Palermo's original: a thick, spongy focaccia base under cooked onion, tomato, anchovy and breadcrumbs, with caciocavallo instead of mozzarella. Sold from carts, eaten at room temperature, and the ancestor of every American Sicilian slice.
Method
- Mix to a wet, sticky dough. Semolina drinks slowly, so give it a 20 minute rest before judging the water.
- Fold in the bowl three times over two hours.
- Oil the pan generously and press the dough out with oiled hands.
- Proof until it jiggles as one piece.
- Cook the topping first: onions slowly in oil until sweet, anchovy melted in, tomato, oregano.
- Spread the topping, scatter cubed caciocavallo, then a thick layer of breadcrumbs fried in oil.
- Bake, then rest 20 minutes. Sfincione is better warm than hot.
Fermentation
| Stage | Time | Temperature | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bulk | 2 h | 23°C / 73°F | |
| Pan proof | 2 h | 23°C / 73°F | Until visibly domed and full of air. |
Times are a guide. How to read the dough instead of the clock →
The bake
Oven230°C446°F
Time22-28 minutes
Surface. Oiled steel pan
Lower and slower than any other pizza here. You want the crumb cooked through and the breadcrumbs toasted.
On top
- Sauce
- Cooked onion and tomato, heavy on oregano.
- Cheese
- Caciocavallo or a sharp provolone, cubed and buried.
- Toppings
- Anchovy, breadcrumbs. That is the whole tradition.
You got it right when A crumb like a sponge and a top that crunches from the crumbs, not the crust.