You don't have to visit New Orleans to have an authentic Muffuletta (though I do recommend at least one trip to the Big Easy). This one is piled with all the traditional meats and cheeses as well as their famous, briny, not-to-be-missed olive salad.
Carefully slice the muff or boule in half, horizontally. Drizzle the olive oil over the cut halves of the bread and lightly brush it over the loaf with a pastry brush.
Layer 1: Salami. Overlap half of the salami to cover the bottom layer of bread.Layer 2: Ham. Arrange layers of ham over the salami, overlapping as you go. Layer 3: Swiss Cheese. Add the swiss cheese as the next layer, overlapping over on itself.Layer 4: Mortadella. Arrange and verlap the mortadella over the swiss cheese.Layer 5: Provolone: Add provolone as the next layer to the sandwich, overlapping on each piece to cover the layer beneath.Layer 6 Salami. Use the remainder of the salami to cover the provolone.Layer 7: Olive Salad: Generously spread olive salad over the salami layer evenly.
Finish the muffuletta by topping with the remaining piece of bread and pressing down firmly on the sandwich. Cut the sandwich into fourths (for large appetites) or sixths or even eighths for smaller appetites.
Note: a eighth of a sandwich is perfect for me, with a handful of chips -- my husband can do 1/6th or even a 1/4 if he's really hungry!