Cara's Cuban Bread

Total Time: 2 hrs 10 mins Preparation Time: 1 hr 30 mins Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• 3 packages active dry yeast (eg fleischmanns)
• 4 teaspoons brown sugar
• 2 cups water
• 5 -6 cups bread flour, divided
• 1 tablespoon salt
• cornmeal, for sprinkling on baking sheet
• 1 egg (or 1 egg mixed with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash)
• 3/4 cup hot water

Recipe

• 1 combine yeast, brown sugar and warm water in a large mixing bowl; stir to mix.
• 2 stir in 2 cups of the flour; beat well.
• 3 let stand 10 minutes for yeast to develop.
• 4 stir in salt.
• 5 add remaining 3 to 4 cups flour, about 1 cup at a time, stirring after each addition, until a stiff dough forms.
• 6 turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface.
• 7 knead 8 to 10 minutes, adding more flour as needed to keep dough manageable.
• 8 dough should be smooth, elastic and not sticky.
• 9 oil the surface of the dough and put it in the rinsed mixing bowl.
• 10 cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place 45 to 60 minutes, or until doubled in bulk.
• 11 punch down dough.
• 12 knead lightly.
• 13 form into two long loaves.
• 14 sprinkle cornmeal on a baking sheet; place loaves on baking sheet.
• 15 let rise, uncovered, 10 minutes.
• 16 using a sharp knife or razor blade, make 3 or 4 diagonal slashes in the top of each loaf.
• 17 brush loaves with egg wash.
• 18 place on middle shelf of a cold oven.
• 19 place a shallow pan on the bottom shelf; pour hot water into pan.
• 20 set oven temperature at 400 degrees and bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until loaves are well browned and sound hollow when tapped.
• 21 remove from baking sheet and let cool on wire racks.
• 22 note: for the best results, this recipe requires bread flour.
• 23 all-purpose flour works, but it often produces a low loaf if it is not kneaded thoroughly.
• 24 notice the absence of oil or butter in the dough, which makes the bread crustier.
• 25 this bread is so good you won't have to worry much about leftovers, but if you think you'll use only one loaf within a day, don't freeze the other-- just give it away!