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Dough Starter:

3/4 tsp yeast
1/3 c water
1/3 c bread flour

Prepare the starter the day before baking day.
Dissolve the yeast in the water and stir in the flour.

Cover the bowl and allow the starter to ripen in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

Leftover starter will keep for several days in the refrigerator or can be frozen for up to 6 months.
Dough:

4 1/2 teaspoons yeast
1 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 cups water
4 tablespoons solid shortening
1/2 starter batch
1 tablespoon salt
5 cups bread flour

To make the dough, dissolve the yeast and sugar in 3 tablespoons water in a large mixing bowl. When the mixture is foamy (5 to 10 minutes), stir in the lard, the remaining water and the 1/2 batch of starter. Mix well with your fingers or a wooden spoon. Stir in the salt and the flour, 1 cup at a time, to obtain a dough that is stiff enough to pull away from the sides of the bowl, but soft enough to knead. The dough can also be mixed and kneaded in a mixer fitted with a dough hook or in a food processor fitted with the dough blade.
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add flour as needed, but not too much. The dough should be pliable, but not sticky. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm draft free spot until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes. Punch down the dough. To make the loaves, divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Roll each to form a 14 inch long log or cylinder. Divide the cylinders between 2 baking sheets with 6 inches space between and let rise in a warm place until doubles in bulk, about 1 hour.

The dough can be allowed to rise at a lower temperature, even in the refrigerator, but the rising time will be 3 to 4 hours. Preheat oven to 375F.

In the bottom of your oven, place a pan filled with hot water. The steam will help to make a nice crust on the loaves. Lay a dampened piece of thick kitchen string or twine about 1/8″ thick on top of each loaf, running the length of the loaf. Bake until the breads are light browned on top and sound hollow when light tapped, about 30 minutes.

Let the loaves cool slightly and remove the strings.

Transfer the breads onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 4 loaves.
Sandwich Filling (for 1 serving):

2 teaspoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 oz roast pork
2 oz ham, cooked
1 oz Swiss cheese
3 tomato slices
1 Iceberg lettuce leaves
3 slices dill pickle
1 tablespoon butter

Butter the outside crust of a Cuban loaf.
Split the loaf and spread mayonnaise and mustard inside. Layer with thinly sliced ingredients and press in a sizzling hot panini grill or sandwich press until toasted to your desired doneness and the cheese has melted nicely.

Slice the sandwich diagonally and serve.

The ingredients for the sandwich filling are sufficient for one sandwich.

1/2 lb thickly sliced smoked bacon, cut up
1/3 cup Miracle Whip or real mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 teaspoon coarse garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
pinch of celery seed (optional)
1-2 large ripe tomatoes

Using kitchen scissors, cut bacon strips into small squares. In a skillet, sauté the bacon until crisp. Drain on a paper towel.
In a medium bowl, stir together mayonnaise, sour cream, pepper, celery seed and garlic powder.

Remove seeds from a very ripe fresh tomato and cut into cubes. In a pinch, canned tomatoes may be substituted; drain liquid and reserve for another use to prevent the spread from becoming watery.

Spread mixture on toasted rounds of Italian or French bread.

1 lb. thinly sliced roast beef
1 can beef broth
1 whole onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small can sliced mushrooms
3 tablespoons Wondra flour
2 tablespoons ketchup
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper

In a medium saucepan, bring beef broth to a boil. Add onion and garlic powder, ketchup, minced garlic and sliced onion.
When broth comes to a rolling boil, drop in the separated sliced roast beef and remove immediately from heat. Using a slotted spoon, remove roast beef from broth after 2-3 minutes. Return broth to stove on high setting and sprinkle Wondra flour over surface, stirring briskly to avoid lumps.

Simmer over medium heat 5 minutes. At the last minute, drain the sliced mushrooms and add. Pour over roast beef on white bread. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve.

Traditional Ingredients:

3 slices (almost shaved) of boiled ham
3 slices of turkey (optional)
3 slices roast pork hot or cold
3 slices of salami
3 slices of Swiss cheese
3 or 4 slices of pickles
1/3 cut Cuban bread hard crust

Optional Ingredients:

3 slices of tomato
4 slices of green bell pepper
3 slices onion
1/3 cut French or Cuban bread
1 leaf romaine lettuce
mayonnaise, mustard to taste

It is important that the sandwich be prepared on Cuban bread, French or Italian bread - any artisan style bread with a hard crust.
All cold cuts should be sliced very thinly; almost shaved. Slice the bread in an open faced fashion and spread lightly with mustard first, then with mayonnaise. Remember this is not entirely traditional, but still good.

Add the ham (roast pork), turkey and salami. Next add a layer of tomato, pepper, onion and lettuce. Top the sandwich and press.

Press the sandwich on a hot skillet with a weight on top. A suitable weight would be a heavy (clean) cast iron skillet that has been heated until sizzling.

Or better yet, use a sandwich press or panini grill if one is available.

Cuban Sandwiches and their variations are sold in almost every Deli or Restaurant in Tampa, Florida.

Cuban sandwiches are good cold and for picnics or take-alongs, too.

Salad:

4 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 c. chopped green stuffed olives
1 c. chopped oil cured black olives, (pitted)
4-5 pepperoncini, minced
1/2 c. roasted red peppers, chunks
1 c. olive oil
3 tbsp. fresh parsley
large pinch red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. each oregano and basil
2 tbsp. white wine or balsamic vinegar
Sandwich:

1 large round loaf bread
1/3 lb. salami, thinly sliced
1/2 lb. Provolone, thinly sliced
1/2 red onion, sliced in circles
1/2 lb. Havarti cheese, thinly sliced
1/3 c. Prosciutto or Capicola ham, thinly sliced

Combine ingredients for salad and allow to stand overnight so that flavors can mingle.
Slice the bread in half, slicing off the top portion (like a cap) and scoop out some of the center of loaf. Drizzle oil from salad on both top and bottom halves, using a good deal of the mixture for the bottom half.

Layer the olive salad, cold cuts, cheeses, and layer again until all ingredients are used. Top with bread top (cap). Slice into 6 wedges.

Variations: Thinly sliced pancetta may be sautéed and used in addition to other cold cuts.

A unique muffalatta-like calzone can be made by using home-made bread dough. Add 1 tablespoon crushed fennel seeds and 1/2 teaspoon each oregano, basil, and rosemary to the dough.

When preparing the salad, use 1/2 cup less olive oil.

Roll out to a 14×9 inch rectangle, brush with olive oil, layer on the salad and cold cut ingredients, sprinkle with fresh mozzarella and chunks of ricotta cheese, roll up and pinch closed. Allow dough to rise until nearly doubled and bake until golden. Don’t forget to cut a vent hole in the dough to allow steam to escape.

This recipe is a nice take-along for picnics and Summer day trips.