Baking Bread – Cuban Garlic Pan (Cuban Garlic Bread)

Last week I went to Miami for the first time to sample and report back on Miami’s vibrant foodie community. What I found was a foodie community filled with amazing exile stories, perilous adventures across the ocean, and wonderful snapshots of great Miami food, especially Cuban food. Along with my staff member, Emily, we were especially enamored with the smell, taste, texture, and serving methods of Cuban bread.

Cuban sandwiches are world renowned and a staple in any Cuban restaurant. Emily thinks it’s the bread that makes the sandwich. That debate can go on forever. Today’s white Cuban bread is not at all complex, but quite simple. It has a different baking method and is made with different ingredients than French or Italian bread. The bread is baked in a cold oven over boiling water before it reaches the desired baking temperature. Cuban bread is then baked with a little lard or vegetable shortening. True Cuban bread is baked in long baguette-style loaves. It doesn’t have condoms so it won’t last long. After a few days, the bread becomes extremely hard. This bread is made to be enjoyed at the moment. The best way to use it in addition to a sandwich, is to serve it for breakfast. In Cuban homes, the bread is toasted with butter and served with a hot cup of café con leche for breakfast.

This bread baking recipe is a great way to savor and enjoy Cuban bread. It is easy to prepare and combines wonderful flavors to form an excellent exposition of Cuban food and culture.

Garlic Bread (Cuban Garlic Bread)

Serves 8-10

1/2 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons melted butter

6 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons chopped parsley

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

1 loaf (2 feet) Cuban bread or French bread, cut into 1-inch-thick slices

1. Combine oil, butter, garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Let this mixture rest for at least 15 minutes, to allow the flavors to meld.

2. Preheat oven to 350*F.

3. Spread the garlic mixture on one side of each slice of bread.

4. Arrange the bread slices on a baking sheet and bake for 6 to 10 minutes, until the butter has melted and the bread has browned.

Serve immediately.