Sfincione is a flavorful, focaccia-like pizza that captures the soul of Palermo’s vibrant street food scene. Thicker and fluffier than your average slice, it’s topped with a rich mix of tomato sauce, slow-cooked onions, savory cheese, anchovies, olives and a golden layer of crunchy breadcrumbs. You’ll find it in bakeries and market stalls all over the city. One bite is all it takes to see why this old-school classic still outshines any modern slice!
Sfincione Pizza (Sfincione)
Ingredients
- 4 cups (500 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 oz (30 g) fresh yeast (or 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast)
- Warm water, as needed
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 ½ cups tomato sauce
- 3 medium onions, thinly sliced
- 10 salted anchovy fillets
- 9 oz (250 g) grated or shredded aged cheese (caciocavallo or pecorino)
- 12 pitted black olives, chopped
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- Dried oregano, salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the dough. In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water. Gradually add the flour and a pinch of salt, mixing until you have a soft, elastic dough. Let rise for 1–2 hours until doubled in size.
- Shape and pre-bake. Oil a baking pan and press the dough into it to about ½ inch (1 cm) thick. Drizzle with olive oil and use your fingertips to make small indentations in the surface.
- Add the toppings. Spread the tomato sauce generously over the dough. Top with sliced onions, anchovy fillets, shredded or grated cheese, chopped olives, breadcrumbs, oregano, salt and pepper.
- Bake. Preheat your oven to its highest temperature. Bake the sfincione for about 20 minutes or until the edges are golden and the toppings are bubbling.
- Cool and serve. Let cool slightly. The base should be soft and sponge-like, and the toppings well-integrated with the dough.
Grandma & Aunties’ Kitchen Wisdom:
«For authentic flavor, use day-old breadcrumbs and sauté the onions before adding them to mellow their bite»
