making Muffulettas at home

Cannatella Grocery on Gov't St ... they have everything you need



their lasagna and other pre-made items are killer





since the original Melville store closed, I order food items a few days in advance and they deliver to Lafayette



I made this muff and posted same pic a few months ago

.

Its pretty easy to make muff bread which I have to do living where I do.

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.

2 other options: Rouses and Gambinos as I've bought muff bread from both places in Lafayette within the last month. Call first to make sure they have it, or can bake it fresh for you.

quote:

---

2 other options: Rouses and Gambinos

---

I've bought everything needed to make a legit muffuletta at home from Rouses. They usually have the bread in a pack of 2 by their bakery area. All the cold cuts and cheese can be bought from their meat counter and the olive salad is offered up in at least 3 different brands where they sell the pickles and other condiments.

By that logic, we shouldn't cook much of anything at home. Some of us enjoy making our own meals.

quote:

---

So much cheaper to just buy them already made.

---

and you'll likely end up spending $17.00 ~ $20.00 for something like this.
Many dining establishments today are cutting back on meat food portions to maximize their profit.
I would not be happy if I spent $17 on this sandwich or $25 for the CG muff pictured below.


Or would you spend $25.99 for a Central Grocery Muff ?




I made my own and here is the cost breakdown for 2 generous size muffulettas.

Olive salad - $4 ... paid $12 for a large jar of OS and only used a 1/3 of the salad.

Muff bread - $4 ... paid $8 for 4 large loaves.

Cheeses - $5 .... for 2 packs of cheese: swiss and provolone

meat - $22 ..... for packs of the following: coppa italiana, genoa salami/calbresse, & pistachio mortadella

Basically I spent $17.50 to make my own muffuletta with generous portions of ingredients. Which would you rather eat ?

I bake my own bread...