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cuban bread fresh from the oven from cleveland cooking

Cuban Bread Recipe

This Cuban bread recipe can be used for so much more than just Cuban sandwiches! What a delicious soft bread!
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total rising time and overnight starter: 12 hours
Total Time: 13 hours
Course: Breakfast, Main Course
Cuisine: Caribbean, Cuban
Keyword: bread, cuban bread, sandwich bread
Servings: 2 loaves
Calories: 1005kcal

Ingredients

Starter

  • ½ teaspoon dry active yeast
  • ½ cup of water
  • ½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour

Dough

  • 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour divided
  • ¾ cup of warm water
  • 1 package of dry active yeast
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil or other neutral oil
  • 1 tablespoon or more of cornmeal

Instructions

For the starter

  • Mix the starter ingredients together until combined.
  • Store in the fridge for 8 hours or overnight.

For the dough

  • Combine the packet of yeast, warm water, and sugar in a bowl and let set for 7-10 minutes to prove yeast. The yeast should get foamy and bubbly.
  • Next add the butter or lard, salt, and one cup of the flour. Mix until combined. The mixture should form a ball or something resembling one.
  • Add the starter and 1 ½ cups of the remaining flour. (Reserving the last ½ cup of flour) and incorporate into the mixture.
  • The dough should be sticky at this point. Add the remaining ½ cup of flour as needed.
  • Coat the bottom of a bowl and the ball of dough with a teaspoon of oil. Place the ball of dough in the bowl and cover with a damp towel. Let rise in a warm spot for two hours. The dough should double in size.
  • After the dough has risen, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide the dough in two.
  • Form dough into roughly two 5 x 14 inch rectangles. Roll the two rectangles into roughly two 14 inch logs and pinch the edge of the roll to seal the dough.
  • Sprinkle the cornflour onto two parchment covered baking trays.
  • Next press the logs down to another 5 x 14 inch rectangle and place one on each baking tray. Sprinkle a light coating of flour on each rectangle of dough.
  • Cover the baking trays with clean tea towels and let rise for two hours.
  • With a sharp knife, slice the top of the risen dough ¼ inch deep down the center of the loaf. Spray each loaf with a bit of water.
  • Bake at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes. Rotate baking trays top to bottom and bake for 10-15 minutes more.
  • Let the dough cool for at least 20 minutes before cutting into them.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1 loaf | Calories: 1005kcal | Carbohydrates: 176g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 45mg | Sodium: 2466mg | Potassium: 268mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 529IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 10mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!