🇮🇹 Italian · Pizza
🍕 Sfincione Palermitano
Sfincione
Palermo's own thick, spongy street-food pizza, its dough topped generously with a rich onion and tomato sauce, anchovies, and caciocavallo cheese, baked in a rectangular pan.
Sfincione's thick, airy crumb sets it apart clearly from Neapolitan-style pizza, and it's traditionally sold from street vendors throughout Palermo, especially around Christmas, cut into generous squares rather than wedges.
Ingredients
Equipment: Mixing bowl, Rectangular baking pan
- 500 g (4 cups) bread flour
- 10 g (3 tsp) active dry yeast
- 320 ml (1 1/3 cups) warm water
- 60 ml (1/4 cup) extra virgin olive oil, plus more for the pan
- 10 g (1 3/4 tsp) salt
- 2 onions, thinly sliced
- 400 g (14 oz) canned crushed tomatoes
- 6 anchovy fillets, chopped
- 150 g (1 1/2 cups) caciocavallo or provolone, diced
- 80 g (3/4 cup) breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Method
- Dissolve the yeast in the warm water and let sit for 5 minutes.
- Combine the flour and salt, then add the yeast mixture and olive oil, mixing into a soft, slightly sticky dough.
- Knead for 8-10 minutes, then let rise, covered, for about 1.5-2 hours until doubled.
- Meanwhile, warm a little olive oil and saute the onions until soft and golden.
- Add the crushed tomatoes and anchovies, and simmer for 15-20 minutes until thickened.
- Press the risen dough into a generously oiled rectangular baking pan, dimpling the surface with your fingers.
- Spread the onion-tomato sauce evenly over the dough and scatter with diced caciocavallo.
- Top with breadcrumbs and a sprinkle of oregano.
- Bake at 220C (425F) for 25-30 minutes until deeply golden.
- Let cool slightly before cutting into squares to serve.
Chef Tips
- The dough should be pressed thick, not stretched thin like Neapolitan pizza - sfincione signature thick, spongy crumb is central to its character.
- Sauteing the onions until genuinely soft and sweet builds essential depth for the sauce.
- This is traditionally sold and eaten in squares rather than triangular slices.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Stretching the dough too thin, missing sfincione signature thick, airy texture.
- Undercooking the onions, which should be soft and sweet rather than raw and sharp.
- Skipping the breadcrumb topping, which is a traditional textural element of the dish.
Nutrition (per serving)
Health Benefits
- A good source of calcium from the cheese, with lycopene from the tomato sauce.
Cultural Note
Sfincione is a beloved Palermo street food, traditionally sold especially around the Christmas season, with its thick, spongy crust setting it distinctly apart from Neapolitan pizza traditions.
Storage & Serving
Storage: Refrigerate up to 2 days.
Reheating: Reheat in a hot oven; avoid the microwave, which leaves the crust soggy.
Serve with: A simple side salad