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Pan cubano
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Pan cubano

Cuban white loaf

Every Havana bakery turns out long, pale loaves of pan cubano before dawn, to be split for tostada cubana with butter and café con leche or pressed into sandwiches at lunch. The crumb is soft and airy, and the crust is so thin it shatters rather than chews, thanks to a little fat in the dough and plenty of steam in the oven. A common mistake is baking it like a crusty baguette until deep brown; it should come out only lightly golden. Bakers traditionally lay a damp palmetto leaf along the top to make the split; a single shallow slash does the same job. Chef's tip: use a small starter made the night before and the bread keeps its light texture for an extra day.

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