New Orleans Muffeletta Sandwich, The Perfect Picnic Sandwich

With all of the summer holidays coming up, you might want to bookmark this recipe and give it a shot.  It feeds a lot and is perfect for picnics.

First make the olive salad which is a must for this sandwich.  Place 1 can of black olives in your food processor.  Drain them first!  Add 1 Jar of drained green olives.  Add 1 jar of drained red peppers, 1 C. of drained giardiniera, a sprinkling of red pepper flakes, 2 T. diced garlic and 1 T. oregano.  Pulse until roughly chopped.

Add 4 T. drained capers, 1/2 C. olive oil and 1/2 C. apple cider vinegar.  Mix this all together.

I made this a day ahead of time and placed it in jars and refrigerated it.

For the bread, place 3 T. of sugar in the bowl of your mixer.  Ad 1 T. salt, 4-1/2 tsp. rapid rise yeast, 2 C. water, 1 C. milk and 1/2 C. melted butter.  Mix this together and gradually mix in 7-1/2 to 8-1/2 C. of flour and knead until you have a smooth ball of dough. Cover it and let it rise for about 1 hour.

• 3 Tablespoons sugar
• 1 Tablespoon salt
• 2 Packages active dry yeast
• 7 ½ to 8 ½ cups flour
• 2 Cups water
• ¼ Cup butter
• 1 Cup milk
• 1 Slightly beaten egg
• ¼ Cup (or more) sesame seeds

Combine sugar, salt, yeast and 2 cups flour in large bowl.
Heat water, 1 cup milk and butter in saucepan over low heat until very warm (120F to 130F degrees),
On low speed gradually beat milk mixture into dry ingredients; increase speed and beat 2 minutes.
Beat in egg and 1 cup flour scrapping sides of bowl.
Stir in enough flour with spoon to make soft dough (about 4 cups).
Turn dough out on lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic; about 10 minutes.
Add more flour if needed.
Shape dough into a ball and cover with bowl; let rest 15 minutes.
Grease 2 nine inch round cake pans; divide dough in half and press with fingers into 2 cake pans.
Cover and let rise in warm place until double in size; about 40 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350F degrees; brush loaves with milk and sprinkle heavily with sesame seeds.
Bake 40 minutes or until golden brown and loaves sound hollow when tapped with fingers.
- See more at: http://www.painlesscooking.com/muffaletta-sandwich.html#sthash.aKHDj3MU.dpuf

• 3 Tablespoons sugar
• 1 Tablespoon salt
• 2 Packages active dry yeast
• 7 ½ to 8 ½ cups flour
• 2 Cups water
• ¼ Cup butter
• 1 Cup milk
• 1 Slightly beaten egg
• ¼ Cup (or more) sesame seeds

Combine sugar, salt, yeast and 2 cups flour in large bowl.
Heat water, 1 cup milk and butter in saucepan over low heat until very warm (120F to 130F degrees),
On low speed gradually beat milk mixture into dry ingredients; increase speed and beat 2 minutes.
Beat in egg and 1 cup flour scrapping sides of bowl.
Stir in enough flour with spoon to make soft dough (about 4 cups).
Turn dough out on lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic; about 10 minutes.
Add more flour if needed.
Shape dough into a ball and cover with bowl; let rest 15 minutes.
Grease 2 nine inch round cake pans; divide dough in half and press with fingers into 2 cake pans.
Cover and let rise in warm place until double in size; about 40 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350F degrees; brush loaves with milk and sprinkle heavily with sesame seeds.
Bake 40 minutes or until golden brown
- See more at: http://www.painlesscooking.com/muffaletta-sandwich.html#sthash.xl55qtGr.dpuf

• 3 Tablespoons sugar
• 1 Tablespoon salt
• 2 Packages active dry yeast
• 7 ½ to 8 ½ cups flour
• 2 Cups water
• ¼ Cup butter
• 1 Cup milk
• 1 Slightly beaten egg
• ¼ Cup (or more) sesame seeds

Combine sugar, salt, yeast and 2 cups flour in large bowl.
Heat water, 1 cup milk and butter in saucepan over low heat until very warm (120F to 130F degrees),
On low speed gradually beat milk mixture into dry ingredients; increase speed and beat 2 minutes.
Beat in egg and 1 cup flour scrapping sides of bowl.
Stir in enough flour with spoon to make soft dough (about 4 cups).
Turn dough out on lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic; about 10 minutes.
Add more flour if needed.
Shape dough into a ball and cover with bowl; let rest 15 minutes.
Grease 2 nine inch round cake pans; divide dough in half and press with fingers into 2 cake pans.
Cover and let rise in warm place until double in size; about 40 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350F degrees; brush loaves with milk and sprinkle heavily with sesame seeds.
Bake 40 minutes or until golden brown
- See more at: http://www.painlesscooking.com/muffaletta-sandwich.html#sthash.xl55qtGr.dpuf

Split the risen dough into halves and place each one in  a greased 9 inch cake pan. Cover and let these rise until they crest the pans.

Spread them with milk and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

Remove from pans and cool on a rack.

When they are cool, slice them in half.

Cover the bottom piece with a thick layer of the olive salad. Add a layer of thinly sliced ham.

Add a layer of salami.

Add a layer of smoked turkey.

Add a layer of mortadella.

Add a layer of mozzarella cheese.

Add a layer of provolone cheese.

Remove a bit of the bread from each half before spreading with the olive salad.  Spread the top of the bread with a thick layer of the olive mix.

Carefully tip the top bread piece on to the sandwich.

Place the sandwich on a heavy piece of aluminum foil.

Seal it tightly around the edges.

Place it in the fridge and weight it with something very heavy.  I used my cast iron dutch oven.  Refrigerate it overnight.

When you are ready to serve it, remove it from the fridge and unwrap it.

It looks like a big hamburger.

Slice it in half.

You can see how well it holds together since it was pressed for a day.  Cut it into wedges and serve.