Cuban bread 3584433 217431322 2008-06-06T00:20:48Z Cydebot 1215485 Robot - Moving category History of Tampa to History of Tampa, Florida per [[WP:CFD|CFD]] at [[Wikipedia:Categories for discussion/Log/2008 May 25]]. '''Cuban bread''' is a fairly simple white [[bread]], similar to [[French bread]] and [[Italian bread]], but has a slightly different cooking method and ingredient list (in particular, it generally includes a small amount of fat in the form of [[lard]] or [[vegetable shortening]]); it is usually made in long, [[baguette]]-like loaves. It is a staple of Cuban-American cuisine and is necessary to make an authentic [[Cuban sandwich]]. ==History== [[Image:Ferlita Bakery.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Old Ferlita (La Joven Francesca) Bakery, now Ybor State Museum, [[Ybor City]], Tampa]] There is some debate about the true source of "real" Cuban bread, with both [[Miami]] and [[Tampa]], [[Florida]] claiming to be the home of the best. However, it's true that the first bakery to bake Cuban bread in the U.S. was most likely La Joven Francesca Bakery in [[Ybor City]], the Latin Quarter of Tampa. In 1896, La Joven was established by Sicilian baker, Francisco Ferlita. This bakery sold bread for 3 to 5 cents a loaf, mainly to the Ybor City market.<ref>[http://www.waymarking.com/gallery/image.aspx?f=1&guid=9e5ac378-0a8b-4ac9-a7fe-a69902022e83&gid=3 Historical Marker<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> The bakery was destroyed by fire in 1922, leaving only the brick bread oven standing. Francisco rebuilt the bakery even larger than before, adding a second oven, and it became a major supplier of bread for the Tampa/Ybor area. The bakery also became a place to congregate, drink a good cup of [[Cuban espresso|Cuban coffee]], and catch up on the local news.<ref>[http://www.sptimes.com/2003/11/28/Citytimes/For_65_years__he_brou.shtml Citytimes: For 65 years, he brought Cuban bread all over town<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> In [[Ybor City]], bread used to be delivered every morning like milk. Houses had a sturdy nail driven into the doorframe next to the door. The bread deliveryman would impale the fresh loaf of bread on the nail.<ref>[http://www.tbo.com/news/metro/MGBQAS0758F.html Cuban Is Ours, Any Way You Try To Slice It<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> La Joven closed in 1973<ref>[http://www.waymarking.com/gallery/image.aspx?f=1&guid=9e5ac378-0a8b-4ac9-a7fe-a69902022e83&gid=3 Historical Marker<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>, but soon found new life when it was renovated and converted into the [[Ybor City, Tampa, Florida|Ybor City State Museum]], becoming the main part of the museum complex. The original ovens where the original Cuban bread was baked are still viewable inside. <ref>[http://www.ybormuseum.org/museum/index.html Museum | Ybor City Museum<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> La Segunda Bakery ('The Second' as La Primera, 'The First,' burned down long ago) is currently the major producer of Cuban Bread for the Tampa area. It was founded by Juan Morè, who migrated to Tampa, FL, and opened La Primera Bakery in 1915 . <ref>[http://cuban-food-usa.com/tampa_la_segunda.html Cuban Food and Latin Food Restaurants: La Segunda Central Bakery, Tampa, FL<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> [[Image:Cuban bread oven.JPG|thumb|left|(Simulated) Cuban bread in traditional brick oven, Ybor City State Museum, Tampa]] ==Characteristics== A traditional loaf of Cuban bread is approximately three feet long and somewhat rectangular crossways (as compared to the rounder shape of Italian or French bread loaves). It has a hard, thin, almost papery toasted crust and a soft flakey middle.<ref>[http://www.bread-maker.net/Bread-Types/Cuban-Bread.htm Cuban Bread: A History<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> In the early days, the dough was stretched thin to make it last, creating the bread's distinctive air pockets and long shape. As they have for decades, La Segunda and other traditional Cuban bread makers lay a long, moist [[Arecaceae|palm]] [[frond]] on top of the loaves before baking, creating a shallow trench in the upper crust, producing an effect similar to the slashing of a European-style loaf. (The frond is removed before eating.) Cuban bread is the necessary base for a '[[Cuban sandwich]]' (sometimes called a "sandwich mixto"). <ref>[http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/Sandwiches/CubanSandwich.htm Cuban Sandwich, History of Cuban Sandwich, History of Cubano Sandwich<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://www.sptimes.com/2006/12/05/Floridian/The_search_for_the_pe.shtml Floridian: The search for the perfect Cuban sandwich<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://www.cigarcitymagazine.com/features/cuban-sandwich.html Cuban Sandwich | Tampa Bay's Cigar City Magazine<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> It can also be served as a simple breakfast, especially toasted and pressed with butter and served alongside (and perhaps dunked into) a hot mug of [[cafe con leche]] (strong dark-roasted Cuban coffee with scalded milk). Cuban bread should be eaten soon after baking, as it tends to go stale quickly. (In Ybor City, it was said that after 24 hours, Cuban bread is only good for breading a [[deviled crab]].) It can also be frozen. ==References== <references /> ==Related links== *[http://www.tasteofcuba.com/pancubano.html Cuban Bread Recipe] (uses the [[pre-ferment|sponge]] method) *[http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/cda/recipe_print/0,1946,FOOD_9936_15087_PRINT-RECIPE-FULL-PAGE,00.html commercial Cuban bread recipe] from La Segunda Bakery in Tampa, Florida (uses the direct-yeast method) ==Trivia== Cuban bread (specifically ''stale'' Cuban bread) is the preferred "weapon of choice" in protests performed by the [[Conch Republic]]. [[Category:Cuban cuisine]] [[Category:American breads]] [[Category:History of Tampa, Florida]]