Most well-known as the bread for the famous New Orleans muffaletta sandwich, this homemade muffaletta bread is a soft, round sesame bread hailing from Sicily. Make this easy muffaletta loaf at home with just a few simple ingredients and mostly hands-off time for rising.
While this muffaletta, or muffuletta bread is a Sicilian recipe, most people will be making this recipe for the muffaletta sandwich from New Orleans. You could also change this into smaller, round sesame buns if you prefer though. If you’re in the New Orleans area, you could probably find this kind of bread in stores or bakeries, but outside of Louisiana, you’ll most likely have to make your own.
This homemade muffaletta bread is super soft and spongy with a nice, subtle flavor from olive oil. The top is covered with sesame seeds, adding a little texture and a bit more flavor as well. For this bread recipe, I’m also including directions for a single large loaf and two slightly smaller loaves. That will allow you to make a second loaf with or without the sesame seeds for people that can’t have them, or to make a muffaletta sandwich without the olive salad for picky eaters.
If you love this bread or are checking it out for making muffaletta sandwiches, be sure to also check out my homemade olive salad recipe and my New Orleans muffaletta sandwich recipe. If bread making intimidates you though, this is a pretty simple recipe to make with minimal ingredients.
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🥘 Ingredients for Muffuletta Bread
Pretty much all the ingredients for making this type of bread are going to be pantry staples. Unless you never work with yeast and may need to purchase some and grab a jar of sesame seeds.
Yeast – I use a standard packet of yeast here. You can use instant or active dry, but I always recommend proofing it beforehand to make sure it works.
Sugar – Use just a bit of sugar to help feed the yeast while proofing it.
Flour – A combination of all-purpose and bread flour works well here. I like the combination for just the right texture and chew, but if you only have all-purpose, you can do that instead.
Olive Oil – A few tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil add a nice flavor to the bread.
Sesame Seeds – Cover the top of the bread before baking with white sesame seeds. This and the olive oil give muffuletta bread its signature look and taste.
🍞 What is Muffuletta Bread?
Muffuletta is a type of Sicilian sesame bread, as well as the name of the popular New Orleans sandwich. The bread itself is typically made as a large, round, somewhat flat loaf topped with plenty of sesame seeds.
This bread is normally very soft with an almost spongy center and slightly chewy texture. The outside has a nice, crisp crust that is thinner than a sourdough type of crust. Sometimes described as a cross between focaccia and ciabatta bread, it’s not quite either one.
While having a thin but crispy crust and such a soft interior, it also has enough structure to hold up to lots of olive oil without becoming soggy. This feature makes it ideal for the muffuletta sandwich that has both olive oil spread on the slices and lots of olive salad spread on it.
🔪 How to Make Homemade Muffaletta Bread
Make the Dough
In a mixing bowl, add both flours and whisk together. Set aside.
In a glass measuring glass, microwave water until warm, roughly around 95°-105°F or 35°-40°C. Add the packet of yeast and sugar to the water and give it a stir. Let it sit for about 10 minutes until bubbly and puffy. Alternatively, add the water to the bowl of a stand mixer and stir in the yeast and sugar.
Once the yeast has proofed/activated, begin adding the flour mixture to the yeast mixture a little at a time. Do this in a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of your stand mixer with the dough hook attachment if using. Stir between each addition.
After mixing the yeast and flour, add some salt and mix again. Finally, add the olive oil and mix again. From here you can knead by hand, or in the stand mixer. If using a stand mixer, bring the speed to 2 and let it knead for around 8 minutes.
Once kneaded, place the dough into a large, lightly oiled bowl and cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap. Let the dough rise until doubled in size, about 90 minutes.
Finish and Bake the Muffaletta
Once doubled in size, punch down the dough and transfer to a parchment or Silpat lined baking sheet. Shape the dough into a roughly 10-inch circle that is somewhat flat. Fully cover the top with white sesame seeds and gently press into the top of the bread. Cover again and let it rise again for 45 minutes to an hour.
If you have trouble getting the sesame seeds to adhere, a trick I use is to wet my hands slightly and brush them over the top of the bread. Then add the sesame seeds and they should stick better now.
While rising again, preheat the oven to 400°F / 200°C. Be sure not to leave the pan with the dough on top of the stove which could accidentally let it start cooking.
After the second rise, the dough should be roughly 11-12-inches in diameter with a slightly domed center. Place in the center of the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven when it lightly browned and a toothpick comes out clean.
Let the bread rest in the pan for roughly 5 minutes, until cool enough to handle. Transfer to a cooling rack and let it cool completely before using or storing.
📖 Homemade Muffaletta Variations
These are just minor adjustments, as changing anything too much would make a completely different kind of bread.
Sesame Seeds – While white sesame seeds are traditional, you could use black or a mixture of both. Personally, not my thing, but you could even top with everything bagel if you wish. If you serve a crowd, also be sure to check if anyone is allergic or has diverticulitis and omit the seeds. If that is the case, I recommend making two slightly smaller loaves and making one with sesame and one without.
Egg Wash – I mention this here because I find it optional for muffaletta. The egg wash will help brown the top more and leave it with a somewhat glossy sheen. If you prefer to use an egg wash, mix 1 large egg with about 1 tablespoon of water. After adding the sesame seeds and letting it rise the second time, gently brush the egg wash over the top, right before placing it in the oven.
Smaller Double Loaves – I’ll go into detail about this in the actual recipe card, but the main difference is upping the flour mix from 3 cups to 4 ½ cups, and a bit more water and olive oil. After the first rise, you’ll split the dough into two separate loaves. Shape into roughly 6-7-inch diameter rounds, which should make roughly 8-inch loaves after the second rise. I like this option when making muffaletta sandwiches in case you need to remove the sesame seeds, or make a version without the olive salad for kids, etc.
🍽 Recommended Equipment
While you can make this recipe completely by hand, here are two things I recommend to make things easier on yourself.
Stand Mixer – If you do any amount of baking, I highly recommend investing in a decent stand mixer. This makes almost all baking easier as well as some savory recipes that need blending. The dough hook attachment typically comes standard with them as well. That hook makes kneading dough easier and faster.
Silpat – I love using Silpat silicone baking mats for lots of baking recipes. The one used here is a Silpat bread mat, which is slightly different than ones used for cookies. Either way, they work really well, are reusable, and clean up easily.
❄️ How to Store Muffaletta Bread
Once your homemade muffaletta bread has cooled completely, you can store it at room temperature for 1-2 days. You can store it in a large plastic bag or wrap it in plastic wrap. I recommend this storage if you’re using it within a day or two.
While you can also do as above and keep it refrigerated for 2-5 days, I don’t recommend storing it in the fridge. This will cause the bread to stale and dry out much more quickly.
If you do need longer storage time, I recommend freezing instead. Wrap the entire bread in plastic wrap, then again in foil. Place it into a large freezer bag and you can keep it frozen for 2-3 months. To thaw, leave the muffuletta bread at room temperature for a few hours, then bake at 350°F for 5-10 minutes to taste almost fresh baked again.
📋 Recipe
Homemade Muffaletta Bread
Ingredients
One 10-12-inch loaf:
- 1 cup water, warmed
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 packet yeast, 2 ¼ teaspoons, instant or active dry
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups bread flour, see note
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons white sesame seeds
Two 8-inch loaves:
- 1 ½ cups water, warmed
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 packet yeast, 2 ¼ teaspoons, instant or active dry
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups bread flour
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2-3 tablespoons white sesame seeds
Directions
Make the Dough:
- In a mixing bowl, add 1 cup all-purpose flour and 2 cups bread flour and whisk together. Set aside.
- In a glass measuring glass, microwave 1 cup water until warm, roughly around 95°-105°F or 35°-40°C. Add the packet of yeast (2 ¼ teaspoons) and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar to the water and give it a stir. Let it sit for about 10 minutes until bubbly and puffy. Alternatively, add the water to the bowl of a stand mixer and stir in the yeast and sugar.
- Once the yeast has proofed/activated, begin adding the flour mixture to the yeast mixture a little at a time. Do this in a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of your stand mixer with the dough hook attachment if using. Stir between each addition.
- After mixing the yeast and flour, add 2 teaspoons kosher salt and mix again. Finally, add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil and mix again. From here you can knead by hand, or in the stand mixer. If using a stand mixer, bring the speed to 2 and let it knead for around 8 minutes.
- Once kneaded, place the dough into a large, lightly oiled bowl and cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap. Let the dough rise until doubled in size, about 90 minutes.
Finish and Bake the Muffaletta:
- Once doubled in size, punch down the dough and transfer to a parchment or Silpat lined baking sheet. Shape the dough into a roughly 10-inch circle that is somewhat flat. Fully cover the top with white sesame seeds (about 2 tablespoons) and gently press into the top of the bread. Cover again and let it rise again for 45 minutes to an hour.
- If you have trouble getting the sesame seeds to adhere, a trick I use is to wet my hands slightly and brush them over the top of the bread. Then add the sesame seeds and they should stick better now.
- While rising again, preheat the oven to 400°F / 200°C. Be sure not to leave the pan with the dough on top of the stove which could accidentally let it start cooking.
- After the second rise, the dough should be roughly 11-12-inches in diameter with a slightly domed center. Place in the center of the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven when it lightly browned and a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let the bread rest in the pan for roughly 5 minutes, until cool enough to handle. Transfer to a cooling rack and let it cool completely before using or storing.
Two Loaves Alternative:
- Follow the directions above in the same manner with the second set of ingredient amounts.
- After the first rise, split the dough in half and instead of one large 10-inch loaf, form two 6-7-inch loaves.
- After shaping, follow the recipe as above again. While the baking time should be roughly the same, check after the first 17-18 minutes. Check if they are browning more quickly or are finished baking a few minutes early.
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