Homemade Italian loaf with layers of ham, salami, provolone, and castelvetrano olive relish.
This sandwich starts with a large loaf of sesame bread piled high with meats, cheese and finished with an olive, garlic pepper salad. A tasty treat to satisfy your Dagwood sized cravings.
The muffuletta was first created in the early 1900s by Italian Americans living in New Orleans. The original sandwich was made with a round Sicilian loaf, ham, salami, mortadella, swiss, provolone, and olive salad. This recipe takes a couple of detours from the original.
Traditionally the olive salad consisted of pickled carrots, cauliflower, celery, olives, oregano, and garlic. I simplified the salad a bit, subbing pickled peppers and roasted red peppers for the giardiniera. The relish still has a vinegary bite but with a hint of spice.
For the other fillings in this sandwich, I skipped the mortadella and swiss. I also added some mayo and mustard. Adjust the fillings to your tastes or what you have handy. Some other meat variations could include capicola, soppressata, or coppa. For cheese alternatives, add grated parmesan to the olive salad or sliced fresh mozzarella.
The bread recipe is for an Italian-style loaf made with a starter. The starter is fermented a day in advance to develop a better flavor. To make this loaf the same day, allow the pre-ferment to proof an extra hour before mixing it into the dough. After the dough has its first proof, it gets degassed and formed into a ball. The ball gets flattened into a large round and proofed again before baking. The baked bread will resemble a large hamburger bun but with the chew and springiness of Italian bread.
Muffuletta
Ingredients
Bread
- 1 1/4 cup bread flour 159.5 grams
- 1/4 tsp instant yeast
- 1/3 cup 2 tbsp water 106 grams
- 1 1/4 cup bread flour 255 grams
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp instant yeast
- 1/4 tsp diastatic malt powder (optional)
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/3 cup 1 tbsp milk warm 99 grams
- 1 egg for wash
- 2 tsp sesame seeds
- semolina or cornmeal as needed for dusting
Relish
- 1 cup castelvetrano olives chopped
- 1/2 cup pickled banana or pepperoncini peppers chopped
- 1/2 cup roasted red peppers chopped
- 1 tsp garlic minced
- 1/8 tsp pepper
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Sandwich
- 3 tbsp mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp spicy brown mustard
- 8 ounces ham sliced
- 8 ounce salami
- 8 slices provolone cheese 8 ounces
Instructions
Bread
- Mix 1 1/4 cup bread flour, 1/4 tsp yeast, and 1/3 cup + 2 tbsp water in a small bowl. Cover and proof for 2 hours. Punch down and form into a ball. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover, and refrigerate overnight or up to 3 days.
- Pull the starter from the refrigerator an hour before making the bread. In a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment mix the bread flour, salt, sugar, yeast, and malt powder. Break the starter into pieces and add them to the mixer. Mix in the olive oil and milk. Mix for 5 minutes. Place the dough in an oiled bowl and cover for 1 1/2-2 hours.
- Punch down the dough. Shape the dough into a large round. Dust a sheet pan with semolina or cornmeal. Place the dough on the pan and press into a round loaf. Cover and proof for 30-60 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Brush the dough with egg wash and sprinkle on sesame seeds. Bake the bread for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature.
Relish
- Mix all of the ingredients and set aside until ready to use. Relish can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.
Sandwich
- Slice the bread loaf in half. Spread the mayo and mustard on both sides. Spread half of the relish on the bottom portion of bread. Add layers of ham, provolone, salami, and more provolone. Spread the remaining relish over the last layer. Top with the bread and gently press down on the sandwich. Slice the bread into quarters and serve.
