Long, light, crusty bread with a tender crumb. A palmetto frond is baked into the top of each loaf to vent steam and give the signature Tampa Cuban bread.

Cuban bread arrived in Tampa with Cuban cigar workers in the 1880s and 1890s. La Segunda Central Bakery in Ybor City has baked it daily since 1915 using the same long-form recipe: high-hydration dough, a quick rise and a hot, steamy oven. The palmetto frond baked on top is a Florida-Cuba innovation: the frond was cheap, abundant, and the trapped steam gave the bread its signature crackly crust. La Segunda bakes 18,000+ loaves a day and supplies most Cuban-sandwich shops in Tampa.

Where to eat Cuban bread (Pan Cubano) in Tampa

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Make it at home

Serves 24 hrIntermediate

Ingredients

  • 500g bread flour
  • 350ml warm water
  • 10g instant yeast
  • 20g granulated sugar
  • 10g salt
  • 30g lard or vegetable shortening
  • 1 palmetto frond (or a length of damp cooking twine as substitute)

Method

  1. Mix water, yeast and sugar in a bowl. Let sit 10 minutes until foamy.
  2. Add flour, salt and lard. Mix until rough dough forms. Knead 10 minutes by hand or 6 minutes in a stand mixer with the dough hook until smooth and elastic.
  3. Cover and rise 1 hour in a warm spot until doubled in volume.
  4. Divide dough in half. Shape each into a long baton roughly 50cm long, tapering at both ends. Place on a lined baking sheet.
  5. Cover and rest 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 230C with a pan of water at the bottom for steam.
  6. Press a palmetto frond (or damp twine) lengthways along the top of each loaf, pressing slightly into the dough. Score lightly between the frond and dough on both sides.
  7. Bake 25-30 minutes until deep golden brown and hollow-sounding when tapped. Cool on a rack 30 minutes before slicing. Best eaten the day it is baked.

Editor tip. If you cannot find a palmetto frond, a length of damp cooking twine pressed along the top gives a similar steam-venting effect. Keep the oven steamy in the first 10 minutes for the signature crust.

Common allergens: Gluten.