Cuban Bread

Total Time: 2 hrs 48 mins Preparation Time: 2 hrs 30 mins Cook Time: 18 mins

Ingredients

• 15 ounces water
• 1 ounce instant yeast
• 24 ounces bread flour
• 1/2 ounce salt
• 1 ounce sugar

Recipe

• 1 place the water in mixing bowl.
• 2 mix all other ingredients in separate bowl.
• 3 add dry ingredients. on top of the water.
• 4 mix on low or speed #2 for kitchen aid mixers (12min.).
• 5 add a little oil at the end of the mix, this will make it easy to remove the dough from the bowl.
• 6 lightly flour or oil flat surface and flatten the dough by hand. lightly stretch and fold in all 4 sides (note: this will help to get a higher dough when baked off.
• 7 place the dough in an oiled bowl with the folded sides down.
• 8 after 30min punch down and do one more strech and fold. let ferment 30 more minutes.
• 9 punch down and form dough into a round loaf (about a 20 oz loaf).
• 10 set loaf in or on what ever your going to bake in or on. (oiled or greased pan).
• 11 at this point you can choose to score the bread now or i wait about 20 minutes or even the end of proofing (take care not to cut to deep if at the end.).
• 12 let loaf proof about 30 to 60 minutes (dough should dent to the touch but don't over proof).
• 13 you can eggwash just before you bake but i place a small iron skillet at the bottom of the oven when heating to 400°f i place the bread on the oven racks and add a 1/2 oz of cool water to the skillet to steam. 3 times or 1st 5min. no egg wash is needed if your going to steam.
• 14 bake at 400°f about 18 minutes (don't forget to turn your bread after about 12min or halfway (even browning).
• 15 remove the bread and place on a cooling rack.(if you use a bread pan be sure to remove your loaf from the pan so it doesn't become soggy when cooling).
• 16 cool and enjoy.