The Sicilian muffoletti or muffuletti, are a typical bread of this region, mainly prepared during the feast of St. Martin and the Immaculate Conception.
From the information I have gathered, I know that before Easter it is used more frequently.
A very old bread indeed, its history dates back to years before the Roman Empire.
In Palermo, it is customary to stuff it with ricotta, oil, and anchovies, for St. Martin it is prepared with the addition of fennel seeds.
We can say that in every area there is the same bread but with small variations, I topped it with sesame seeds, but it is always a soft amber-colored bread.
The dough is generally made with durum wheat flour and type “0” flour, so this mix of flours gives a really good flavor.
Nowadays, it is produced more frequently, in some bakeries they are produced weekly.
If you make any of my recipes, send me the photos and I will publish them on my page with your name.
Just follow my recipe for Sicilian muffoletti and comment to let me know if you liked it.
Kcal 305 per each muffoletta
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Affordable
- Portions: 10 muffoletti
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: Regional Italian
- Region: Sicily
- Seasonality: St. Martin, All seasons
Ingredients for making Sicilian Muffoletti
- 1 3/4 cups warm water
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 0.42 oz fresh yeast
- 0.35 oz salt
- 4 cups type 0 flour
- 2 cups durum wheat flour
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 pinch of black pepper
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 1/3 tbsp milk
- 0.7 oz sesame seeds
Preparation of Sicilian Muffoletti
I used the stand mixer, but if you don’t have one, you can do it manually.
In the stand mixer, mix 1 cup of warm water with the fresh yeast and let it dissolve with honey.
Next, add the durum wheat flour and mix well before adding salt, pepper, cinnamon, extra virgin olive oil, and mix until all ingredients are absorbed.
Add the remaining 3/4 cup of water and type 0 flour, kneading the dough for a few minutes until it becomes smooth and not sticky.
Transfer the dough to a bowl for rising and let it sit for about 3 hours until it doubles.
Once risen, transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and shape it into a ball.
Form dough balls of about 4.2 oz each and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spaced well apart.
Brush the dough balls with warm milk and sprinkle with sesame seeds, allowing them to rise for at least another hour.
After the time has passed, bake in a preheated oven at 428°F for about 20 minutes.
