9/7/2024
New Orleans Muffuletta Sandwich
The trickiest part about this sandwich is the bread - a classic muffuletta bread is tough to find in Central PA. We've included a recipe here for you to make your own but if you can find a round Italian loaf, that is a good substitute!
For me, what makes this sandwich sing is the olive salad - and this is coming from someone who didn't even like olives a few years ago! I've come to appreciate the brininess that they bring to a dish and this sandwich is no exception. With all the rich meat and cheeses here, the olive salad provides a welcome crunch that pairs perfectly.
Make this sandwich the night before to let all the olive brine from the Olive Salad soak into that lovely bread.
- Muffuletta Bread
- 2 1/2 teaspoons fast rising yeast
- 1 1/4 cups warm water (between 95 and 115 degrees F)
- 3 1/3 cups bread flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar + 1 pinch to activate yeast
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 cup Greek Koroneiki Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 tablespoons white sesame seeds
- Muffuletta Sandwich
- 1 loaf Muffuletta bread, cooled
- 1 jar Boscoli Italian Olive Salad
- 1/2 pound genoa salami, thinly sliced
- 1/2 pound capicola, thinly sliced
- 1/2 pound mortadella, thinly sliced
- 1/2 pound provolone cheese, thinly sliced
- 1/2 pound fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
Muffuletta Bread:
Pour the warm water in a small bowl - add pinch of sugar and yeast. Let sit for about 10 minutes for yeast to get foamy.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, add the flour, sugar and salt. Stir briefly to incorporate together. Add the Greek Koroneiki EVOO and yeast mixture. Knead on medium speed for about 6-8 minutes, until dough is not sticky, mostly smooth and passes the windowpane test (see notes!). If it doesn't pass, knead for another minute and check again. Repeat this process until it does.
Pour about 2 teaspoons of olive oil into a large bowl. Using your hands, shape the dough into a ball and place in the bowl. Roll it around gently in the oil to coat, then cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap. Let it proof at room temperature until at least doubled in size, about 1 ½-2 hours.
Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down with your fist. Place it on a cookie sheet and shape it into a disc about 9-10 inches in diameter. Using a spray bottle or a bowl and pastry brush, gently spray or brush water across the loaf. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and gently press them into the dough. Loosely cover the loaf with plastic wrap and let it proof at room temperature until about doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until loaf is golden brown. Once baked, remove and let cool for at least an hour before slicing to make the muffuletta sandwich.
Muffuletta Sandwich:
Slice bread in half horizontally and set the two pieces cut side up. Spread the entire jar of olive salad, including the brine, across the two halves - put a little bit more on the bottom side than the top.
To layer the meats and cheeses, start with a layer of the provolone cheese across the bottom. There's no particular order that I'm aware of here (feel free to educate me if you know of one!), so I just start layering one meat at a time. I evenly layer two meats, then I add the mozzarella cheese and finish with the remaining meat. Gently flip the top of the sandwich on top of the bottom - you will lose some olive salad in the process so just pick up the pieces and put them back in as best you can.
Wrap the sandwich tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight to let all the olive brine soak into the bread. When ready to serve, slice into wedges.
Window pane test - this is the best way I've found to test if my bread is done kneading. After your dough has kneaded for 6-8 minutes, pinch a piece between your thumb and forefinger and start to gently stretch the dough. If the dough is done kneading, the dough should stretch without breaking , creating a translucent “window pane” with the dough that you can see through. If it breaks or rips, the gluten bonds are not quite finished forming and it needs a little more time.
