The Recipe · No.738 · Muffuletta

Muffuletta, and Where to Source It

The olive salad is the whole sandwich, and it needs to sit: a chopped mix of green and black olives, giardiniera, garlic, and herbs marinated in olive oil for hours so the flavors meld and the oil soaks into the bread. Build it and eat it right away and it is just a cold-cut sub; give the salad and the bread time to marry and it becomes a muffuletta.

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Published July 2026 · Sourcing verified 5 Jul 2026

Prep25 min (plus rest)
Cook0 min
Makes4 servings
CuisineAmerican
Part One
The Ingredients — and where to get them
Round sesame loaf
A sturdy, wide sesame-topped loaf that holds the fillings. A good bakery loaf makes the sandwich.
1 loaf
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Italian cold cuts
Mortadella, salami, and capicola layered thin. A real deli charcuterie is worth it.
3/4 lb
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Provolone
Sliced to layer with the meats; a sharp aged provolone stands up to the olive salad.
1/4 lb
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Olives
Green and black, chopped for the salad heart of the sandwich. Good brined olives, not canned.
1.5 cups
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Giardiniera and garlic
Chopped pickled vegetables, garlic, and herbs marinated into the olive salad.
1 cup
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One list, with a link to where to buy each one.
Part Two
The Method
  1. Marinate the saladChop the olives, giardiniera, and garlic, cover with olive oil and herbs, and let it sit at least a few hours.
  2. Hollow and dressSplit the loaf and spread the olive salad and its oil on both cut sides so the bread soaks it up.
  3. Layer the fillingsStack the cold cuts and provolone evenly across the loaf.
  4. Press and restClose it, wrap tight, and press under a weight for at least 30 min before cutting into wedges.
Part Three
The Toolkit

Serrated knife · Mixing bowl · Plastic wrap

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