Sfincione is referred to as thick Sicilian "pizza" but it is actually more precisely a focaccia that is topped with tomatoes, onions, a few
anchovies and perhaps grated Casciocavallo
cheese, seasoned with a dash of
oregano. Outside
Italy, the term "Sicilian pizza" is used to describe all kinds of things, but until the 1860s Sfincione which is loosely translated as "thick sponge" was the kind of "pizza" often consumed in Sicily, especially in the western part of the island. Sfincione has a spongy crust up to two (2) centimetres or about an an inch thick, hence, Sfincione is more like bread than pizza which in Italy has usually a thin crust.
Sfincione is a local form of "pizza" in Sicily prepared on a thick
bread and which is more likely found in a
Bakery than in a Pizzeria. Sfincione is good as a
snack or
appetizer.
Sfincione has been made only since the seventeenth century. The most important
ingredient, the
tomato, is South American in origin and has only been cultivated in Sicily since the sixteenth century. There is a story that Sfincione have been invented by some cloistered nuns, but nobody knows for sure if this story is real.
Although the tomatoes are essential in making Sfincione, its real
flavor comes from the
onions sautéed in olive oil before
baking.
Sfincione is regarded and listed as one of the street
foods of Sicily and it is made or sold by a Sfinciunaro.
Street vendors sell Sfincione at Palermo's open-air markets, but some of the best is made by bakeries around Palermo.
Traditionally, Sfincione is served on Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve and Good Friday.
To prepare Sfincione, only virgin
olive oil must be used in the
dough and
topping and it is baked in a square tray and cut into square or rectangular pieces before serving, unlike the traditional Italian circular
pizza.
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