Sicilian Pizza Dough Recipes

SICILIAN PIZZA

Steps:

• Make the dough: Whisk the flour, sugar, salt and the yeast in a medium bowl. Pour the warm water into a large bowl, then add the flour mixture and stir until combined. Stir in 2 tablespoons olive oil to make a very sticky dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead, dusting with more flour as needed, until the dough comes together and no longer sticks to your fingers, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a lightly oiled large bowl and turn to coat. Tightly cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• Coat an 11-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheet with 3 tablespoons olive oil. Add the dough and stretch it to fit the baking sheet. Brush with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until puffy, about 2 hours.
• Meanwhile, position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F. Make the sauce: Combine the tomatoes and their juices and the salt in a medium bowl and crush well with your hands or a potato masher. Uncover the dough and sprinkle with salt. Gently place the baking sheet in the oven (the dough might deflate if it is knocked). Bake until golden, about 20 minutes. Remove the crust from the oven, top with the sliced mozzarella and cover with 2 cups of the crushed tomatoes. Bake until the cheese is bubbling through the sauce and starts browning, 15 to 20 more minutes.
• Let the pizza stand 10 minutes, then remove from the pan using a spatula and transfer to a cutting board. Let cool 1 to 2 minutes before slicing.

SICILIAN PIZZA DOUGH

Steps:

• Coat a large bowl with teaspoon of olive oil and set aside.
• Stir first three ingredients together and let sit for 10 minutes, until nice and foamy.
• Place three cups of flour in large bowl and mix in salt.
• Place one cup of flour on work surface.
• Mix pour olive oil into yeast mixture and then pour yeast mixture into bowl with flour.
• Stir until as combined as possible.
• Turn out onto floured surface.
• With well floured hands, knead dough to work in the cup of flour on the board.
• Continue kneading until nice, smooth dough-ball is formed.
• Place in oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, then kitchen towel and let sit for 30 minutes.
• Dough should double (at least).
• Use half the dough to form a pizza crust, crimp the edges, brush edges with olive oil and top as desired.
• Bake on pizza stone or ceramic tile at 425 F for approx 15 minutes.

FABRIZIA LANZA'S SICILIAN PIZZA (SFINCIONE)

Steps:

• Make the dough: In a mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, put 1 cup lukewarm water and yeast. Add semolina and stir to make a thin paste. Let sit at room temperature for 5 minutes, until bubbly.
• Add flour, salt and olive oil, and mix until dough becomes a rough mass. Knead dough until smooth, about 5 minutes. Dust with flour as needed, but don't add much: This is meant to be a soft dough. Put kneaded dough in a resealable plastic bag or a bowl covered with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably longer, up to 24 hours.
• Make the sauce: Put 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water, and raise heat to high. Simmer briskly until all the water has evaporated and onions are soft. Add tomato purée and bring to a simmer, then turn off heat. Season with salt and pepper, and add red pepper to taste. Allow mixture to cool, then stir in bread crumbs, grated cheese and anchovies. Let mixture rest for 5 minutes, then taste and adjust seasoning.
• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Drizzle olive oil to coat the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch rimmed baking sheet. Remove dough from refrigerator and press down to deflate. Using a rolling pin, flatten dough to a small rectangle.
• Transfer dough to oiled baking sheet, and, using the palms of your hands, stretch dough to the edges. If dough is rebellious and resists, let it rest for a few minutes, then stretch again. (It may take 2 or 3 attempts.) Cover dough loosely with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel, and set in a warm place to rise. After 30 minutes or so, dough should have doubled in thickness.
• Spoon the topping evenly over the dough, then use a spatula or the back of the spoon to spread the topping smoothly over entire surface, leaving a half-inch border. Drizzle surface with 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil.
• Bake for 30 to 35 minutes on the oven's middle shelf, until nicely browned. Check the underside to make sure it is crisp, and bake for a few more minutes if necessary. (Tent top with foil if top has browned too quickly.)
• Remove from pan to a cutting board. Sprinkle with a little salt and a large pinch of oregano. Cut into 8 square slices. Serve warm or at room temperature.