James beard's cuban bread
2 Loaves
Ingredients
| Quantity | Ingredient | |
|---|---|---|
| 1½ | pack | Active dry yeast |
| 1 | tablespoon | Granulated sugar |
| 2 | cups | Warm water (100-115 deg.) |
| 1 | tablespoon | Salt |
| 5 | cups | All-purpose or hard wheat flour plus 1 cup if necess. |
| 3 | tablespoons | Yellow cornmeal |
| 1 | tablespoon | Egg white,mixed with 1Tbl. cold water |
Directions
Source: Beard on Bread
Combine the yeast with sugar and warm water in a large bowl and allow to proof. Mix the salt with the flour and add to the yeast mixture, a cup at a time, until you have a stiff dough. Remove to a lightly floured board and knead until no longer sticky, about 10 minutes, adding flour as necessary. Place in a buttered bowl and turn to coat the surface with butter.
Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk.⅒ ½-2 hrs.
Punch down the dough. Turn out on a floured board and shape into two long, French bread-style loaves. Place on a baking sheet that has been sprinkled with the cornmeal, but NOT buttered. Slash the tops of the loaves diagonally in two or three places with a single edge razor blade or sharp knife, brush the loaves with the egg white wash. Place in a COLD oven, set the temperature at 400 degrees, and bake 35 minutes, or until well browned and hollow sounding when the tops are tapped.
From the recipe files of Suzy.Q