Noah Baker
Course: Bread Cuisine: American Prep Time: 25 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes Resting Time: 1 Hour Total Time: 1 Hour 55 minutes Calories: 101kcal
Let’s get started!
– ½ cup Water – ½ cup Bread flour – ½ tsp Dry active yeast – 1 Package about 2 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast – 1 tbsp Honey – ½ cup Warm water – ¼ cup Lard that’s about 4 tablespoons – 2 tsp Salt – 2-3 cups Bread flour
1. In a stand mixer with a dough hook, mix your package of active dry yeast, honey, and warm water. Let it sit for about 5 minutes to wake up the yeast. 2. Melt your lard in the microwave until it’s just melted. Be careful not to heat it too much!
3. Add the melted lard, salt, 2 cups of bread flour, and all your overnight starter to the mixer bowl. Mix on medium-low speed until everything’s mixed well and the dough forms. 4. You might need to add more flour, just do it a little bit at a time (like ¼ cup at a time). The dough shouldn’t be too sticky; it should pull away from the sides of the mixer when it’s all mixed in.
5. Turn up the mixer speed to medium-high and let it go for 3-5 minutes. This will make the dough nice and stretchy. 6. Once the dough’s done mixing, put it in a bowl greased with vegetable oil, cover it up, and let it chill until it doubles in size. That’ll take about an hour. 7. Get two baking sheets ready with parchment paper and a sprinkle of flour.
8. Put the dough on a floured surface and shape it into a big rectangle. Cut that rectangle in half lengthwise so you’ve got two long strips. Roll each strip into a long log shape, kind of like a skinny baguette. Put both on the floured parchment-lined baking sheets. 9. Preheat your oven to 400°F (that’s about 200°C).
10. Cover up the loaves and let them sit until they puff up a bit more, about 30-45 minutes. Poke them lightly with your finger. If the pokes stay a little, they’re ready. 11. Sprinkle a bit of flour on top of the loaves and make a long cut down the middle of each one.
12. Bake for 20-25 minutes, switching the pans halfway through. They should be a nice golden-brown color. 13. Let the loaves cool down before you slice into them. Enjoy your homemade Cuban bread!