Palermitan Sfincione

Name: Palermitan Sfincione
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 80 min
Total time: 110 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: Water warm 1.4 cups; Type 00 flour 4 cups; Brewer's yeast 0.1 oz; Malt 0.2 oz; Extra virgin olive oil 3 tbsp; Fine salt 2 tsp; Peeled tomatoes 3 cups; Yellow onions 0.7 lb; Water 3 ½ tbsp; Extra virgin olive oil 3 tbsp; Caciocavallo cheese Sicilian 3.5 oz; Breadcrumbs ¼ cup; Pecorino cheese grated 2.5 oz; Anchovies in oil 1.4 oz; Oregano to taste; Fine salt to taste

612

Calories per serving

Energy Kcal 612
Carbohydrates g 74.1
of which sugars g 7.9
Protein g 22.4
Fats g 25.1
of which saturated fat g 7.52
Fiber g 3.7
Cholesterol mg 35
Sodium mg 1281

Difficulty: Very easy
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h 20 min
Serving: 6 persone
Cost: Low
Note + 3 and a half hours of rising

PRESENTATION

Imagine walking through the streets of Palermo and the streets are filled with typical scents, colors, and sounds. However, something will catch your attention, or rather your palate will be tantalized by an irresistible aroma. From bakeries, pizzerias, and rotisseries, or even street food stalls, it is a must to try a typical street food: the Palermitan sfincione. An incredibly soft focaccia that contains all the ingredients of magical Sicily: tomato sauce and abundant caciocavallo cheese make the Palermitan sfincione an irresistible typical product! A very soft and very tasty dough. Thanks to the seasoning, which is the real distinctive note of this leavened product! Pizza is to Naples exactly what sfincione is to Palermo, so if you are a pizza lover you will discover that you are also a lover of this delicacy... try our version!

Discover other Sicilian culinary specialties:

Sicilian pizzolo

INGREDIENTS

612

Calories per serving

Ingredients for the dough (for a 15x13 inch baking tray): Water 1.4 cups (330 g) - warm; Type 00 flour 4 cups (500 g); Brewer's yeast 0.1 oz (4 g); Malt 0.2 oz (5 g); Extra virgin olive oil 3 tbsp (45 g); Fine salt 2 tsp (10 g)

for topping: Peeled tomatoes 3 cups (700 g); Yellow onions 0.7 lb (300 g); Water 3 ½ tbsp (50 g); Extra virgin olive oil 3 tbsp (40 g); Caciocavallo cheese 3.5 oz (100 g) - Sicilian; Breadcrumbs ¼ cup (20 g); Pecorino cheese 2.5 oz (70 g) - grated; Anchovies in oil 1.4 oz (40 g); Oregano to taste; Fine salt to taste

Preparation

How to prepare Palermitan Sfincione

To prepare the Palermitan sfincione, start with the dough. In a stand mixer already equipped with a hook, pour the sifted flour, the dry yeast 1, and the malt 2, start at medium speed and slowly pour in the lukewarm water 3.

Work the dough for at least 10 minutes or until it is completely attached to the hook. Then also pour 2.5 tablespoons of oil slowly 4 and continue until the dough is once again attached and the oil is completely absorbed. Finally, add the salt 5 while the mixer is still running. The attached dough 6 is ready to be transferred to a lightly floured work surface.

Briefly knead it with your hands 7 and form a ball 8 that you will then transfer to a bowl covered with plastic wrap 9, leaving it to rise in the oven turned off with the light on for at least 3 hours or until it has doubled in size.

While the dough is rising, take care of the seasoning. So, clean and slice an onion 10, if you prefer a milder flavor, remove the green internal part. Pour the sliced onion into a large pan along with 1.5 tablespoons of oil and stew over very low heat, also adding 1.75 oz of water 11. Cook for about ten minutes and then add the peeled tomatoes 12.

Adjust the salt and pepper 13 and let it cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally 14. As soon as the sauce is ready, let it cool to room temperature 15; once cold, you can also keep it in the refrigerator.

Meanwhile, cut the caciocavallo into cubes and set aside 16. Then toast the breadcrumbs in a pan with 1.5 tablespoons of oil 17 and cook for a few minutes, stirring often 18.

Grease a 16x13 inch baking tray with 2 teaspoons of oil 19. Retrieve the now-leavened dough 20 and pour it into the tray 21.

Use your fingers to spread it carefully 22, distributing the dough over the entire surface. Let it rise again for 30 minutes still in the oven turned off but with the light on 23. Retrieve the tray and distribute the grated pecorino and the caciocavallo along with the anchovy fillets, drained from the preservation oil, which you can break up by hand 24.

Then pour the tomato sauce, using a spoon to distribute it well 25, and finally sprinkle the surface with oregano and toasted breadcrumbs 26. Bake in a preheated oven at 390°F for about 50 minutes 27.

Once cooked 28, place it on a cutting board and cut it into pieces with a serrated knife 29 and your Palermitan sfincione is ready to be enjoyed 30!

How to store

The Palermitan sfincione can be stored covered in the refrigerator for 2 days, reheat it in the oven for a few minutes before serving. Once cooked, you can also freeze it, as long as it is completely cold. To thaw it, you can leave it at room temperature until fully defrosted.

Tips

“I have a problem: time!” If you want, you can leave the dough to rise overnight in the refrigerator, always covered with plastic wrap. The next day, take the dough out and let it acclimate for 2 hours before spreading it in the tray. If you are lucky enough to have Sicilian caciocavallo, make sure it is from Ragusa!
If you want to make the sauce a brighter red, add 2 tablespoons of tomato paste.

Curiosity

The sfincione, in Sicilian sfinciuni or spinciuni, is a typical product that has been included in the PAT list (Traditional Italian Agri-food Products). This incredibly soft dough comes from the Greek, meaning "sponge" and from the Latin "spongia" indicating its incredible softness. There are many stories about its origin, which remains uncertain, but the one that seems most truthful is that the sfincione was created by the nuns of the San Vito monastery.

For the translation of some texts, artificial intelligence tools may have been used.