MY MUFFULETTA (Components and recipes)

My Muffuletta

1 10″ round loaf Italian bread with Sesame seeds My Recipe

1 Recipe Olive Salad

1/4 lb Genoa Salami (Oldani is the best, and I’m relatively certain it’s what CG uses)

1/4 lb Hot Capicola (this is my spin, you can use regular Ham.)

1/4 lb Mortadella (I use San Danielle)

1/8 lb Sliced Mozzarella

1/8 lb Provolone

Assembly:

Cut the bread in half length wise.

Brush both sides with the oil from your 1 week old Olive Salad, go a little heavier on the bottom.

Layer half of the Oldani on the bottom half of the bread. Then the Mortadella. Then the Mozzarella, then the Capicola, Provolone, and the remainder of Oldani. Top this with the olive salad. Put the lid on and press it down without smashing the bread. Quarter it. You’ve just created pure heaven.

Serves: 4 light eaters, 2 hungry hangovers or one bad to the bone eating machine!

Muffuletta Bread Recipe

1 Cup Warm Water (110 degrees F)

1 Tbsp Active Dry Yeast

1 Tbsp Granulated Sugar

2 Cups All Purpose Flour

1 Cup Bread Flour

1 1/2 tsp Iodized Salt

2 Tbsp Lard or Vegetable Shortening

Sesame Seeds

3 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

For the Egg Wash:

1 Egg

2 Tbsp Cold Water

Combine the water, yeast and sugar in the workbowl of a stand mixer, stir well and let stand for 5-10 minutes or until good and foamy. Meanwhile, combine the flours, salt, and lard in a bowl and work in the fat with your hands until broken up into very small pieces. When the yeast is foamy, fit the mixer with a dough hook attachment and gradually add the flour on low speed until its all incorporated. Scrape the sides down between additions. When the dough comes together, turn it onto a floured work surface and knead until smooth and elastic, 5-10 minutes, adding more flour if necessary.. Alternatively, you can let the machine do the work, but for me, bread is a touch thing. Coat a large bowl with the Olive Oil, then put the dough in, turning once to coat both sides. Cover loosely with a clean dry towel, or plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1-1/2 hours. Punch the dough down and shape into a flat round about 9 inches across (it will expand to about 10″.) Place the dough on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Sprinkle the top with sesame seeds, about 2-3 Tbsp should do it, then press them lightly into the dough. Loosely cover the loaf and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. When the dough has risen, remove the cover, gently brush with the egg wash then gently place into a preheated 425 degree F oven for 10 minutes. Turn the heat down to 375 degrees F for an additional 25 minutes or until it’s golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped.

Makes 1 Muffuletta Loaf.

Muffuletta Olive Salad Recipe

1 1/2 Cups Green Olives, Pitted

1/2 Cup Calamatta Olives (or Black) Pitted

1 Cup Gardiniera (Pickled Cauliflower, Carrots, Celery, Pepperoncini)

1 Tbsp. Capers

3 each Fresh Garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1/8 Cup Celery, thinly sliced

1 Tbsp. Italian Parsley, finely chopped

1 Tbsp. Fresh Oregano (When I have it in my garden) or 2 tsp. dried

1 tsp. Crushed red pepper flakes

3 Tbsp. Red Wine Vinegar

1/4 Cup Roasted red peppers (Recipe follows)

1 Tbsp. Green Onions, thinly sliced

Kosher Salt & Freshly Ground pepper To Taste (salt may not be necessary)

Crush each olive on a cutting board with your hand. Combine all ingredients. Cover with:

Extra Virgin Olive Oil about 1 – 1 1/2 Cups

Put into a bowl or jar, cover and let the flavors marry for about one week.

Roasted Red Peppers

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees

Place 2 Red bell Peppers (remove the blasted sticker!) on a baking sheet, place in the oven. In 15-20 minutes flip it over. Leave it in the oven for another 15-20 minutes. Remove from the oven, place in a container and cover with plastic wrap. Let stand for about 10-15 minutes, this makes the skin come off more easily. Uncover and remove all of the skin, stem and seeds, careful they’re hot! Refrigerate. Great in a number of dishes, Paella, Jambalaya, Sauteed Chorizo or Andouille, Olive salad, you name it.

Olive Salad Bruschetta

Slice a Baguette into 3/4 inch thick slices on the bias, Pop them under the Broiler until they’re golden brown. Break a Garlic clove in half and rub it onto the slices. Top with generous heaps of Olive Salad with plenty of oil & liquid. Serve immediately.

You must have a jar of cocktail onions as part of your olive salad.  In fact a good New Orleans olive salad  would be a buzzed up jar of Marzetti cocktail onions and about twice that amount of Marzetti Giardinera, also buzzed up.

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