Based on a recipe by Beverly Cox and Martin Jacobs.
Pan Cubano
1 pkg active dry yeast
1 T sugar
1 T salt
5-6 c all-purpose flour
4 T melted lard (use homemade or a lard of excellent quality only; optional)*
2 T cornmeal
8 bay leaves (optional)
Place a oven rack on the lowest spot in your oven and place a roasting pan on that rack. Put the other oven rack in the middle spot.
Dissolve the yeast and sugar in a large bowl containing 2 c lukewarm water, stirring at the outset. Set aside till the yeast proofs, about 7-10 min.
Mix the salt with 3 c of the flour then add this to the yeast-water mix, 1 c at a time, stirring well with a wooden spoon (or, if using a mixer, using the dough hook). If using the lard, drizzle in 1 T or so after each flour addition, using 3 T of the lard.
Once you've added the first 3 c flour mix, add the rest of the flour, some at a time, using your hands to knead the flour into the dough (or add the flour to the mixer bowl).
Work the dough into a ball with yoour hands and place in a greased bowl, greasing the dough with the remaining T lard. Cover with a kitchen towl and place the bowl in a warm place till the dough has doubled, 60-90 min.
Remove the dough to a lightly floured board and divide evenly into two halves. Stretch and roll the dough into a sausage shape, about 1 foot long and 2 inches in diameter.
Sprinkle a large baking sheet with the cornmeal and place the shaped loaves 3 inches apart on the sheet. Drape with the towel and let the loaves rise 10 min. Bring a teakettle of water to a boil.
Using a lame or very sharp knife, slash each of the loaves in 4 places and, if desired, place a bay leaf into each slash.
Brush the loaves with water. Pour the boiling water from the kettle into the pan on the oven's lowest rack. Immediately put the sheetpan with the loaves onto the middle rack and immediately turn the oven to 400. Bake till the loaves are nicely crusty and sound hollow when tapped gently, about 35-45 min. Remove the loaves to a rack to cool.
*There are two types of traditional Cuban bread. Pan de agua, the kind most likely found in Miami and major Cuban cities, does not include lard in the mix; pan de manteca, found more often in the Cuban countryside, does. Both are very good and quite similar to each other. The lard addition will extend the shelf life of the bread a bit.
