the oval inward like you would if you were folding a letter. Seal the seam on the bottom. The finished product should look long like a roll of French or Italian bread but flat instead of round.

Cover and let rise 60 minutes. Slash the top of each piece of dough lengthwise. Mist with a spray bottle. Bake at 425 for 20 minutes.