So what's a "muffuletta?" Well, it's certainly not the torpedo-shaped bread I wanted to make. And yet, what I got was much closer to the round, flat Sicilian-inspired sandwich bread known as muffuletta. Working with Sicilian lower protein flours, and maybe some over-proofing, I ended up with what struck me as something inglorious, flat, and round. 

My cat seemed to be impressed but that only made me angry. But then I cut into the crisp crust and soft center, and I was back in love. With the cat and the bread, as it reminded me of the glorious New Orleans sandwiches, namely the muffuletta. Actually, however influenced by the sultry geography of the bayou, the sandwich's real origins are pani ca 'meusa, a Palermo street food classic called "vastedda" that is normally filled with spleen and lung meat. My own simpler rendition  was layered with grilled vegetables, belotta ham  and drizzled with oil. God, I love to bake, eat, and feel the affection of surprise. And my cat.