Everyone knows that an authentic Cuban Sandwich must be made with authentic Cuban bread—and no one takes authentic Cuban bread more seriously than La Segunda Central Bakery. We are the premier Cuban bread bakery and wholesale restaurant Cuban bread supplier in the Tampa Bay area and beyond, dedicated to carefully maintaining the original, authentic Cuban bread recipe that founder Juan Moré developed nearly 100 years ago. But have you ever wondered how exactly La Segunda makes such amazing bread? We’re breaking down everything you need to know about the breadmaking process.
History
First generation La Segunda founder and owner Juan Moré fell in love with authentic Cuban bread during his time as a soldier during the Spanish-American War. After discovering a traditional recipe for Cuban bread, he set out to create the bakery of his dreams. There he dedicated himself to perfecting authentic Cuban bread, and his sons followed suit, delivering bread throughout Tampa. Two generations later, current La Segunda owner Copeland More made it his mission to expand the bakery into a nationally-recognized brand, famous for producing delicious Cuban bread. To this day, La Segunda still follows the traditional hand-made baking process. This includes individually inserting each loaf of bread onto the hearth and preserving the strict structure of baking shifts. One of the most important traditions honored by La Segunda is the placement of a freshly cut palmetto leaf across the top of each loaf of bread, creating the signature split down the middle. Only authentic Cuban bread sports the signature palmetto leaf impression.
How it’s Made
Authentic Cuban bread is made fresh daily at all of our locations (20,000 loaves worth!), but you can see it right in front of your own eyes at our Seminole Heights store! If you stop by Seminole Heights, you’ll see our bakers tirelessly craft loaf after loaf of Cuban bread with precision, care, and detail. Our master bakers follow a meticulous process to ensure each loaf is just right.
Step 1
The ingredients are carefully mixed by our veteran master bakers, some of whom have been part of the La Segunda family for more than 20 years.
Step 2
The dough is shaped into loaves, and workers place a fresh palmetto leaf across the top to hold the moisture in.
Step 3
The loaves are moved in front of high-powered fans, allowing the exterior to harden and produce a crusty exterior and soft interior.
Step 4
Each loaf is individually hand-placed into the hearth and left to bake for 45 minutes.
If you love La Segunda bread, and want to give making it on your own a try, we have a recipe for everything you need to know to bake bread at home! Here’s a La Segunda-approved tip: while strips of other material may be used in place of palmetto leaves, the original palmetto method is highly preferred!
La Segunda Wholesale
In addition to baking bread fresh daily, we also provide wholesale fresh and frozen Cuban bread and other bakery goods to prominent restaurants, grocery stores, hotels, schools, entertainment parks, and major food distribution companies across the country. As a wholesale provider, we can ensure the same consistent and friendly customer service for our national customers that we give to our local customers. Right here in the Tampa Bay area, you can find our bread at the Columbia Restaurant, Wright’s Gourmet House, Beef ‘O’ Brady’s, Carmine’s Seventh Avenue, and Publix! You can also order La Segunda from wherever you are in the country through GoldBelly.
Freshness and authenticity is at the heart of everything we do! We’re proud to bake over 20,000 loaves daily at our four locations. Making authentic Cuban bread is a tradition we’ve upheld for 109 years and counting, and we plan on continuing for many, many more.
Learn More About our Breadmaking Process Here.