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cuban-bread recipe



Date:    Thu, 09 Sep 93 16:34:14 EDT
 From:    jdg@ulysses.att.com
 
 Here's a bread recipe that is suitable for bakers of all levels, and can
 be made in about an hour and a half.
 
 (From Bernard Clayton's New Complete Book of Breads)
 
 Cuban Bread
 (two plump loaves)
 
 5-6 cups bread or all-purpose flour
 2 packages dry yeast
 1 tablespoon salt
 2 tablespoons sugar
 2 cups hot water (125F)
 Sesame or poppy seeds (optional)
 
 grease baking sheet, sprinkle with cornmeal
 
 By hand    Place 4 cups flour in a large bowl, add yeast salt, & sugar.
 or mixer   Stir until well blended. Pour in water, beat 100 strokes, or
 (15 min)   3 min with mixers flat beater.
 	   Gradually work in remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time, until dough
 	   loses stickiness.
 
 Kneading   Sprinkle work surface with flour. Work in flour as you knead,
 (5 min)    keep dusting work surface. Knead for 8 min, until dough is smooth
 	   and elastic.
 
 Or by      Use plastic dough blade. Put 2 cups flour in bowl and add other
 processor  stuff as above. Pulse several times to mix. Add 2 more cups flour.
 (5 min)    Pulse to blend (remove cover to add flour).
              Add remaining flour through feed tube, pulsing after each
 	   addition, until dough is carried around bowl by blade.
 
 Kneading   Run machine for 45 seconds.
 (45 sec)
 
 Rising     Put dough in greased, covered bowl for 15 min.
 (15 min)
 
 Shaping    Punch dough down, turn onto work surface, cut in 2. Shape each
 (4 min)    into round, place on baking sheet, slash X with razor. Brush
            with water and sprinkle with optional seeds (found in the optional
 	   aisle of the supermarket).
 
 Baking     Place baking sheet in middle of cold oven. Put a pan of hot water
 (45 min)   in the shelf below. Turn oven to 400F until loaves are deep golden
 	   brown. Thump the bottom- if they sound hollow, they are done.
 
 My notes:  Doesn't stay fresh long (no oil), but it usually gets devoured so
 	   fast that it doesn't matter; freezes well. I've had good luck
 	   varying the flour, although you may have to increase the rise time.
 
 	   I've tried:
 
 	   4 cups of white with: 2 cups chapati flour, 2 cups cornmeal,
 				 2 cups whole wheat, 2 cups buckwheat.
 
 	   6 cups whole wheat (I use King Arthur's 'white whole wheat' flour)
 kwvegan vegan