Hi Group, I'm new here, and for 10 years I've been trying to make authentic Cuban Bread. I've tried James Beards recipe, and countless others as well, but to no avail. To enlighten you on this wonderful bread, I've been told that the water in Tampa Florida, where every Tampa bakery makes 1000s of loaves on a daily basis, is different from the water everywhere else. I find this questionable, as I've had Cuban Bread in Miami Florida, which was pretty much the same as in Tampa, so I think the water theory is a load of bunk. With each new attempt I always end up with either a bread that looks and tastes like Italian Bread, or it comes out like a rustic loaf of French Bread. For those of you who've never had this wonderful bread, it has huge air pockets, is very very light in texture, with a crust that flakes almost like paper. It's the density thing I can't seem to achieve. The inside is always too tight - (The holes are too small). I need to get an inside texture, with large holes, and which is extremely light and dry.

I found a recipe, which I haven't tried yet, which calls for an over-night starter. Do you think this would help? Any suggestions would be great. I live in Indianapolis, and none of the bakeries here, have ever heard of this bread! If I could make this bread, I could open my own bakery in Indy, and just baking Cuban Bread would make me famous.