Cuban Bread
A light, airy loaf with a distinctive palmetto leaf pressed down its length, the signature bread of Tampa's Ybor City bakeries.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 55 min
- Servings
- 8
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 160 kcal
Equipment
- •Baking sheet
- •Stand mixer or bowl for kneading
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 160 kcal
- fat
- 1
- carbs
- 32
- protein
- 5
- calories
- 160
Instructions
- 1
Stir the yeast and sugar into warm water. Let it sit for 5 minutes until foamy.
- 2
Mix in the flour and salt until a dough forms.
- 3
Knead for 8-10 minutes until smooth and stretchy.
- 4
Cover the dough and let it rise for about 1 hour until doubled in size.
- 5
Shape the dough into a long loaf. Place it on a sheet pan dusted with cornmeal.
- 6
Press a palmetto leaf or greased parchment strip down the center of the loaf.
- 7
Let it rise for 30 minutes. Bake at 375°F for 20-25 minutes until golden and hollow-sounding when tapped.
- 8
Let the bread cool slightly before slicing.
Chef's tips
Traditional Tampa bakers press a palmetto leaf (or a strip of parchment) into the dough before baking to help it split open evenly in the oven. Eat this bread the day you bake it, since it gets stale quickly without preservatives.
Storage
Best eaten the day it's baked; store wrapped at room temperature up to 1 day.
Reheating
Warm briefly in a low oven to refresh the crust.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Adding extra fat or sugar to the dough, which should stay simple and lean
- •Skipping the strip down the center, which makes the loaf split unevenly
Serving suggestions
Cooked Cuban Bread?
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