A thick, focaccia-like pizza baked in a pan, traditionally topped with a tomato sauce, rich with olive oil, onion, anchovies, pecorino or caciocavallo 014 and a generous helping of bread crumbs."
Sicilian Pizza
The Sicilian Pizza, also known as Bakery Pizza, Casalinga, Rustica, Upside Down Pizza, Square Pie, is a popular pan pizza traditionally topped with a tomato sauce, rich with olive oil, onion, anchovies, pecorino or caciocavallo — and a generous helping of bread crumbs. This recipe, shared by Chris Decker of Metro Pizza in Las Vegas, NV, focuses on creating the perfect Sicilian crust that is thick enough to stand up to the rich sauce and toppings, but still light and airy.
Ingredients
- 100% High-gluten flour (14.5 % protein)
- 62% Water (60 F)
- 0.5% Fresh yeast (or 0.2% IDY)
- 2.5% Salt
- 2.5% Olive oil
For standard batch:
- 50 pounds High-gluten flour
- 31 pounds Water
- 4 ounces Fresh yeast (or 1.6 ounces IDY)
- 20 ounces Salt
- 20 ounces Olive oil (by weight)
Directions
- Combine water, yeast and half of the flour in mixing bowl. Mix on slow speed for 3 minutes. Let stand for 20 minutes.
- Add remaining flour and salt. Resume mixing on slow speed. After 3 minutes begin slowly adding oil as dough continues to mix.
- After 3 minutes increase to speed 2 for 3 to 5 minutes, until oil is completely incorporated. Reduce to speed 1 for 3 more minutes.
- Place dough on floured table, cover and let dough relax for 20 minutes. Divide and round dough. For standard 12×18 inch Sicilian pizza, dough balls should weigh 36 ounces.
- Place dough balls in containers, brush with oil and then cover and place in cooler for up to 120 hours (minimum of 72 hours).
- Before par-baking take dough out of the cooler for at least 2 hours. Be sure dough has warmed to at least 55 F.
- Extend the dough by hand and place in a well-oiled black steel pan. Do not use a shiny aluminum pan. It will impede the browning of the dough.
- Place the dough in the pan and make sure it is fully extended to the edges of the pan with a slightly risen cornicione. Top the dough with a very light coating of tomato sauce (about 3 ounces).
- Cover the tray with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot. Let the dough rise until it is even with the top of the pan.
- Remove plastic wrap, being careful not to degas the dough. The risen dough is then carefully placed in a 535 F oven to par-bake for about 7 to 8 minutes until it just starts to show some color and interior has fully set.
- Once the pizza is par-baked it should be cooled completely on a cooling rack for several hours and wrapped for refrigeration or even freezing.
- Before using the par-baked shells, remove them from the cooler and allow them to return to room temperature. Oil the pan, place the par-baked shell in the pan, top with sauce and cheese.
- Typically the Sicilian pizza is striped with diagonal lines of sauce on top of the cheese before completing the baking process. When the pizza has fully cooked remove it from the pan and place it directly on the oven stone for about 30-45 seconds to crisp up the bottom.
- Once the pizza is removed from the oven it should be placed on a wire cooling rack and finished with freshly grated Romano cheese.
- The dough itself may not be complex, but the process is the secret to this pizza. The dough is gently extended by hand and placed in a well-oiled black steel pan. The dough is then allowed to rise until it is even with the top of the pan. The risen dough is then carefully placed in a 535 F oven to par-bake for about 7 to 8 minutes until it just starts to show some color and interior has fully set. The par-baked pizza is then cooled completely on a cooling rack for several hours and wrapped for refrigeration or even freezing. The cool down and refrigeration process is the true secret of getting a surprisingly light crust.