Sicilian Muffuletta

Directions

• In a bowl, place the water (always at room temperature, never cold or hot!), yeast and honey so that the yeast is allowed to rise.
• In another bowl sift the 2 flours and mix them together. Add the flours to the water and start kneading the dough by hand.
• If you notice that the dough is too dry, add a few more tablespoons of water. You should get a soft but not sticky dough, and depending on the flour used you may need more water!
• When the dough is well compacted, slowly start adding the oil a little at a time. Add the next one only when the dough has absorbed the previous one.
• Once all the oil has been incorporated, add the salt and continue kneading for a few more minutes.
• Remove the dough from the bowl and work it with your hands on a flat surface, making some folds and put it in a bowl that you will have to cover with plastic wrap and put it in the oven (turned off but with the light on!) to rise for about 3 hours: the dough should double in volume.
• Take the dough, stretch it slightly and cut it into 100g portions giving each dough a round shape.
• Brush the surface of the muffuletta with water and lay them on the sesame seeds to make them stick. Place the muffulettas on a baking sheet and let them rise again until doubled in size.
• Turn on the oven and let it warm up thoroughly to a temperature of 200°.
• When the oven is at the right temperature, bake the buns in the middle rack of the oven for about 20 minutes.
• The muffulette are perfect when they turn slightly golden brown!
• Now it’s up to you – are you going to follow the Sicilian tradition, a muffuletta seasoned with oil, salt, pepper, salted sardines and caciocavallo cheese or you’ll follow the Sicilian-American tradition, a muffuletta seasoned with abundant ham, mortadella, onions, cheese and giardiniera. Anyway, whatever the answer, the result is always delicious! Enjoy!