Traditional Cuban Bread Recipe Made Easy
Discover how to make authentic traditional Cuban bread from scratch with this easy recipe. This crusty yet soft bread is perfect for sandwiches, toasting, or enjoying fresh with a cup of café con leche. Learn every step from mixing to baking in your home kitchen.
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Wooden spoon or stand mixer with dough hook
- Kitchen towel or plastic wrap
- Baking stone or baking sheet
- Shallow metal pan (optional for steam)
- Razor blade or sharp knife
- Wire cooling rack
Ingredients
- Warm water
- Active dry yeast
- Sugar
- All-purpose flour
- Salt
- Lard or vegetable shortening or butter
- Optional: palmetto leaf or parchment strip
Instructions
- Combine warm water, active dry yeast, and a pinch of sugar in a mixing bowl. Let sit until foamy.
- Stir in flour, salt, and melted lard to form a sticky dough.
- Knead dough by hand for 8–10 minutes or with a stand mixer for 6 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size.
- Punch down the dough, divide, and shape into torpedo-style loaves.
- Place seam-side down on a baking sheet or stone.
- Flatten slightly and apply palmetto leaf or make a shallow score.
- Let rest for a short final rise while preheating oven to 425°F.
- Place a shallow pan of water on the oven bottom to create steam.
- Bake loaves for 20–25 minutes until golden and hollow-sounding when tapped.
- Cool on wire rack before slicing.
Notes
Use vegetable shortening or butter if lard is unavailable
Parchment strips can replace palmetto leaf
Best enjoyed fresh but freezes well sliced
Avoid storing in plastic to preserve crust texture