Sfincione di Palermo – Sicilian Style Pizza

Sfincione is a National dish in Palermo, Sicily. Sfincione comes from the latin word “spongia” indicating the dough rises high and soft, just like a sponge. The tradition says that Sfincione was first created for the first time by nuns of San Vito’s monastery in Palermo. This dish was served during festivity as an alternative to classic bread. The idea was to combine bread with some of the typical seasonings of rural cuisine. Traditional Sfincione which is sold on the streets of Palermo often include anchovies and the famous Cacciocavallo cheese cut in small cubes and of course toped with breadcrumbs. I use Pecorino Romano with a fine breadcrumbs. Hot, cold, at room temperature, for breakfast, snacks, cocktail, aperitivo… you get my drift.
You can use any toppings you wish, but I keep it simple with grated Pecorino Romano and breadcrumbs.
You could simply cover it with Olive oil, Rosemary & Sea Salt, but the texture of the dough warrants a lovely tomato sauce to make it an exquisite dish. In Palermo, where the recipe originates, the Sfincione sauce is made with sliced onions and the pizza is often covered with anchovies, breadcrumbs, Oregano and different cheese, like Caccciocavallo. I keep my version similar to the pizza we used to buy growing up in Canada. A thick bread-like pizza with a lovely tomato sauce.
Don’t be afraid to try the recipe with an uncommon ingredient; Semolina flour, which adds a grainy texture to the dough and gives it structure. The grainy parts disappears during baking and make the dough subtle and quite tender.

INGREDIENTS
For the Sfincione

1 Teaspoon Active Dry Active Yeast
350 Gr. Lukewarm Water
400 Gr. 00 type flour or All purpose flour
100 Gr. Semolina flour
1 Tablespoon Salt
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

1/2 Cup Grated Pecorino Romano
1/4 Cup Breadcrumbs

INGREDIENTS FOR THE SAUCE
1 Large onion finely choppped
1/2 teaspoon Chilli flakes
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoon Dried Oregano
Small can of San Marzano Tomatoes chopped.
Salt & Pepper to taste

METHOD
Using the bowl of a Stand Mixer, pour the water and yeast. Mix well and cover with a cloth and let it rest for 5 minutes. The yeast will start to come to the surface and bubble, that’s a good sign…
Using the same bowl and using a dough hook on your mixer, pour in the flour, semolina flour, olive oil and salt and mix at medium speed for 10 minutes. The timing is important here, as you want to make sure the gluten has developed and the dough becomes very smooth.
You will see the dough will be a little grainy, that’s because of the semolina flour which does not melt right away in the preparation. Do not worry, as it will eventually disappear when baking.
Cover the bowl with a cloth and let the dough rest for 2 hours.
The dough will rise substantially and double in volume.
Place the dough on the pan and stretch it to cover the entire surface.
Spread the sauce to cover the entire surface. Cover with Pecorino Romano and the breadcrumbs.
Let the dough rise again for a good hour.
Bake the Sfincione (Sponge) in a preheated 225 Celsius oven for 35-40 minutes.
Make sure the base of your dough is well cooked and brown Delicioso !

METHOD for the Sauce
In a saucepan, heat the olive oil and saute the onions with the chilli flakes , until they start to brown at the edges. Add the tomato sauce, oregano, salt & pepper. Cook at low heat for 45 minutes, until the sauce is quite thick.

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