Sfincione 2.0

An updated sfincione recipe with a few small tweaks. I find this version to be superior than it’s predecessor in a few key ways. The onions are finely diced (after sauteing) so they melt in your mouth. I add more sauce in this version giving it a sweeter, saucier bite. And I’ve added two layers of grated cheese which melds it all together.

Ingredients:

2 large onions 

1 x 16 oz can of high quality tomatoes - crushed

Grated pecorino or caciocavallo

Anchovy fillets mashed into small pieces to taste

Dried oregano to taste

High quality olive oil

Toasted breadcrumbs preferably coarse and unseasoned

Salt and pepper

Pizza dough (see recipe here)

Directions:

Oil a rectangular pizza pan liberally. Spread the dough out with your fingers so that it covers the bottom evenly. Press into the dough to ensure you’re spreading it evenly across the pan. Allow it to relax a little if it’s pulling back into the center. Cover with a cloth and allow it to rest while you prepare the other ingredients.

Finely dice 2 yellow onions. Saute onions in olive oil on medium heat until golden and soft. Allow to cool down. Now mince the onions down even further so it almost forms a paste like consistency.

Using a spoon or your fingers, sprinkle the mashed anchovies across the surface of the dough, massaging them into the dough. Drizzle some more olive oil over the surface. Sprinkle on a layer of dried oregano evenly across the surface. Add a layer of grated cheese evenly across the surface.

Ladle on the crushed tomatoes evenly across the entire surface. Be generous here.

Add another layer of cheese evenly on top of the tomatoes. Spoon on the onion mixture and spread out evenly across the entire surface. Make sure it completely covers the surface.

Sprinkle on a layer of breadcrumbs, and work into the onions mixture with a spatula or your fingers. Drizzle the entire thing with some more olive oil.

Bake at 425 degrees for about 25 minutes, checking periodically. As it bakes the edges will crisp and the onions and breadcrumbs will be a beautiful golden brown. 

Summer Sun Gold Sfincione

Summer is in full effect and to celebrate the season I wanted to make this variation on the classic Sicilian sfincione. All of the essential flavors are present but modified to fit the season. Fresh oregano, the sweetest sun gold tomatoes, slivers of sauteed onions, beautiful Spanish anchovies and Sicilian olive oil from Baker Street Market , freshly grated caciocavallo, and breadcrumbs. All topped with a dollop of fresh ricotta, just because why not. Naturally leavened, using Caputo Manitoba flour. Light as a cloud and packed with incredible flavor, this will definitely be added to the rotation! Full recipe and video below.

Ingredients for the pizza

1 whole yellow onion (sliced in slivers and sauteed until soft)

Sun Gold tomatoes or similar cherry tomatoes (enough to cover surface)

Bread crumbs (1/2 cup)

Anchovies (preserved in oil)

Fresh oregano

High quality olive oil

Caciocavallo cheese

Instructions for the pizza

1. Set your oven to 425 F.

2. Liberally oil your pan or cast iron skillet with olive oil. After your dough has come to room temperature dump it out directly into the pan and stretch and press it so it completely fills the entire area. Drizzle with more olive oil. Press into the dough to create dimples all over the surface.

3. Layer in the anchovies. I like to use high quality Spanish anchovies and pull them apart with my fingers and distribute them evenly across the surface. Alternatively, you can mash the anchovies with a fork, and spread them around as more of a paste if you prefer. Either works well.

4. Layer on the fresh oregano, and press into the dough with your fingers.

5. Using a cheese grater, layer on some fresh caciocavallo cheese to cover the surface.

6. Layer on the Sun Gold tomatoes evenly across the surface and press down so they are incorporated into the dough. Drizzle another thin coat of oil on the surface.

7. Layer on the onions evenly across the surface but do not completely cover the tomatoes. The onions can be prepared ahead of time - sliced thinly into slivers and sauteed for about 5 - 10 minutes on medium heat. Allow the onions to cool before topping the dough.

8. Sprinkle a layer of breadcrumbs across the top evenly.

9. Add another layer of caciocavallo cheese to the top.

10. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. The top should be crispy and lightly charred.

11. Remove from the oven and from the pan, and divide into pieces.

12. Top each individual piece with a dollop of fresh ricotta.

13. Enjoy.

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.

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. In the morning transfer the dough to the refrigerator and take out one hour before you’ll be making your pizza.

Detroit Style Sfincione Pizza

I’ve been in a focaccia / pan pizza kind of mood recently and decided to give a go at a hybrid of a traditional Sicilian Sfincione and a classic Detroit pizza. It’s really the best of both worlds where the salty umami punch of the sfincione meets the crispy caramelized crust of the Detroit pizza. Short video about the process below.

The dough is an adaptation of my focaccia recipe (link here) where I have increased the hydration by 2%.

Ingredients:

2 large onions 

6 drained, peeled, crushed tomatoes from can

Grated parmigiano or fresh diced caciocavallo

Anchovy fillets mashed into small pieces to taste

Dried oregano to taste

Olive oil

Toasted breadcrumbs preferably coarse

Salt and pepper

Pizza dough

Directions:

Oil a rectangular pizza pan liberally. Line the edges of the pan with shredded mozzarella and spread the dough out with your fingers so that it covers the bottom evenly. Press into the dough to ensure you’re spreading it evenly across the pan. Add more shredded mozzarella to the top side of the dough along the edges. 

Cover with a cloth and allow it to rise for about 1 hour. In the meantime finely dice 2 yellow onions. Saute onions in olive oil on medium heat until golden. Mix in half a cup of breadcrumbs and dried oregano and toss until evenly mixed through. Allow to cool. 

Using a spoon or your fingers, sprinkle the mashed anchovies across the surface of the dough. Spoon on a thin layer of the crushed tomatoes so it covers the entire surface. Using a cheese grater, add a layer of caciocavallo evenly across the entire surface of the dough. On top of the grated cheese, spoon on the sauteed onions mixture and spread out evenly across the entire surface. Using a knife, cut thin strips of caciocavallo and line the top edge of the pan, on top of the shredded mozzarella, with even more cheese. 

Cover again and allow to rise for one more hour. Bake at 425 degrees for about 30 minutes, checking periodically. As it bakes the outer edge of cheese will form a wonderful crispy crust. 

Sfincione : Traditional Sicilian Pizza

When thinking about pizza and New York City I doubt many people would consider a sfincione pie, but as a child of Sicilian immigrants it was an essential part of my pizza experience. When visiting relatives in Brooklyn, we always stopped at @rosas.pizza because they made some of the best sfincione around. It wasn’t until recently that I decided to make it myself. This version is wood fired in a cast-iron skillet using a naturally leavened dough and it brings me back to those long car rides on the BQE with the smell of a warm sfincione hanging in the air.