Cuban Bread****

By Gigirox

This recipe makes up well on the dough cycle on my bread machine. A single recipe makes one loaf, but the machine capacity can handle a double recipe.

Ingredients

• Ingredients:
• 1 1/3 cup water
• 1 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 3 cups bread flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons yeast

Preparation

Step 1

1-Put ingredients into bread machine in order listed.
2-Set machine on dough cycle.
3-Flour counter, take dough out of machine, roll dough out to a 12 x 20-inch rectangle.
4-Roll the dough up into a tightly rolled long cylinder, with a slight taper at both ends. Wet your fingers and pinch the loose flap of the rolled dough into the loaf, making a tight seam.
5-Grease baking sheet and sprinkle slightly with cornmeal.
6-Place the loaf diagonally onto the baking sheet, seam side down. Dust the top with a little extra flour and cover very loosely with plastic wrap.
7-Place in a warm spot and allow the loaf to stand and rise once again, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Cuban bread is wider than French bread, so expect your loaf to spread out quite a bit as it rises.
8-Preheat oven to 450* and place a pan full of water on bottom rack.
9-Use a sharp knife to cut a shallow seam down the middle of the top of the bread, leaving about two inches of uncut top on each end of the loaf.
10-Brush the top of the loaf with water and place in your preheated oven on the middle shelf.
11-After about 5 minutes of baking, brush some more water on top of the bread.
12-Bake the loaf until it is light brown and crusty – about 12 to 18 minutes total baking time.