Cuban Bread

Cuban bread is a very good bread to eat with soups and for sandwiches. It is a dense bread with a hard crust and soft middle and a very delicious flavor. Its one of my favorite kinds of bread and something most people never have the pleasure of eating.

7 cups flour
1 cup water
1 packet of yeast
1 teaspoon salt
Splash of oil
2 tsp Sugar

1. In a bowl mix warm water, yeast and sugar together until it is foamy.
2. Add flour one cup at a time kneading until it is well mixed and you have a stiff dough that is not sticky.
3. Rub the dough in oil and over the top of the bowl place a warm wet rag
4. Let the dough rest in a warm place and rise until it is about twice its original size. I'd suggest letting the bread rise over night or make the dough in the morning and let it rise while you are away at work.
   
5. After the first rise. On a flat baking sheet, sprinkle flour or cornmeal so the dough will not stick.
6. Shape the dough into a loaf (I like a thick, square loaf for sandwich slices) and place the loaf on the baking sheet.
7. Let the dough rise another 5 minutes
8. In the oven place a pan with water in it on the bottom rack
9. Place the flat baking sheet and loaf on the second rack.
10. DO NOT PRE-HEAT THE OVEN! Put the bread and water into a cold oven, then turn it to 400 degrees
11. Bake for 40-45 minutes.