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–+ servings
cut muffaletta bread on wood board with slice behind

Homemade Muffaletta Bread

4.86 from 7 votes
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Proofing Time 16 hours
Total Time: 17 hours 5 minutes
Author: Traci Crossland
The perfect sandwich bread! This Homemade Muffaletta Bread is soft, easy to make, and FULL of flavor. You couldn't ask for a better loaf.

Ingredients

Biga

Bread

  • 3 cups bread flour
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 ¼ cups water, lukewarm
  • All of the biga

Topping

  • water
  • 1 teaspoon white sesame seeds
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Biga

  • In a small bowl, combine flour, yeast, water.
  • Mix together.
  • Knead until the dough comes together and starts to smooth out, about 4-5 minutes.
  • Let rise at cool room temperature (70 degrees F) overnight. Cover with plastic wrap if not using a proofing box with a water tray.

Bread

  • Spray a medium bowl with cooking spray. Set aside.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine flour, salt, water, and biga.
  • Stir to combine.
  • Mix on low speed for 3-4 minutes.
  • Increase speed to medium.
  • Knead for 7-8 minutes, until dough is smooth.
  • Turn out into prepared bowl.
  • Let rise at warm room temperature (78 degrees F) for 1 1/2-2 hours, until nearly doubled in bulk. Cover with plastic wrap if not using a proofing box with a water tray.
  • While dough if proofing, flour a round banneton with rice flour. Set aside.
  • When dough is proofed, turn out onto a lightly floured surface.
  • Fold the bottom third of the dough up toward the top.
  • Fold in the right and left corners.
  • Fold the top down to create a round.
  • Pinch to seal.
  • Turn dough over.
  • Using a bench knife and your hand, pull the dough into a tight round.
  • Place bottom side up in prepared banneton.
  • Let rise at warm room temperature (78 degrees F) for 1 - 1 1/2 hours until doubled in bulk. If not using a proofing box with a water tray, cover with plastic wrap, a plastic shower cap, or a tea towel.
  • While dough is proofing, place stone in oven and heat to 425 degrees F.
  • When dough is risen, turn out onto a piece of parchment paper.
  • Mist or lightly brush the top with water.
  • Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
  • Use a peel, or the back of a sheet pan, to slide the dough onto the heated stone.
  • Bake for 10 minutes.
  • Reduce heat to 375 degrees.
  • Cover loosely with aluminum foil.
  • Bake for an additional 20-25 minutes, until done.
  • Allow to cool completely before filling.

Notes

If you don't have a proofing box and you think your room temperature is too warm, you can let the dough rise at room temperature for 2-3 hours and then put it in the refrigerator overnight. When ready to make the bread, let the biga sit out for about an hour to take the chill off the dough before using.
When kneading dough, aim for an internal dough temperature of 78 degrees F.
Bread should be 210 degrees when done baking.

Nutrition

Serving: 1wedgeCalories: 244kcalCarbohydrates: 49gProtein: 8gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 586mgPotassium: 75mgFiber: 2gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 1IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 15mgIron: 1mg

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.