I have made this bread 3 times this week. the first time was a disaster - probably due to my ineptitude - but the second time was perfect. Absolutely the best bread I have ever made. Soft, moist, beautiful crust and tasty. Perfect for sandwiches even if they are not Cuban. Using lard and using no mechanical devices except a stove takes you back, especially if your my age. I have some rising as we speak.
Thank you for this wonderful recipe.
This is pretty darn close to the bread from a Tampa Cuban bakery I used to frequent, just a few feet shorter and minus the palm leaf down the middle. Your home oven will not be wide enough for the typical 3.5-4 foot long loaves from the bakery. Not a bad thing you don’t have to fish leaf pieces out of your bread. The lard is a MUST. Made it with butter and it’s just not the same. My starter has been going for over 6 months now. Just feed it with equal portions flour and water after each use.
Followed the recipe with the note about using half regular flour, half bread flour. I really hoped this would be the one that would yield an authentic Cuban bread. Instead it came out more like a sourdough bread. Too dense, compared to Cuban bread. Although I was disappointed, the bread itself was still really good. Nice, crisp outside. Maybe next time I will try heating the baking sheets with the oven...hhhmmm.
I don't know how "authentically" Cuban it is because I have nothing to compare it to. Chef John said himself in the video that it would be as close as we could get to it. I DO know I love this recipe & will keep it in my computer of favorite bread recipes. I used the same big crock my grandma made bread in. It was like having her there in the kitchen with me. Thank you Chef John you're the best. I love your nonchalant presentations. Don't ever leave us.
I’ve tried this recipe FOUR times. Followed the instructions to the letter then tried to vary how long the dough proofs but each and every time the dough collapsed when I went to the baking step. If I could give this recipe -1000 stars I would. I’ve made bread for years and never had this much trouble and waste of time. NEVER AGAIN
I m new to bread making. This bread was easy for me to make. It came out great. I made Cuban sandwiches with it. I made it again today. I think I like it better than the white bread I make.
sorry Chef John, First time ever I failed your recipe with this. Some other person also said about after baking bread so dense , here same as me my this recipe bread was totally flat ! I never making this anymore.
I followed this recipe exactly and ended up with bread that was far too dense to be considered Cuban bread, which is supposed to be almost comically airy.
I made it an additional time with more yeast and more rising time and nada.
Unfortunately, the only other reviewers haven't apparently had Cuban bread before, so I'm not sure how they are rating this. Can I put butter on it? Sure. Is it Cuban? Nope. Will I stick it in my Cafe con Leche? Nope.
If you think it sounds like mine didn't turn out as intended, please advise. I'm simply making the rounds through recipes, which I follow exactly, attempting to get a taste of home.
This was my first attempt at making any type of bread and it turned out great. I didn't flatten mine quite enough or pinch the seams closed so they weren't quite a pretty but from what I can gather the texture the super thin and flakey crust were there and the taste was amazing.