Cuban Bread

Total Time: 1 hr Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• 1 (1/4 ounce) package active dry yeast
• 2 cups lukewarm water
• 1 1/4 tablespoons salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 6 -7 cups sifted flour

Recipe

• 1 dissolve the yeast in the water and add the salt and sugar, stirring thoroughly.
• 2 add flour, one cup at a time, beating it with a wooden spoon.
• 3 you can also use the dough hook on an electric mixer at low speed.
• 4 add enough flour to make a fairly stiff dough.
• 5 shape dough into a ball, place in a greased bowl and grease the top.
• 6 cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk.
• 7 turn dough out onto a lightly floured board and shape into two round italian style loaves.
• 8 arrange onto a baking sheet, heavily sprinkled with cornmeal and allow to rise for 5 minutes.
• 9 slash the tops of the loaves in 2 or 3 places with a knife or scissors.
• 10 brush the loaves with water and place them into a cold oven.
• 11 set the oven control at 400° and place a pan of boiling water on the bottom of the oven.
• 12 bake loaves until they are crusty and done for about 40 to 45 minutes.