Sfincione Bagherese (White Sfincione from Bagheria)

Slice of white sfincione toppped with breadcrumbs.

Sfincione Bagherese (White Sfincione from Bagheria)

Sfincione Bagherese is a Sicilian style pizza made with a thick spongy dough topped with anchovies, tuma cheese, ricotta and golden sautéed onions all covered with a layer of crispy breadcrumbs and caciocavallo cheese. The perfect balance of flavors and textures in one bite!

Course Main Course, Snack

Cuisine Sicilian-Italian

Keyword white Sicilian style pizza from bagheria

Prep Time 1 15

Cook Time 35

Resting time 1 2

Servings servings

Calories 469kcal

Author Nadia Fazio

Equipment

1 9 x 13 pizza pan

Ingredients

1 recipe easiest no knead pizza dough recipe

Toppings

3 large onions
½ cup olive oil divided, plus extra for greasing the pan
2 cups breadcrumbs from day old bread
black pepper to taste
1 cup grated caciocavallo cheese (can be replaced with 1/2 cup Parmigiano or Pecorino Romano cheese)
1½ tsp dry oregano
salt to taste
5-6 anchovy fillets in oil or more as desired
500 grams tuma cheese
1 ¼ cups ricotta cheese

Instructions

Prepare the dough

Follow my recipe for easy no knead pizza dough until step #6 until the dough is shaped into a ball and rests for an additional hour.

Prepare the toppings

Sauté the onions: thinly slice onions and sauté in 1/4 cup olive oil. When they begin to release some of their water, add about 1/4 cup of water to the pan and a pinch of salt.
Cook on low heat for about 15-20 minutes until the onions are soft and golden. Set aside to cool.
Wipe the pan you used to sauté onions. Add breadcrumbs to the dry pan and toast on medium heat until they are toasted and fragrant.
Add the remaining olive oil and sauté a minute or two until crisp. Add black pepper, as desired. Transfer to a bowl and let cool.
Once cooled stir in grated caciocavallo cheese and oregano. Set aside
Slice the tuma into roughly 1/2 cm slices. Pat dry with a paper towel.

To assemble

Generously grease the bottom and sides of your pan with olive oil. Transfer the dough to the pan and use your fingers to stretch it out to cover the pan.
Top with anchovies, then cover the entire surface with the sliced tuma cheese.
Add ricotta in dollops all over the surface.
Evenly distribute the sautéed onions over the ricotta.
Top with the breadcrumb/caciocavallo mixture. Cover with a clean dish cloth and let rest for one hour.

To bake

About fifteen minutes before the resting period is done, preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.
Bake the sfinicone for 35 minutes until the top is crisp and golden brown. If after about 25 minutes of baking the top is sufficiently browned, cover loosely with foil for the remaining time.
Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let sit for about ten minutes before transferring the sfincione to the rack to continue cooling.
Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

Substitutions:

-Susbstitute Primo Sale cheese, mozzarella or mild provolone in place of tuma.
-Parmigiano or Pecorino Romano cheese may be used instead of caciocavallo. If so, reduce the amount to 1/2 cup.

How long do leftovers keep for?

-Keep leftovers refrigerated (due to the cheeses) for up to 3 days.
-Warm in a 350 degrees F preheated oven until warmed through.

How do you serve sfincione Bagherese?

In Sicily, sfincione is a popular street food. It can be enjoyed as an appetizer cut into small squares and it is definitely rich and hearty enough to be served as a main course.

Please note that the nutritional information provided is approximate and may vary according to exact ingredients used and portion size.

Nutrition