Total rising time and overnight starter: 12 hourshours
Total Time: 13 hourshours
Course: Breakfast, Main Course
Cuisine: Caribbean, Cuban
Keyword: bread, cuban bread, sandwich bread
Servings: 2loaves
Calories: 1005kcal
Ingredients
Starter
½teaspoondry active yeast
½cupof water
½cupunbleached all-purpose flour
Dough
3cupsunbleached all-purpose flour divided
¾cupof warm water
1package of dry active yeast
1tablespoonsugar
2teaspoonsfine sea salt
3tablespoonsbutter
1teaspoonof vegetable oil or other neutral oil
1tablespoonor 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.