Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Another Deliciously Fast Yeast Bread


I love homemade bread. I love the way it smells as it's baking, I love to eat it fresh out of the oven, and I love the satisfaction of knowing that I made it myself. I don't, however, love having to spend four hours waiting for the bread to be done. So it follows that I love recipes for homemade bread that allow me to have that bread in my hand and on the way to my mouth in a very short time. Recipes like Michelle's 60-Minute Rolls, Jeanette's Four-Grain Batter Bread, and my favorite Yeastless Focaccia Bread all get me really excited - delicious bread on the table in a short period of time. I also love things like biscuits and Hoe Cake for the same reason.

This is another one of those breads that are fast and delicious. This recipe comes from the Tightwad Gazette, and is done in less than an hour and a half. Hooray!

Cuban Bread
5-6 cups all-purpose flour (you can substitute whole wheat flour for 1 or 2 cups)
1 tbsp. yeast
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. salt
2 cups hot water (120-130 degrees)
1 tbsp sesame or poppy seeds (optional)

Mix 4 cups of the flour with the yeast, sugar, and salt. Pour in hot water and beat 100 strokes, or 3 minutes with a mixer. Stir in the remaining flour until the dough is no longer sticky. Knead 8 minutes. Place the dough in a greased bowl, and cover with a damp towel. Let rise 15 minutes (yeah, 15 minutes - isn't that amazing?). Punch down. Shape into two round or oblong loaves, and place on a baking sheet. Cut an X or a few slashes 1/2 inch deep on top with a sharp knife. If desired, brush with water and sprinkle with seeds (I chose not to do this because I don't like it when the seeds fall off as you slice the bread - it's really annoying).

Place on the middle shelf of a cold oven. Place a cake pan of hot water on the lowest shelf. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Bake 40 to 50 minutes until deep golden brown.


I understand that it's best to let the bread cool completely before slicing, because it slices easier that way. However, I always cut at least a few slices right away, when the bread is hot out of the oven, because it tastes so delicious! In our house, everyone knows that when we make bread, the heel - the first slice cut - belongs to me. I love that crispy, crusty piece smeared with butter (okay, margarine; it's cheaper), when it's still hot enough to melt the butter right away and the bread is still steaming slightly. Oh, that's pure heaven!


Yum. I need to go get myself another slice now.


This post is being submitted to the "Need to Knead" blog event, hosted by Tamy at 3 Sides of Crazy and Joy at Joy of Desserts. There will be a round-up of all sorts of delicious breads on October 15, so check it out, and submit your own bread if you're interested!

24 comments:

Barbara Bakes said...

Your post made me hungry for hot bread - yum!

Meg said...

I love warm bread! Thanks for all the wonderful recipes!

Jenny said...

Wow, that looks like something straight from a bakery. I envy your bread making skills. Got none here!

Katie said...

LOVE the blog! That bread looks delish!

priscilla joy said...

yummy, that bread looks delicious stephanie!

Anonymous said...

What a delicious looking bread! I just discovered your blog, and it seems we have quite a bit in common. That, and you've got some really tasty recipes up. Pleasure to "meet" you!

Shelby said...

Looks delicious and love the pic of the piece with the melted butter. Yumm. Makes me want some!

Maria said...

The bread looks great! I love round loaves!

isabella said...

Very good idea, something to try!
Ciao
Isabella

Joy @ Joy Of Desserts said...

Thank you for participating in our Need To Knead Bread Roundup. What a mouth-watering post. Well done, Stephanie.

Glad you liked my apple post too. :-)

threesidesofcrazy said...

I can't wait to try this!!! Thank you so much for participating in the Need to Knead Bread Round up! I really appreciate it.

Lynn said...

This looks really good.

Joyce said...

Your bread sounds delicious, Stephanie. :)

Tina Butler said...

stephanine the bread turned out beautiful. great job.

Anonymous said...

Howdy! Got here via a search for quick yeast bread (or something like that). This recipe's on my "keepers" list of bread recipes now. Just fantastic. I halved the recipe and shaped it into four oblong sandwich rolls. They came out great, with great flavor and a flaky & chewy crust that I've previously only dreamed about making. Thanks.

Anonymous said...

P.S. I used half unbleached white bread flour and half whole wheat (both Stone-Buhr). Had a great initial rise, and a small second rise (to be expected with the short proofing time, of course).

Anonymous said...

Just an encouragement to you...I made this bread to go with our Black Bean Pumpkin Soup tonight and the bread turned out amazing!! Half of the first loaf was gobbled up before we even started dinner! Thank you!

Stephanie said...

Glad you enjoyed it, Anonymous! It's one of our favorites, always so delicious. :-)

emily said...

This looks and sounds incredible! I can't wait to try it myself.

Anonymous said...

I came upon this recipe and bog through a Google search for quick breads. I just made this bread for the 3rd or 4th time and am once again thrilled with it. It's a great, easy recipe for those of us new to bread baking and great with stews, brie, hummus, whatever!

Cate Ferguson said...

Nice loaf! Waiting around for bread can be a pain, sometimes though it's worth the wait. That's why it's good to have a LOT of different homemade bread recipes on hand - that way you find the perfect loaf for whatever reason you are making bread. I love your blog, you inspire me and I'm sure lots of others.

Liz said...

Thanks so much for posting this! I discovered it about a year ago and still make it all the time (especially when I make a big pot of stew or chili). We love it!

Heather said...

Just made this bread- delicious! This was my first attempt at homemade bread and I am very happy with it. I added some Rosemary and Italian seasoning and it gave the bread an excellent flavor. Will definitely make this bread again!

Jann said...

I am an experienced bread baker and am always looking for a quick, easy yeast bread. This one knocked it out of the park! Instructions are perfect, cook time is right...don't cut time off unless you know your oven well. The pan of water is essential. When it is done (and you can't mess it up), you will have a chewy, slightly crunchy crust and a wonderful dense but light interior. This is my new go to bread. Thanks!