Sfincione: Sicilian Pizza

Pizza heaven in a slice-a savory mix of onions, tomatoes, oregano and anchovies 😋

Delicious sfincione is a very common street food in parts of Sicily. Its name is believed to have come from the Latin word ‘sfincia’ which means sponge. During what I call ‘my Sicily years’ when I spent a lot of time there, this was my go-to snack – its crispy airy crust is smeared with a savory sauce of onions, anchovies, tomatoes, and oregano and then topped with grated cheese and breadcrumbs. It is my pizza heaven. 😍 (My mouth is watering as I typed those last sentences.)

Growing up in Phillipsburg, NJ, there was a bakery called the New York Italian Bakery, an institution that had been around for over 40 years. I can still remember how excited we would be when we would jump in our Dad’s station wagon for a trip to the bakery. I have such a vivid memory of the smell inside that magical bakery – the smell of the piles and piles of breads and Italian cookies gleaming behind the glass display cases – but my favorite display case was the one that held the trays of Sicilian pizza, oily and thick and tomatoey. 😋 Heaven was indeed when we were allowed to have a slice. They scooped a slice out of the pan and handed it over, oily against the parchment paper. We were made to wait until we were back in the car to eat our prized possession and devour it we did. The version of my childhood, slightly different but similar in nature with its thick crust and sauce, is common in many Italian bakeries here in the US, perhaps evolved from the original sfincione.

Continue reading more and get the recipe at OurItalianTable.com!

---