Today we prepare one of Palermo’s signature delicacies, the delicious and very, very flavorful Palermitan sfincione.
The focaccia that best represents Palermo, with a strong but at the same time very tasty flavor.
One of the recipes from In cucina con amore
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 2 Hours
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Cooking time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 6
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients for the dough
- 2 cups Durum wheat flour (re-milled (rimacino))
- 2 cups 00 flour
- 1 1/3 cups Water (warm (about 11 fl oz))
- 1 tablespoon Fresh baker's yeast
- 1 teaspoon Sugar
- 3 1/4 tbsp Olive oil (about 3 tbsp (≈1.5 fl oz))
- 2 teaspoons Salt
- 1 cup Canned peeled tomatoes (chopped)
- 3 Anchovy fillets in oil
- 5.3 oz Caciocavallo cheese (grated (about 5.3 oz, ≈1 1/3 cups shredded))
- 5.3 oz Caciocavallo cheese (cut into cubes (about 5.3 oz))
- to taste Salt
- to taste Oregano
- to taste Breadcrumbs
- 2 medium onions Yellow onions, sliced (about 300 g)
- 3 tablespoons Water (for cooking the onions (about 3 tbsp, ≈1.7 fl oz))
Equipment
- Baking tray
- Stand mixer
- Bowl
- Saucepan
Dough preparation
To prepare the delicious Palermitan sfincione, start by placing the flours, the crumbled fresh yeast and the sugar into a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.
Start mixing at medium speed and add the warm water.
If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can also knead by hand—knead well using your fists.
Knead for about 10 minutes, then add the olive oil in a thin stream; as soon as it is well absorbed into the dough, add the salt.
The dough is ready when it reaches the ‘incordatura’ stage, meaning it will pull away from the sides of the bowl, whether using a mixer or kneading by hand.
Place the dough in an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
Let it rise for 2 hours.
At this point, preheat the oven to 482°F (conventional/static).
Let’s prepare the topping for the delicious Palermitan sfincione.
Peel and slice the onions, place them in a saucepan with about 1 1/2 tbsp of olive oil and add 3 tbsp of water.
Cook them for about 10 minutes and add the anchovies; stir until they have completely dissolved into the onions.
Add the canned tomatoes, season with salt and pepper.
Simmer gently for about 30 minutes.
At the end of cooking, let it cool to room temperature.
Oil the baking tray and spread the dough over it, then place the cubed caciocavallo on top.
Using a ladle, cover the dough with the prepared tomato-and-onion topping.
Sprinkle with the grated caciocavallo and finally with the breadcrumbs; press them lightly with a spoon so they absorb the moisture from the topping and don’t burn.
Drizzle with a little olive oil and let rise for another 30 minutes.
Bake for about 20 minutes, checking the doneness.
