Muffuletta Bread
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Topped with savory sesame seeds and baked to golden brown perfection, classic Muffuletta Bread may not be so easy to find outside of New Orleans, but making it at home is incredibly simple! It’s an easy dough recipe that comes together quickly and bakes in just 30 minutes!
What Is Muffuletta Bread?
If you have never heard of Muffuletta Bread, it’s basically a white bread that has been shaped into a flat disc and topped with sesame seeds before being baked in the oven. It’s actually a type of Sicilian sesame bread that was brought to New Orleans by Italian immigrants. And as time went on, later used to make the popular muffuletta sandwiches that are now iconic to the city.
However, unlike Italian Ciabatta Bread, it doesn’t have a dome shape and unlike Focaccia it’s made with very little fat. It’s a simple round bread with sesame seeds that is most known for making muffuletta sandwiches. However, it’s absolutely delicious and doesn’t get enough attention in my book!
You can slice and it just like any other bread as well as use it to make any sandwich you like. It’s fantastic with cold cuts! I often like to use it to make my Italian Sub Sandwich in place of a baguette for a change. Or, spread a freshly baked round with my yummy Tuna Salad for a quick lunch.
Why You’ll Love This Muffuletta Bread
- Simple Bread Recipe! This is an easy dough that only requires one rise and a short baking time. It’s the perfect introduction to bread making bread for even the most novice baker.
- New Orleans Classic! You don’t need to go to “The Big Easy” anymore to enjoy this tasty soft round white bread! You can now make the classic right at home.
- Sandwich Ready! Italian muffuletta bread is known to be the quintessential bread used to make a muffuletta sandwich, but feel free to use it for any sandwich you like!
- Water – Warm water activates the yeast, which is what makes the dough rise.
- Sugar – Used to feed the yeast and sweeten the bread a little bit. I used granulated white sugar, but cane sugar will also work.
- Active Dry Yeast – Make sure to check the expiration date of your yeast. You can also use instant yeast if that’s what you have on hand, but it doesn’t need to bloom.
- Bread Flour – I have found that bread flour works best for this recipe, but basic all-purpose flour will work as well.
- Salt – A touch of salt is important to season the dough.
- Shortening – I used vegetable shortening to add just a touch of fat. You can also use room-temperature unsalted butter if you prefer.
- Egg – Used to make an egg wash to adhere the sesame seeds to the top of the bread.
- Sesame Seeds – For another layer of flavor, you can sprinkle sesame seeds on top of the bread before it’s put into the oven to bake.
Making this muffuletta bread is actually pretty easy. Yet, you must properly activate the yeast using warm water. That part is essential, but once you’ve done that, this recipe is pretty straightforward if you just follow the easy steps I’ve outlined for you here.
Activate The Yeast
To begin, you have to bloom the yeast. To do this, combine the warm water together with the yeast and sugar in a small bowl. Then allow the mixture to sit for 10 minutes undisturbed until the yeast foams up. The water must be warm for this step or the yeast will not activate.
Note, if your yeast doesn’t foam up don’t move forward with the recipe. It means that your yeast is dead and you need to buy new yeast.
Make The Dough
Once the yeast is ready, start the dough by combining the bread flour and salt together in the bowl of your stand mixer. Now, add the shortening and then mix all the ingredients together for about 30 seconds using the dough hook. Then add the yeast mixture and continue mixing for another 5 to 6 minutes or until the dough comes away clean from the sides of the bowl.
Let The Dough Rise
When the dough is done, place it in a well oiled large bowl. Then cover it with plastic wrap and set the bowl in a warm place for about 1 to 2 hours or until the dough has doubled in size. It’s crucial that you be patient and wait until it’s doubled in size before you move on to the next step.
Preheat The Oven And Prep The Pan
After the dough has doubled in size you can now preheat the oven to 450°F (232°C) to get it ready for baking. Then line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat to prevent the bread from sticking to the pan.
Form The Muffuletta Bread
First, punch the dough down to get all the air out to form the bread. Next, place it on a lightly floured surface and roll it out into a large disc that is 10 to 12 inches in diameter. Then put the disc on the prepared baking sheet. Now, brush the dough with egg wash and sprinkle the top of it with sesame seeds.
Bake The Bread
Before putting the muffuletta bread in to bake you need to fill a baking dish with water and place it on the bottom rack of your oven. This is done to help the bread rise and give it a wonderful texture. Now, put the bread into the oven and bake it for just 5 minutes. Then carefully remove the baking dish with water from the oven.
To finish, reduce the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C) and continue baking the bread for another 25 minutes or until it’s golden brown. The loaf is done when it sounds hollow when being tapped on the bottom. Then place it on a wire rack to completely cool before slicing it and serving.
Can This Recipe Be Made With Instant Yeast?
Yes, it can! If using instant yeast, it doesn’t need to be activated, so you can just add it in with the bread flour, along with the warm water and the rest of the ingredients and start your dough from there.
Can I Make Vegan Muffuletta Bread?
Great news! Just omit the egg and it’s vegan. Then to adhere the sesame seeds to the bread you can brush the dough with water or plant-based milk in place of the egg wash.
Expert Tips
- Check the date on the yeast. The most common reason that dough doesn’t rise is due to using expired yeast. If your yeast doesn’t foam up after the warm water has been added it means that it is dead and the recipe will not work.
- Warm water is a must. If your water is too cold or too hot the yeast will not activate properly. The water needs to be warm.
- Don’t over-handle the dough. When forming the dough into a disc, be especially careful not to manipulate it more than necessary or it can end up deflated and dense.
How To Store
Muffuletta bread will keep at room temperature for up to 5 days in a container or bag. It also stores well in the freezer for up to 3 months in a sealed freezer bag or tightly wrapped in plastic wrap. Then when ready to eat, just remove the loaf from the freezer and let it thaw out at room temperature for a few hours.
Other Delicious Bread Recipes To Try
- Air Fryer No Knead Bread
- No Knead Skillet Bread
- Naan Recipe
- Potato Bread
- Slow Cooker Bread
- Honey Beer Bread
- Artisan Bread
- Turkish Bread
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Muffuletta Bread
Ingredients
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 3 cups bread flour
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
- 1 egg (beaten, for egg wash)
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Combine the warm water with the sugar and yeast in a small bowl. Let it sit for 10 minutes or until the yeast dissolves and starts to foam.
- In the bowl of your mixer combine the bread flour and the salt. Add the shortening and using the dough hook, start mixing for about 30 seconds, then add the yeast mixture. Continue mixing for another 5 to 6 minutes. The dough is ready when it comes clean from the sides of the bowl.
- Place it in a well oiled large bowl then cover it with plastic wrap. You’ll need to let the dough rest for about 1 to 2 hours, until doubled in size.
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Punch the dough down to let the air out. Roll out the dough into a 10-12" disc. Place the disc on the prepared baking sheet and brush it with the beaten egg. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- Fill a pan or baking dish with water and place it on the bottom rack of your oven, then transfer the baking sheet with the bread to the oven. Bake for 5 minutes, then carefully remove the baking dish with water from the oven.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F and continue baking for another 25 minutes or until golden brown. The loaf is done when it sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.
- Cool completely on a cooling rack before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Check the date on the yeast. The most common reason that dough doesn’t rise is due to using expired yeast. If your yeast doesn’t foam up after the warm water has been added it means that it is dead and the recipe will not work.
- Warm water is a must. If your water is too cold or too hot the yeast will not activate properly. The water needs to be warm.
- Don’t over-handle the dough. When forming the dough into a disc, be especially careful not to manipulate it more than necessary or it can end up deflated and dense.
- Muffuletta bread will keep at room temperature for up to 5 days in a container or bag. It also stores well in the freezer for up to 3 months in a sealed freezer bag or tightly wrapped in plastic wrap.
Nutrition Information
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
I haven’t made this yet, but have a question. I don’t have a stand mixer with a dough hook. I do have a good handheld mixer with what looks like a dough hook. How would the instructions be modified for my appliance? Thanks!
If you’re using a handheld mixer with dough hooks, you can still mix the Muffuletta bread dough with it. Just be aware that handheld mixers might not be as powerful as stand mixers. Mix the dough on a low setting and be prepared to do a bit of kneading by hand if needed to bring the dough together.
Hello! Thank you for this recipe. If I double the recipe, what is the bake time?
When doubling this bread recipe, start with the original bake time, then check for doneness. It might need a bit more time, but be careful not to overbake.
This bread was easy and delicious! I’ll definitely be making it again! Thank you!
My pleasure, glad you liked it!
I made this tonight and it turned out great. I made some adjustments. I like weighing the flour instead of estimating. 720 grams for a double recipe is 6 cups. I also ensured the flour was warm and the proofing was 75 degrees Fahrenheit. I didn’t have sesame seeds, so I used “Everything Bagel Seasoning.” This is a keeper!
It looks great, glad you enjoyed it!
Hi! looking forward to this. When you say “Continue mixing for another 5 to 6.”, I’m guessing minutes?
Yes, that’s 5 to 6 minutes.
Jo, this was the easiest and BEST tasting muffaletta bread I have ever made and eaten! Thank yo
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! It’s always a joy to hear when someone finds success with a recipe.
Could you break the large amount of dough up and make smaller “slider sized” buns? Thinking of making 5 for my lunches throughout the week.
You absolutely can!
Nice recipe, great bread, and tastes as good as it looks. (Substituted butter for shortening.)
Glad you enjoyed the bread and that the substitution worked well for you! Happy baking! 😊