Cuban Sandwich Hoagies (with recipe)

I followed a recipe I found here to make the bread for our Cuban Sandwiches.  We wanted authenticity so I spent a Saturday perfecting this bread and making individual sandwich loaves.  This recipe will make 4 Cuban Sandwich Hoagies.

After three batches - I have to say that it turned out well WHEN I used the cornmeal on the baking sheet AND brushed each loaf with the water as instructed.  Both very important for the crispness Cuban Bread and to keep the bottom from becoming hard as a brick.  Yes...that happened!

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon active dry yeast
2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/4 cups warm water
2 cups bread flower
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup lard (melted in microwave)
2 tablespoons warm water (to brush on loaves before baking)

Directions:

• Grease a large bowl, set aside
  
• In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast and sugar in 1/4 cup warm water.  I've mentioned before how important it is to proof your yeast!  Let it sit in the water with the sugar for about 10 minutes and it's nice and foamy.  No foam - dead yeast!
• Measure 1/4 cup lard and place in a Pyrex measuring cup and heat in the microwave for 1 minute or until just melted.
• Add the rest of the warm water and the salt to the yeast mixture and stir until combined well.
• Sift all 4 cups of flour together in a small bowl
• Gradually add the flower mixture, a little at a time, to the wet ingredients in your bowl - mixing constantly.  At the same time you are adding flour, gradually pour in the melted lard.  keep adding a little flour and a little lard until all the lard is added.
• Continue adding more flower a little at a time (seriously - don't just dump it all in!  I did this on the first batch and it was way too much.)  Use leftover flour rolling out the dough.
• When you have sticky, elastic dough - turn it out onto a floured surface and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic.
• Put dough into greased bowl and turn a few times to coat the dough.
• Cover and place in a warm place for 45 minutes to an hour or until dough is double in size.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide the dough in 4 even pieces
• Spray a cookie tray or baking sheet with oil or grease however you normally bake.  Sprinkle cookie sheet with cornmeal.
• Shape each piece of dough into a loaf, placing it on the sheet 3" apart.  The shape of your loaf is up to you - we did ours on the sheets about 2 - 3 inches wide and about 9" long.
• Put cookie sheet (or sheets - we used 2) in a warm place and let rise again until loaves are doubled in size - about 45 minutes.
• Preheat your oven to 450 - place a pan of water on the lowest shelf of the oven.
• Use a sharp knife to cut a shallow seam down the middle of the top of the bread, leaving about 1" of uncut top on each end of the loaves.
• Brush the top of the loaves with water and place in your preheated oven on the middle shelf.
• After 5 minutes of baking, brush some more water on top of the bread.
• Total baking time for the loaves in our oven was 10 - 11 minutes.  Longer than that and the bottoms got really hard.  I also expected the loaves to get golden brown on top and overcooked a batch waiting for that color.  If your bread doesn't turn golden brown - it will still taste delicious.  Just watch the bottoms!
• When bread is done, remove from the sheet and place on a cooling rack.
• Slice as desired for sandwiches when the bread is cool.

Enjoy!