Cuban Bread

Similar to a french or white bread. You can shape this bread anyway you want, but it should be a round loaf. I like this bread in place of French or Italian and its a good pan bread as well.

• Ready In: 2 hrs 48 mins
• Serves: 20
• Yields: 1 loaf

Ingredients

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

Directions

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.