Classic Sicilian Pizza
We made it through another week! We thought we deserved some deeply satisfying Sicilian pizza to celebrate. A kid hosted cooking video is below!
One of the most important parts of this pizza is the sauce. It’s simple, uses high quality ingredients, and is laden with parmesan cheese.
The Red Sauce
Ingredients
Stewed whole San Marzano tomatoes
Garlic
Yellow onion
Basil
Parmesan Rind
Salt
Pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
The key here is simplicity, and good ingredients (especially the tomatoes). Lightly puree the tomatoes in a processor or with a stick blender. Be careful not to aerate the tomatoes too much. For a chunkier sauce you can simply crush the tomatoes by hand. Set aside in a bowl. Peel and dice three to five cloves of garlic and set aside. Peel and chop the onion in half. By cooking the entire halves you will impart the flavor of the onion and the sauce won’t have chunks of onion in it.
Heat a generous pour of EVOO in your saucepan at medium to low heat. Add your garlic and onion halves and let simmer for a few minutes. Be careful not to burn anything. Add a piece of parmesan rind into the hot oil, and let it simmer for another minute. The oils from the cheese will add depth to the sauce. Add your tomatoes to the pan, and bring to a simmer. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add some chopped basil, stir, and set on medium/low. You want your sauce to simmer for about 30 minutes. Stir frequently to make sure it's not sticking to the bottom.
The Dough
Ingredients
Bread Flour
Active Starter
Salt
Water
This is my go-to recipe for focaccia, sfincione, and Sicilian style pizza. Keep in mind that you may need to adjust the quantity depending on your size of pan. This is designed for approximately an 11” x 14” pan.
Mix together 410 g of water and 530 g of bread flour and set to autolyse for up to six hours. Add 15 g of salt and 90 g of active sourdough starter and start working into the dough with your hands or with a rubber spatula until more or less homogenous. Let rest for 45 minutes.
You’ll want to fold the dough two more times (with your hands) over the course of the next 1 - 2 hours to develop the gluten. By the end the dough should be very smooth and should not stick to your hands while folding. Cover and rest overnight at room temperature.
In the morning transfer the dough to the refrigerator and take out one hour before you’ll be making your pizza.
The Pizza
Ingredients
Olive Oil
Red Sauce
Shredded mozzarella cheese
Grated parmesan
Basil
Instructions
After the dough has come to room temperature, dump it out into a well oiled pan. Spread the dough out so it has a uniform thickness. Use the tips of your fingers to press down into dough to push it into the edges of the pan. Drizzle more olive oil on top.
Cover the entire surface of the dough with shredded cheese.
Ladle on the tomato sauce generously so it covers all of the cheese.
Sprinkle freshly grated parmesan on top.
Set oven to 425F and allow the dough to proof for another 30 mins.
Bake for 30 minutes and serve.
