Sicilian Christmas Pizza (Sfincione) – Finally, a Pizza with More Carbs

Topping a thick-crust pizza with breadcrumbs might sound like a strange idea, but it really is the secret sauce behind this Sicilian Christmas Pizza. Well, that and the actual secret sauce. Speaking of secrets, whether you tell your friends and family that the sauce is made with onions and anchovies is your business, but if you think that’ll turn them off, then maybe keep it to yourself, at least until they realize it’s one of the most delicious things they’ve ever had. Hey, all’s fair in love, war, and pizza.

Besides the crispy, cheesy, crumb topping, and super savory sauce, the other secret to this amazing pizza is the extremely wet and sticky dough. You could use a more standard pizza dough for this, but it won’t be the same experience. One reason we can get away with putting breadcrumbs on the top is the contrast between that texture, and the feather-light, spongy crust. Besides, if you use enough oil on your fingers, it’s really not that hard to work with anyway.

As usual, I’m not claiming any kind of authenticity here, so I don’t feel bad that I didn’t use casciocavallo, which is the traditional cheese for this pizza. I ended up using mozzarella, aged provolone, and pecorino, which I think work very well on this, but having said that, use whatever melty cheeses you like. The same goes for adding other toppings, but I can’t imagine anything making this any more amazing that it already is. Either way, whether it’s for Christmas, or another occasion, I really do hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for a 18" X 13" Sheet Pan:

For the dough:

2 cups warm water (105 to 110 F.)

1 package dry active yeast

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon sugar

3 tablespoons olive oil

4 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, or more as needed to achieve a very wet, sticky dough

For the sauce:

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 large yellow onions, diced

1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon dried oregano
9 oil-packed anchovy fillets

1 1/2 cups marinara or tomato sauce

1/4 cup water to rinse sauce container

salt to taste

Note: For best results, sauce should be highly seasoned

For the crumb topping:

3/4 cup fine plain dry bread crumbs

1 cup finely grated pecorino cheese

1 tablespoon anchovy oil

2 tablespoons olive oil

For the pizza:

3 ounces grated mozzarella

3 ounces aged provolone cheese

- Bake at 400 F. for about 35 minutes (go as long as you can without the crumbs on top burning, so that the crust cooks as much as possible)
-- For best results, slide cooked pizza on to a cooling rack to prevent the bottom from getting soggy. 
--- If bottom gets soggy, pizza slices can be reheated in a dry pan, which will crisp up the crust nicely.

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Detroit-Style Pizza – This "Rock City" Pizza Rocks

The next time you hear people arguing about whether Chicagoor New York has the best pizza, politely interrupt them, and make sure they know about Detroit-style, since it really should be part of the discussion. And by discussion, I mean heated argument.

Even though Detroit-style pizza is often referred to as “deep dish,” I don’t think that accurately captures the essence of this crispy, crusty, crazy-good slice. It has flavor elements of a slightly charred, blistered, thin-crust pizza, with the texture of light, airy focaccia. Plus, if you use the properly shaped pan, the edges of your crust get wonderfully crunchy, making for a very unique experience.

If you can’t get the classic 14” X 10” Detroit pizza pan, you can also use a 12” cast iron skillet, although you may need to not use quite as much dough, since I forget how much surface area that has, but it should be close. You can also use two 8” X 8” metal cake pans, but no matter what you go with, be sure it’s at least a few inches deep, otherwise things could get ugly.

Since I’m new to this style of pizza, if you’re from Detroit, please let me know how close I got, and if there’s anything obvious I’m missing. I know I needed more, and thicker, pepperoni, but other than that, I was really happy with how this came out, and hope everyone gives it a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for one 14x10 Detroit-Style Pizza:

For the dough:

1 cup warm water

1 package dry active yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)

1 teaspoon sugar

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 1/2 cups bread flour

For the sauce (you’ll have a little extra):

one (24-oz) jar marinara sauce

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon red chili flakes

1 teaspoon garlic powder

The rest:

8 ounces sliced pepperoni

12 ounces brick cheese (I used 8 oz. of Monterey Jack and 4 oz. of cheddar)

Chicago Deep Dish Pizza, or “Pizza” As We Call It In New York

The biggest problem with Chicago-style deep dish pizza, especially for a New Yorker, is that it’s called “pizza.” I’m not sure what else it could’ve, or should’ve been called, but when you grow eating thin-crust, and all of a sudden someone hands you a plate of this, with a fork, and calls it pizza, it’s quite the shock to the system.

Having said that, for the home cook at least, this deep dish pizza is actually much easier to pull off than your classic thin-crust, which really benefits from a 700 F. pizza oven. Another advantage is that we don’t have to worry about too much, or too many toppings, which is usually the fatal flaw of a poorly made NY-style pizza.

One key, besides the buttery, cornmeal-infused crust, is to be sure your sauce is very thick, and flavorful. Some Chicago pizzerias simply use seasoned, coarsely crushed tomatoes, but I prefer using a sauce, as long as it’s reduced at least as much as you see here. Your favorite will work, but just in case you don’t have one of those, here’s a link to our official pizza sauce recipe.

I went with a pretty basic sausage and cheese version here, but you can, and probably should, add other things like peppers, mushrooms, and onions. Same goes for switching up the cheeses, but I do like the combo of fresh, and firm mozzarella. I don’t think it’s quite as good if you use all one, or the other. Regardless, I really hope you give this “pizza” a try soon. Enjoy!

For the dough (enough for a 12-inch cast iron skillet):

1 1/3 cups warm water

2 1/4 teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast

2 teaspoons white sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons fine salt

1/4 cup melted butter

1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for the pan

1/2 cup cornmeal

3 3/4 cups flour, plus more as needed

For the fillings/toppings (in order of application):

4 ounces sliced provolone

8 ounces fresh mozzarella

1 pound spicy Italian sausage, removed from casing

4 ounces firm, low-moisture mozzarella

3 to 4 cups very thick pizza sauce (I made a double batch)

2 ounces (about 1 cup very finely grated) Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1 tablespoon olive oil for the top

more cheese and parsley to garnish

- Bake at 425 F. for about 35 minutes