Classic Italian Muffuletta Sandwich (Print-Friendly Version)
Layered Italian meats, tangy olive salad, and cheese on soft sesame bread—perfectly pressed for robust flavor.
# What You’ll Need to Make This:
→ Olive Salad
01 -
240 ml green olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
02 -
240 ml black olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
03 -
120 ml giardiniera (Italian pickled vegetables), drained and coarsely chopped
04 -
60 ml roasted red peppers, chopped
05 -
60 ml capers, drained
06 -
120 ml celery, finely chopped
07 -
3 cloves garlic, minced
08 -
120 ml extra virgin olive oil
09 -
60 ml red wine vinegar
10 -
1 teaspoon dried oregano
11 -
0.5 teaspoon red pepper flakes
12 -
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
→ Sandwich Assembly
13 -
1 large round Italian sesame seed bread (approximately 25 cm diameter)
14 -
115 g thinly sliced mortadella
15 -
115 g thinly sliced salami
16 -
115 g thinly sliced capicola
17 -
115 g thinly sliced provolone cheese
18 -
115 g thinly sliced mozzarella cheese
# How to Prepare:
01 -
Combine green olives, black olives, giardiniera, roasted red peppers, capers, celery, and garlic in a large mixing bowl. Add olive oil, red wine vinegar, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Season with freshly ground black pepper. Mix thoroughly, cover, and refrigerate for at least 60 minutes or overnight to allow flavors to develop.
02 -
Using a serrated knife, slice the Italian bread horizontally in half. Remove some of the interior crumb if necessary to accommodate the fillings.
03 -
Evenly spread half of the olive salad mixture over the bottom half of the bread. Arrange mortadella, salami, capicola, provolone cheese, and mozzarella cheese sequentially atop the olive salad. Spread the remaining olive salad over the meats and cheeses.
04 -
Place the top half of the bread over the filled base. Press down firmly to compact all layers.
05 -
Tightly wrap the assembled sandwich in plastic wrap. Set a heavy skillet or weighted object on top to press the sandwich for at least 30 minutes.
06 -
Remove the plastic wrap and use a sharp knife to cut the sandwich into 8 wedges or slices. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
# Extra Tips:
01 -
For optimal flavor, prepare the olive salad one day in advance to allow the ingredients to fully marinate.
02 -
If a heavy skillet is unavailable, substitute with any safe weighted object to press the assembled sandwich.
03 -
Authentic Italian sesame seed bread delivers the classic texture, but a sturdy round loaf serves as an effective alternative.