Sicilian Pizza Sfincione

Method13 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Put all 500 g 00 flour in a large bowl. Add the 1/2 teaspoon sugar, 1/2 teaspoon dough salt and 7 g fast-action yeast, placing the yeast away from the salt before mixing.

   Uses 500 g Italian 00 flour for dough · 1/2 teaspoon sugar · 1/2 teaspoon salt for dough · 7 g fast-action yeast

2. 2

   Step 2: Mix the dry ingredients, make a well in the centre and add all 320 ml lukewarm water and the 2 tablespoons dough oil. Stir to form a rough dough.

   Uses Dry dough ingredients · 320 ml lukewarm water · 2 tablespoons olive oil for dough

3. 3

   Step 3: Turn the rough dough onto a lightly flour-dusted surface. Knead for about 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Put it in a clean bowl lightly greased with extra olive oil and cover. Leave to prove for around 3 hours, until tripled in size; continue proving if it needs longer.

   First dough prove: until tripled · 180 minUses Rough pizza dough · Flour for the kneading surface, as needed · Extra olive oil for the proofing bowl, as needed

4. 4

   Step 4: While the dough proves, heat the separate 1 tablespoon sauce oil in a large pan over medium heat.

   Uses 1 tablespoon olive oil for sauce

5. 5

   Step 5: Add the thinly sliced onion to the heated sauce oil and sauté slowly for 5–10 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the cleaned, boneless anchovies (7–8) and stir to break them up as they cook. Continue sautéing the onion and anchovies for another 5 minutes.

   Soften onion before adding anchovies · 10 minUses Heated sauce oil · 1 white onion, thinly sliced · 7–8 salted anchovies, cleaned and boneless

6. 6

   Step 6: Add all 800 g tomatoes and their juice to the onion-anchovy base, breaking up the tomatoes with a spoon. Simmer for 15 minutes.

   Simmer tomato sauce · 15 minUses Soft onion and anchovy base · 800 g canned plum tomatoes with their juice

7. 7

   Step 7: Add all 100 g cubed Caciocavallo to the tomato sauce, with black pepper and a little salt only if needed. Cook for another 10 minutes, then set the finished sauce aside to cool before topping the dough.

   Finish sauce with cheese · 10 minUses Tomato, onion and anchovy sauce · 100 g Caciocavallo cheese, cubed · Salt for sauce, to taste only if needed · Black pepper for sauce, to taste

8. 8

   Step 8: Once the first prove has tripled the dough in size, turn it onto a lightly flour-dusted surface and divide into two equal halves. Roll each half into a rectangle to fit a 13 × 9 inch baking tray, about 1/2 inch thick before the second prove.

   Uses Tripled pizza dough · Flour for rolling both dough halves, as needed

9. 9

   Step 9: Lightly grease two 13 × 9 inch baking trays with extra olive oil; use trays with tall sides. Place one rolled dough half in each tray. Spread half of the cooled sauce over the first dough and the remaining half over the second, reaching right to the edges.

   Uses First dough rectangle · Second dough rectangle · First half of the cooled sauce · Remaining half of the cooled sauce · Extra olive oil for both trays, as needed

10. 10

    Step 10: Cover both sauce-topped pizzas and leave to prove for about 2 hours, until doubled in size. Keep the toppings in place during this second prove so the dough stays light.

    Second prove: until doubled · 120 minUses Two sauce-topped pizzas in trays

11. 11

    Step 11: Towards the end of the second prove, preheat the oven to 230°C / 450°F.

12. 12

    Step 12: Mix all 30 g breadcrumbs, 30 g grated Pecorino, 1 teaspoon dried oregano and the separate 1 teaspoon topping oil. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over both proved pizzas.

    Uses 30 g plain breadcrumbs for topping · 30 g Pecorino, freshly grated, for topping · 1 teaspoon dried oregano for topping · 1 teaspoon olive oil for topping · Two proved sauce-topped pizzas

13. 13

    Step 13: Bake the topped pizzas in the preheated oven for 25–30 minutes, until cooked through and golden. If they do not both fit, bake one tray at a time for the same 25–30 minutes per tray. Let each baked pizza rest for 5 minutes, then cut the two pizzas into 16 thick slices in total and serve.

    Bake sfincione: per tray if separate · 30 minUses Two breadcrumb-topped proved pizzas