Muffalotta Recipe

Prepare and marinate olive salad

Combine chopped mixed olives, chopped giardiniera, chopped pepperoncini, capers, minced garlic and chopped parsley in a medium bowl. Stir in red wine vinegar. While whisking, slowly stream in the extra-virgin olive oil until the mixture is emulsified. Add dried oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, black pepper and salt. Taste and adjust seasoning — the salad should be tangy, salty and slightly spicy. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour (preferably 4–24 hours) to allow flavors to meld. Stir before using.

Prepare bread

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Place the round sesame loaf on a cutting board and slice horizontally into two even halves. Hollow out a small amount of soft interior from each half (leave a 1/2-3/4 inch border) to create room for fillings and to help the olive salad meld into the sandwich without making it soggy. Brush the cut faces lightly with olive oil.

Toast bread (optional)

Place both halves cut-side up on a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 8–10 minutes until just lightly crisped. Remove and set aside to cool slightly.

Butter and layer bottom

Spread 1 tablespoon of softened butter evenly across the interior of the bottom half of the loaf to provide a flavor barrier. This helps prevent sogginess and adds richness.

Layer meats and cheeses

Start layering the meats evenly over the bottom half: arrange the mortadella in an even layer, then overlap the Genoa salami, then the ham. Top the meats with the provolone slices and then the mozzarella slices, distributing cheeses so each bite has cheese-to-meat balance.

Top with olive salad

Using a slotted spoon, spread a generous layer (about 3/4 to 1 cup) of the prepared olive salad over the cheese, allowing any excess oil to drip back into the bowl. Press down gently to set the salad into the sandwich. Reserve remaining olive salad for serving or other sandwiches.

Finish sandwich and press

Spread the remaining tablespoon of softened butter on the interior of the top half of the loaf. Place the top half over the assembled bottom. Wrap the whole sandwich tightly in plastic wrap and weigh it down with a heavy skillet or a couple of cans to compress the sandwich for at least 30 minutes (up to 2 hours) at room temperature; this helps flavors meld and creates the classic compressed muffaletta texture.

Warm and serve (optional)

For a warm version, unwrap and place the sandwich (unwrapped) on the baking sheet and warm in a 325°F (160°C) oven for 8–10 minutes until cheese softens but does not fully melt. Alternatively, cut the compressed sandwich into 6–8 wedges and serve at room temperature. Use a serrated knife and wipe the blade between cuts for clean slices.

Serve each wedge with extra olive salad on the side. Leftover olive salad keeps in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks; the assembled sandwich (wrapped tightly) will keep 1–2 days refrigerated, but is best eaten within 24 hours for texture.