Making your own delicious muffaletta bread from scratch is surprisingly simple, and the final loaf tastes fantastic. Even beginning bakers can do this recipe. Follow along with the instructional photos, and have fun baking!
If you're looking for more New Orleans favorites, try our recipes for shrimp and grits, hurricane mocktail, and our 13 Mardi Gras recipes.
Why This Recipe Works
- It's the right shape. Most store-bought loaves aren't even close to the right shape for muffaletta, but making your own ensures that it's flat and round like what you need.
- It has the right texture. This bread is light enough to absorb the flavorsome oils from the olive salad, and strong enough to support the heavy fillings without getting soggy or falling apart.
- The dough passes the windowpane test to ensure that it's properly kneaded. This means you can stretch a piece of the dough thin enough for it to be translucent without tearing.
- Spritzing the loaf with water ensures that the sesame seeds stick to the bread rather than falling off.
Ingredients
Curious what ingredients you need to make a delicious loaf of muffaletta bread? Fortunately, this bread takes only simple ingredients you can easily find at your local grocery store. Let's talk about the most important ingredients!
- Bread Flour: It's critical that you use bread flour, and not all-purpose, for making bread. The higher protein content in this type of flour creates more gluten in the dough, giving you a higher rising bread with a fluffier, chewier texture. We recommend using King Arthur.
- Yeast: Either instant (fast-action) or active dry yeast work well. If you're using active dry, be sure to bloom it first by dissolving it in the warm water used in the dough. Add the sugar and let it stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.
- Olive Oil: This softens the dough, making it more moist, and adds a subtle flavor if you use extra virgin. Use a good quality oil for the health benefits and best flavor.
- Sesame Seeds: It's traditional to top the muffaletta bread with white sesame seeds, which makes it resemble a giant hamburger bun. If you can't eat these, feel free to omit them.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Muffaletta Bread
Start by measuring out the ingredients: bread flour, yeast, salt, sugar, olive oil, and water.
- Add the salt and yeast to the flour on opposite sides of the bowl (the salt can kill the yeast if it touches it), then stir them in with your finger. (image 1)
- Pour in the sugar, oil, and half of the water, and mix until all the flour is picked up and a sticky dough forms. (image 2)
- Knead with the dough hook for 4-6 minutes. The kneaded dough should pass the windowpane test. If you can stretch a piece until it's translucent without breaking, then it's kneaded enough. If not, knead a little longer and test again. (image 3)
- Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover, and let it prove until at least doubled in size (about 1 ½ hours). (image 4)
- Punch down the dough, then shape it into a flat disc about 9 inches in diameter. The loaf will increase in diameter to about 10 inches as it proves and bakes. (image 5)
- Lightly spray the load with water, and sprinkle 2 tablespoons of sesame seeds on top. (This gives the muffaletta its signature look.) Prove until doubled in size, about 1 hour. (image 6)
- Bake at 400°F for 20-25 minutes. (image 7)
- Let it cool for at least an hour before slicing to give it time to finish cooking and to release the steam inside naturally. (image 8)
Recipe FAQs
A muffaletta sandwich is traditionally made with a flat-topped, round loaf of white Italian bread topped with sesame seeds. The crust is fairly crisp, and the center is soft and fluffy with a somewhat open texture, but still strong enough to support the heavy filling of meat, cheese, and olive salad in the sandwich.
Muffaletta is a famous sandwich that originated in New Orleans at Central Grocery. It was invented in 1906 by Salvatore Lupo, the owner of Central Grocery. A muffaletta sandwich is made from a kind of Italian bread split in half and filled with olive salad, cold cuts, and cheese.
It's important to use the right bread, since it's the base for the entire sandwich. Making your own loaf with this recipe ensures you have the right shape of loaf along with the crisp crust and soft interior that makes this sandwich so great. Of course, once you have a solid foundation for your sandwich, add a good olive salad and layer it with the meat and cheese to create an epic muffaletta sandwich.
Make Ahead: The dough for the muffaletta bread can be made the day in advance and left to rise overnight in the fridge. Let it come to room temperature the following day, then knock it back, shape it, rise again, and bake.
Leftovers: You can keep it at room temperature for a day or two, but it will stay much fresher if it's frozen.
Freezing: Freeze the muffaletta loaf before adding the sandwich meat and cheese. Wrap the loaf in plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil; then freeze for up to 1 month.
Serve
If you're making this bread, chances are you will be making a muffaletta sandwich soon. Learn how to make your own Central Grocery olive salad with homemade giardiniera, and get the instructions for assembling your own authentic muffaletta sandwich.
If you're looking for other New Orleans favorites to serve with your muffaletta, try our recipes for roux for gumbo, chicken, sausage, and shrimp gumbo, chicken and sausage jambalaya, and bread pudding with bourbon sauce.
Expert Tips
- Sticky dough? Simply add more flour to the dough as it's kneaded; just be careful not to add too much.
- Let the dough rise in a warm place to encourage the yeast's growth.
- Want to make this ahead? Mix and knead the dough, then let it prove in the fridge overnight. Shape it into the loaf, prove, and bake the next day.
- Want to freeze this? Freeze the baked and cooled loaf for up to 1 month if desired.
Other New Orleans Recipes You'll Love
Recipe
Perfect Muffaletta Bread
Ingredients
- 3 ⅓ cups bread flour
- 2 ¼ teaspoons fast-action yeast
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 ¼ cups room-temperature water
- 2 tablespoons white sesame seeds, untoasted
Instructions
Making the Dough
- Place the flour in the bowl of a stand mixer, then add the salt and yeast on opposite sides of the bowl. Stir each one in with your finger. Be careful not to let the salt touch the yeast directly, as it can kill or stunt the yeast.
- Add the sugar, oil, and half of the water. Mix with the paddle attachment on low speed until the mixture begins to come together. Gradually add more water until all the flour is picked up and a sticky dough forms.
- Switch attachments to the dough hook and knead on low speed for 4-6 minutes, until it's no longer sticky and passes the windowpane test. Check it by stretching a lump of dough between the thumb and forefinger of each hand. If it's translucent in places without breaking, it's been kneaded enough. If it breaks, knead a minute longer and check again.
- Pour about 2 teaspoons of olive oil into a large mixing bowl. Shape the dough into a ball and turn it in the oil to coat, then cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let it prove at room temperature until at least doubled in size, about 1 ½ hours.
Shaping the Loaf
- Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down with your fists to get rid of the air pockets.
- Place it on a large, lightly floured baking stone or cookie sheet. Shape it into a flat disc about 9 inches in diameter.
- Spritz the top of the loaf with a little water, then sprinkle generously with sesame seeds and gently press them into the dough.
- Loosely cover the loaf with a piece of plastic wrap, and let it prove at room temperature until almost doubled in size, about 1 hour. Once it's proved, it should spring back quickly when gently prodded with a fingertip.
- About 10 minutes before the loaf is done proving, preheat the oven to 400°F.
Baking the Bread
- Remove the plastic wrap and bake the proved loaf at 400°F for 20-25 minutes. The loaf should be a rich golden brown and have an internal temperature of 200°F.
- Let the loaf cool for about an hour on a wire rack before slicing to allow it to release the steam inside naturally. Then, the bread can be sliced in half lengthwise and used to make a muffaletta sandwich.
Video
Notes
- If the dough is really sticky when you're kneading, simply add a little more flour; just be careful not to add too much.
- Prove the dough in a warm place to speed up the rise.
- If you're in a hurry, make the dough the night before and let it prove in the fridge overnight. Let it come to room temperature, then shape it into a loaf, prove, and bake the next day.
- Freeze the baked and cooled loaf for up to 1 month if desired.
Nutrition
Serving sizes and nutritional information are only an estimate and may vary from your results.
Dwight Camp
Made this and enjoyed it- been too long since Ive had a muffalata from central grocery but bread was chewy like I remember- will do it again
Emma
So glad you enjoyed the muffaletta, Dwight! Thanks for leaving a review.
Steph
This was incredible!! I thought I had sesame seeds, but did not. Also, I didn't add in all the water and it was watery that I had to add more flour. I had used a kitchen scale so I'm not sure what happened. I mixed it with a stand mixer for 5 minutes and then kneaded it by hand for the last half. Amazing how you can feel the dough begin to change! Kids and hubby approved the muffaletta sandwich I made. Thanks for your recipe!
Emma
You are very welcome, Steph! Sticky dough could happen for several reasons. The brand of flour and humidity in the room will affect how much liquid is needed in a bread recipe. I'm so glad that you and your family enjoyed the muffaletta bread.
Jeanette T
I’ve been making Emma recipe since September 2019. After my first attempt I realized that the water should be 255 ml. That’s makes the hydration at 64%.
MY family love this bread. They prefer to make the sandwich then toast it in the oven. Everybody has their personal preference, right? As Emma says, it freezes well. THAnks Emma Great recipe!!
Emma
So glad you and your family enjoy this bread so much, Jeanette! The exact amount of water needed will vary depending upon the brand of flour and the humidity in the room--so it's always best to go by look and feel of the dough rather than a specific number of milliliters.
Ray
I just baked a loaf this morning. It was my first attempt at making bread of any kind and it came out perfect. I already had all the muffuletta meats and cheese at hand along with Central Grocery olive salad. I assembled the muffuletta, wrapped it up and put it in the fridge for about 6 hours. Oh my, the bread was delicious and held the filling perfectly! Thanks for the recipe!
Emma
That's awesome to hear, Ray! Congratulations on making your very first loaf of bread. It sounds like your muffaletta turned out wonderful!
Tyra
Hello,
I am going to double this recipe. I plan to mix the dough this afternoon and proof in fridge overnight. For this run through I'm going to stick with 2.5 tsp. yeast, since I have plenty of time for proofing. I have never been able to learn, despite much searching, the ins and outs of scaling up yeast. I know the first proof will take longer. Should the second proof take longer as well or will it be up to speed by then? I know I won't get an answer in time for this batch, I'll wing it and time it for the future. But I would appreciate any info about scaling up yeast in bread recipes. Any educational links you can recommend would be appreciated.
Thanks
Emma
Hi Tyra, if you're doubling the ingredients in a bread recipe, you'll also need to double the yeast. For example, 2 1/2 teaspoons of yeast will work with 4-5 cups of flour, but you'll need 5 teaspoons of yeast to rise 8-10 cups of flour. The bread might prove with less yeast, but it will be very slow, extremely dense, and may not work at all. Happy baking! Let me know how the muffaletta bread turns out.
Jeanette T
Tyra. Check out the link below. It refers to a pizza recipe where the dough has a long cold fermentation. Some Italian tipo 00 flours are for long fermentation (Chef tipo 00). I’ve used it in the muffaletta recipe and it came out marvelously. I bake my rounds in a springform pan. Her recipe is spot on. But I don’t double my yeast when I double the recipe. I use only half more. Enjoy!!
[The link was removed by the moderator. Please refer to our comment guidelines.]
Emma
Thank you for sharing this extra insight, Jeanette!
Jeanette
I’ve got to chime in again and tell you bakers how good this recipe is. It is very forgiving and easy to work with. I use my mixer but It is best that Emma shows you making it by hand. There’s nothing like getting your hands in the dough but when it’s a wet dough, use a mixer or a danish dough hook.
I doubled the recipe for a football party around thanksgiving and used two 9 inch springform pans. One of my nephews commented on it being thick so I got a 10 inch cake pan and it came out great. I gave it to him for Christmas. I’ve since found a 10 inch springform pan at a local discount store. I’ll use it soon.
This bread freezes very well so you can make a full recipe then cut and form 2 rounds. Freeze one wrapped in parchment and seal tightly in a plastic bag.
This recipe is on my Favorites List. Happy & Fun Baking.
Emma
You are so sweet, Jeanette! I’m thrilled that you and your nephew enjoyed the bread! I do love getting my hands into some dough too. 😍
Cindy
Is this baked on a baking sheet? Can it be baked on a stone as well?
CINDY
Never mind. I saw how to bake it. Need to read more carefully. Thanks! Can't wait to make this.
Emma
Feel free to use a stone or a cookie sheet--whatever you would prefer. I've used both for bread. 😊 Please check back to leave a 5-star review once you've made the muffaletta bread! Happy baking!
Linda
This was so yummy! Directions were thorough and easy to follow. Any chance you have portions for a loaf for only two people? Thank you,
Emma
Hi Linda, I’m glad that you found this recipe easy to follow and tasty! Feel free to cut the recipe in half to make a smaller loaf.
Jeanette
Emma, I printed and analyzed 5 muffaletta bread recipes. Since I weigh all of my ingredients I convert 4 to grams and ml because I wanted to calculate the hydration %. Yours was 71%, the other 4 were 63%. I used only 255 ml of water which made the hydration be 64%. I changed up the kneading technique were I allowed the dough to sit for 10 minutes without the salt. Added salt and kneaded for 15 minutes. Allowed it to rest again, knead more then rise for 1 hour. I used a 9 inch well oiled springform pan. Spritzed dough with water, sprinkled with 1 T of sesame seeds then proofed or proved the dough for 45 minutes. I always preheat my oven for 30-45 minutes. There’s more to my cooking technique but I won’t bore you with it. Thanks Emma. My loaf came out beautifully
Emma
Thanks for sharing your detailed method! I'm so glad that the muffaletta bread turned out great for you. Happy baking!
C. Cena
Rebecca, I learned something new today! Through a little research I found Emma is not in error to use the term prove instead of proof, concerning bread dough! The words mean the same in this instance, jut as she advised.
Emma
Yes, that's right. If you've watched the Great British Bake Off, you'll hear professional bread baker Paul Hollywood and the show contestants use the term "prove" frequently. It's up to you which one you prefer. Happy baking! 🍞😍
C. Cena
I support Rebecca's statement about proving vs proofing the dough! Through 65 years of baking bread this is the first time I've ever read or heard of the dough being "proved".
Emma
"Prove" and "proof" mean exactly the same thing when making bread. No worries! 🙂
Claudia Hoffmeister
Can I use All purpose flour instead?
Emma
I'd recommend sticking with bread flour, since it contains a higher protein content. The extra protein gives the dough more gluten, resulting in a chewier texture and higher rise than you'll get from all-purpose. Only use all-purpose if you're in a pinch. 🙂 Hope this helps!!
Pym
So a stand mixer is out?
Emma
I love to make bread by hand and with a stand mixer. Since I first started making bread by hand, I thought I'd show you guys how to do it that way step by step. It's actually very simple and dirties fewer dishes. 👍😍
Rebecca
This really looks great! I do think though that you mean to “proof” the dough. Thanks for the recipe, I’m going to try it soon.
Emma
Hi Rebecca! Yes, proving and proofing are the same thing--just different terms. 🙂 I'm really excited to hear that you'll be making this muffaletta bread soon!!!