Muffuletta sandwich
Today I offer you my favorite sandwich. Lots of layers of tasty ingredients, but above all my MUFFULETTA. Get ready to fall in love with it... A muffuletta makes excellent use of olive spread or giardiniera, a mixture of pickled vegetables in vinegar. This chopped topping adds a nice bite to the Muffuletta along with much-needed texture since the sandwich is usually layered with a variety of stacked meats from salami to mortadella. It is well known that Muffuletta is one of the most famous and appreciated sandwiches in Sicily. Less well known, however, is the fact that in the United States, in New Orleans, its consumption is widespread. The credit, of course, goes to a Sicilian and his resourcefulness. Although it is called "Muffaletta" overseas, it is still a true icon of taste.
Can a dough made from water and flour conquer the world? Of course you can, but only if that dough is called Muffuletta Siciliana. Before going any further, a necessary clarification must be made. There are many names by which this Sicilian product is called, as well as many (infinite) ways in which it is seasoned. Thus, you will find it as Muffulettu, Muffuliettu or Muffoletta, just to give a few examples. What never changes is its goodness. Make yourself comfortable, because there's so much to talk about.
Muffoletta is a typical round sandwich with a spongy texture. It can include fennel seeds or sesame seeds (the much-loved "cimino"), but it can also be devoid of both. It is eaten as it is but, generally, it is served hot, cut in half and seasoned with extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, tomato and cheese, or even salted sardines. Also in this case, there is a sacrosanct principle: province you go, muffulettu you find! In Licata, for example, it is prepared with tuna in oil. With ricotta (the good one) it's a real treat. One of its advantages is that it can really be served in many ways and goes very well with many ingredients.
We have said that "a muffuletta" is the holiday sandwich, and indeed it is. It is traditionally eaten on the Day of the Dead, but also on St. Martin's Day, for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception or for Corpus Christi. It is a food that is inextricably intertwined with religious faith and culture – and it is not difficult to see why. Bread, in fact, has a very strong "sacred" value. In Nisseno they call it "Muffulittu", in the Narese it becomes "Muffuliettu". There are at least nine variants, but there is always room to find new ones. This very special sandwich, of course, also has a special story - let's discover it together.
As with many traditional products, there are many hypotheses about their origin. It is said that it was brought to Sicily by the troops of Frederick II of Swabia, about eight hundred years ago. In those days they would have been scones made of unleavened bread or, as they are called in the Saxon language, "muffins". In order to be able to preserve them longer during military campaigns, "cumin of the meadows" or "false anise" was added. There is also another hypothesis that links the birth of Muffulettes to French culture. The name, therefore, would derive from the French "mouflette", that is "springs", in reference to the softness of the product. Inside, in fact, the sandwich is very spongy. The curiosities don't end here: now, in fact, we even move to the States.
The skunk has gained considerable notoriety in the United States since the early twentieth century. In about 1906 Salvatore Lupo, owner of the Central Grocery Co. in New Orleans, invented a sandwich made that became known as the "muffuletta sandwich". New Orleans, in fact, was a destination for many emigrants of Sicilian origin. Just think that that sandwich was so appreciated that it became a symbolic dish of the American city. It is still produced today and, even today, that of the Central Grocery Co. is one of the most requested and loved. Once again, the simplest Sicilian cuisine, that of tradition, proves to be unbeatable. If you want to make it at home, here's the recipe (we know: you'll definitely have your own version, but knowing one more is always good).
How to make Sicilian Muffulettes
Ingredients
400 g of flour500 g of re-milled semolina flour40 g of brewer's yeast1 tablespoon of honey (preferably wildflower)10 grams of malt for bread-making500 ml of water 1/2 glass of extra virgin olive oil20 g of saltSesame seeds
Procedure
To make Muffulettes, you must first dissolve the yeast in half of the warm water, activating it with honey and malt. Pour the oil into the other half of the water and add the two sifted flours. Knead, then add the yeast. You have to get a smooth and elastic dough. Add the salt, dissolved in a little warm water, only at the end. Put the dough in a bowl that you have first lightly greased with oil. Cover with a clean, dry tea towel and let it rest for a couple of hours. After this time, divide the dough into portions of about 100 grams. Create the loaves and let them rise on baking sheets lined with lightly greased parchment paper. Cover, then let it rest for another couple of hours. After the second leavening, brush with water and cover with sesame seeds. Press a little with your fingers to make them adhere well. Bake in a preheated oven at 280 ° C for about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, cut and season as you like.
Can a dough made from water and flour conquer the world? Of course you can, but only if that dough is called Muffuletta Siciliana. Before going any further, a necessary clarification must be made. There are many names by which this Sicilian product is called, as well as many (infinite) ways in which it is seasoned. Thus, you will find it as Muffulettu, Muffuliettu or Muffoletta, just to give a few examples. What never changes is its goodness. Make yourself comfortable, because there's so much to talk about.
Muffoletta is a typical round sandwich with a spongy texture. It can include fennel seeds or sesame seeds (the much-loved "cimino"), but it can also be devoid of both. It is eaten as it is but, generally, it is served hot, cut in half and seasoned with extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, tomato and cheese, or even salted sardines. Also in this case, there is a sacrosanct principle: province you go, muffulettu you find! In Licata, for example, it is prepared with tuna in oil. With ricotta (the good one) it's a real treat. One of its advantages is that it can really be served in many ways and goes very well with many ingredients.
We have said that "a muffuletta" is the holiday sandwich, and indeed it is. It is traditionally eaten on the Day of the Dead, but also on St. Martin's Day, for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception or for Corpus Christi. It is a food that is inextricably intertwined with religious faith and culture – and it is not difficult to see why. Bread, in fact, has a very strong "sacred" value. In Nisseno they call it "Muffulittu", in the Narese it becomes "Muffuliettu". There are at least nine variants, but there is always room to find new ones. This very special sandwich, of course, also has a special story - let's discover it together.
As with many traditional products, there are many hypotheses about their origin. It is said that it was brought to Sicily by the troops of Frederick II of Swabia, about eight hundred years ago. In those days they would have been scones made of unleavened bread or, as they are called in the Saxon language, "muffins". In order to be able to preserve them longer during military campaigns, "cumin of the meadows" or "false anise" was added. There is also another hypothesis that links the birth of Muffulettes to French culture. The name, therefore, would derive from the French "mouflette", that is "springs", in reference to the softness of the product. Inside, in fact, the sandwich is very spongy. The curiosities don't end here: now, in fact, we even move to the States.
The skunk has gained considerable notoriety in the United States since the early twentieth century. In about 1906 Salvatore Lupo, owner of the Central Grocery Co. in New Orleans, invented a sandwich made that became known as the "muffuletta sandwich". New Orleans, in fact, was a destination for many emigrants of Sicilian origin. Just think that that sandwich was so appreciated that it became a symbolic dish of the American city. It is still produced today and, even today, that of the Central Grocery Co. is one of the most requested and loved. Once again, the simplest Sicilian cuisine, that of tradition, proves to be unbeatable. If you want to make it at home, here's the recipe (we know: you'll definitely have your own version, but knowing one more is always good).
How to make Sicilian Muffulettes
Ingredients
400 g of flour
500 g of re-milled semolina flour
40 g of brewer's yeast
1 tablespoon of honey (preferably wildflower)
10 grams of malt for bread-making
500 ml of water
1/2 glass of extra virgin olive oil
20 g of salt
Sesame seeds
Procedure
To make Muffulettes, you must first dissolve the yeast in half of the warm water, activating it with honey and malt. Pour the oil into the other half of the water and add the two sifted flours. Knead, then add the yeast. You have to get a smooth and elastic dough. Add the salt, dissolved in a little warm water, only at the end. Put the dough in a bowl that you have first lightly greased with oil. Cover with a clean, dry tea towel and let it rest for a couple of hours. After this time, divide the dough into portions of about 100 grams. Create the loaves and let them rise on baking sheets lined with lightly greased parchment paper. Cover, then let it rest for another couple of hours. After the second leavening, brush with water and cover with sesame seeds. Press a little with your fingers to make them adhere well. Bake in a preheated oven at 280 ° C for about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, cut and season as you like.
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