Pan Cubano (Cuban Bread) -

Pan Cubano (Cuban Bread)

Crusty on the outside, soft on the inside. Delicious!

5 from 1 vote

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Course: lunch, Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: Cuban

Keyword: crusty, Cuban, soft

Prep Time: 1 55

Cook Time: 20

Servings: people

Calories: 312kcal

Author: Candace Bourzac

Ingredients

3.5 cups all-purpose flour
3 tbsp lard, melted
1 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1 package instant yeast
3/4 cup lukewarm water
2 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

In a small, glass measuring cup, add the yeast, 2 teaspoons sugar, and 1/4 cup of water (110 F). Stir and set aside.
Oil a large mixing bowl with 2 tablespoons olive oil and set aside. Oil and dust with cornmeal a large sheet pan.
In a stand mixer with the dough hook attached, add 2 cups of flour, 1 teaspoon salt and the yeast mixture. Mix on medium speed for 30 seconds.
Melt 3 tablespoons of lard in the microwave. This should take between 30-60 seconds. Watch closely so it doesn't explode all over your microwave.
On medium speed, add about 1.5 cups of flour alternatively with the lard. Add the rest of the water. Scrape the sides of the bowl down with a spatula as you go.
Once the dough just cleans the sides of the mixing bowl, it is ready. It will look shaggy and be a bit sticky. This is ok. You may need to flour your hands a bit as you shape the dough into a ball. Once you have done this, add the dough ball to the oiled bowl, cover with a towel and set in a warm place to rise. You can preheat your oven to 160, turn it off and set your bowl in there to rise for 45 minutes.
On a floured work surface, with a floured rolling pin, roll out the dough into a large rectangle. It will be roughly the size of a pie crust when it is rolled out, but in a rectangular form. If its not a perfect rectangle, that's ok.
Once the dough is rolled out, you will roll it up tightly starting at the long side of the dough. When you are done rolling it up, use some water to help glue the seam shut. Taper the edges of the rolled up dough. I just pinched the edges closed a bit to make them rounder.
On a large sheet pan that has been oiled and dusted with cornmeal, place the dough seam side down, diagonally. Cover loosely with plastic wrap. Set on warmed oven to rise for 45 minutes.
Before dough has risen all the way, preheat oven to 450. Place a bowl of water on the bottom rack of oven. The steam from the water will help the dough crisp up on the outside yet stay soft on the inside.
Once dough has risen, remove plastic wrap and make a shallow cut the length of the bread, starting two inches from one end and ending two inches from the other end. Bake for 20 minutes.
Be sure to enjoy at least one slice of bread straight from the oven. It is so delicious when it is hot out of the oven, especially slathered in butter or honey or jam. So good!

Notes

Be sure to use lard in this recipe.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days.
Freeze for up to three months, stored in an airtight, freezer-safe container. After first rise, form dough ball and wrap in plastic before putting it into freezer safe bag. Thaw out in the fridge overnight when ready to bake, starting with the instructions right after forming the dough ball (Step 7).

The nutrition information listed is for comparison purposes only and may vary based on individual cooking styles and measurements. The nutritional information calculated uses a third-party algorithm. Please consult a health professional for any nutrition guidance.

Nutrition