Muffuletta Sandwich

Instructions

1. Prepare the olive salad
   In a large bowl, combine the green olives, kalamata olives, pickled cauliflower, roasted red peppers, pickled carrots, pepperoncini, minced garlic, capers, dried oregano, and olive oil. Mix well and let the flavors meld together for at least 1 hour at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator for best results.
2. Prepare the bread
   Cut the muffuletta bread loaf in half horizontally. Scoop out some of the soft bread from the center of both halves to create a slight hollow for the fillings. Drizzle both cut sides with a little olive oil.
3. Layer the meats and cheese
   On the bottom half of the bread, layer the meats and cheese in the following order: half of the provolone cheese, all of the salami, mortadella, ham, and then the remaining provolone cheese. This layering helps prevent the bread from getting soggy.
4. Add the olive salad
   Spoon the olive salad mixture generously over the meats and cheese, including some of the oil from the mixture to flavor the bread. Make sure to spread it evenly across the entire surface.
5. Complete the sandwich
   Place the top half of the bread over the olive salad and press down firmly. Wrap the entire sandwich tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil.
6. Press the sandwich
   Place the wrapped sandwich on a cutting board and put a heavy object (like a cast-iron skillet) on top to press it down. Let it sit for at least 30 minutes at room temperature or up to 2 hours to allow the flavors to meld and the oil to soak into the bread.
7. Slice and serve
   Unwrap the sandwich and cut it into wedges, like a pie. A muffuletta is traditionally cut into quarters, but you can slice it into smaller wedges to serve more people.