Medianoche Bread Food

MEDIANOCHE BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix yeast and three tablespoons sugar in one cup warm water. Place in a warm place and wait for the yeast to begin bubbling. (If it doesn't bubble and foam, you have some bad yeast or something else went wrong and you'll need to start over.)
• Beat the eggs until foamy. Mix the eggs with the rest of the water and the melted lard.
• Put the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor. Turn on and add the liquids all at once. Process until it forms a ball (you may need to add a little more water.) Knead for 3-5 minutes until the dough gets stiff and pliable.
• Grease a large bowl and place the dough in it, then turn the dough so that the greased side is up. Cover with a slightly damp, clean towel. Let rise in a warm place for about one hour or until the dough ball doubles in volume.
• Place the dough on your work surface and punch it down. Divide the dough into good-sized handfuls. Roll each handful on a lightly floured surface to make cylinders about five inches long and about 2 1/4 inches in diameter. Arrange rolls on a lightly greased baking sheet. Cover with a slightly damp, clean towel. Let rise in a warm place for about one hour or until the rolls double in volume.
• Preheat oven to 350º F.
• Brush the tops of the rolls liberally with the egg glaze. Bake until golden brown -- about 25 to 35 minutes. Remove the rolls from the oven, take them off the baking sheet and let cool on a wire rack. While they are still warm, brush the tops with a little melted butter. Use for medianoche sandwiches, or serve warm as a side dish.

HAM, ROASTED PORK, AND SWISS CHEESE SANDWICH ON SWEET BREAD: MEDIANOCHE

Steps:

• Assemble the sandwich by slicing all the rolls and dividing the meat and cheese equally. Place the roasted pork, ham, and cheese slices on top of 1/2 of the roll. Place pickle slices on top. Spread mustard on the inside of the other half of the roll. Place the top half of the roll over the sandwich, to close. Spread butter on the outside of the top and bottom of the sandwich.
• Cook in a very hot cast-iron griddle, or electric flat top, until heated through and golden brown on the outside.

CLASSIC CUBAN MIDNIGHT (MEDIANOCHE) SANDWICH

Steps:

• Split the sandwich rolls in half, and spread mustard and mayonnaise liberally onto the cut sides. On each sandwich, place and equal amount of Swiss cheese, ham and pork in exactly that order. Place a few pickles onto each one, and put the top of the roll onto the sandwich. Brush the tops with melted butter.
• Press each sandwich in a sandwich press heated to medium-high heat. If a sandwich press is not available, use a large skillet over medium-high heat, and press the sandwiches down using a sturdy plate or skillet. Some indoor grills may be good for this also. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes, keeping sandwiches pressed. If using a skillet, you may want to flip them once for even browning. Slice diagonally and serve hot.

MEDIANOCHE (MIDNIGHT SANDWICH)

Steps:

• Spread both sides of each roll with mustard. Layer the bottom half with ham, pork, and cheese to cover the bread from end to end. Top with sliced pickles to taste. Brush the outside of the bread, both top and bottom, with butter.
• Heat a sandwich press over medium heat. Lightly brush the inside of the press with additional butter. Press the sandwich until the cheese is melted and the meats are warm, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Alternately, heat a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Create a press by wrapping a brick, heavy skillet, or can of soup in aluminum foil. Place the sandwich in the skillet and press down on the sandwich, turning once, until it is warmed through and the outside crust is golden, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Repeat with the remaining sandwiches. Slice on the diagonal and serve.

CHEF JOHN'S CUBAN BREAD

Steps:

• Combine 1/2 cup warm water, 1/2 teaspoon yeast, and 1/2 cup flour in a bowl or measuring cup. Whisk the starter until well blended. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• Place 1 package active dry yeast and 2 teaspoons sugar in a mixing bowl. Pour in 3/4 cup warm water. Let rest 15 minutes to ensure yeast is alive (bubbles will form on surface). Add lard and salt to bowl; add 1 cup of the flour. Mix until all ingredients are incorporated and dough forms a sticky ball. Add the starter (reserving 1/4 cup if you want to keep the starter going, if desired. Otherwise add it all.). Sprinkle most of the rest of the flour on the dough, reserving 1/2 cup to be used if needed when kneading.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until dough comes together in a firm ball, adding additional flour only as needed. Dough should be soft and supple with just a bit of tackiness on the surface.
• Place dough in a bowl and coat surface with a little vegetable oil. Cover bowl with a damp kitchen towel and place in a warm spot to rise. Let rise until at least doubled in size, about 2 hours.
• Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and sprinkle with a little cornmeal.
• Transfer dough onto lightly floured surface. Lightly press the dough into a rectangle with your lightly floured hands. Divide dough in half and press and shape each half into a long 1/2-inch thick rectangle about 12 inches long. Roll up tightly starting at the long end to form a skinny loaf. Flatten a bit. Transfer each loaf to a prepared baking sheet and dust with a bit of flour. Cover with a light, dry towel and let rise until doubled in size, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Cut a 1/4-inch deep slit down the top of the loaves with a sharp knife or razor. Mist loaves lightly with water.
• Place pans in pre-heated oven, one pan on lower rack, one on higher rack. After 10 minutes, switch pan positions. Continue to bake until loaves are golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Transfer loaves to cooling rack and let cool to room temperature before slicing.