St. Joseph's Sfincione Bagherese
by Danielle Caminiti
Ingredients
- 2 packages Birrittellas Pizza Dough Room Temperature
- 1-2 Vidalia Onions Sliced Julienne Style
- 1/2 cup Olive Oil Divided Plus Extra Oil to Grease Pan
- 2 cups Breadcrumbs Homemade or Store Bought
- 1/2 cup Grated Pecorino Cheese Can be Replaced with 1/2 cup Parmigiano or 1 cup of Caciocavallo
- 1 1/2 tsp Dry Oregano
- 6 Anchovy Fillets in Oil Add More if Desired
- 1 tsp Anchovy Paste Adds More Anchovy Flavor if Desired
- 2 cups Cubed Low Moisture Mozzarella You can also use Tuma, Primo Sale or Mild Provolone
- 1 cup Whole Milk Cheese Add if Desired
Instructions
- Remove dough packages from refrigerator and combine both to shape into a large ball. Rest covered in a bowl prepared with olive oil for 1-2 hours until it gets to room temperature.
- 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 tothe pan and a pinch of salt OR 1 teaspoon of anchovy paste.
- 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.
- Add the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil and sauté 1-2 minutes until crisp. Add black pepper, as desired. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool.
- Once cooled, stir in grated Pecorino cheese and oregano. Set aside.
- Generously grease the bottom and sides of your 12” x 12”x 1.5” Sicilian-style pan with olive oil. Transfer the dough to the pan and use your fingers to stretch it out to cover the pan corner to corner. If it bounces back then cover and allow it to rest for another 15 minutes and try again. Repeat until the dough reaches all the corners without resistance.
- Top with anchovies, then cover the entire surface with the cubed mozzarella cheese (*freeze for 30 minutes before using for best results). If using ricotta, you would dollop it all over the sfincione at this step.
- Evenly distribute the sautéed onions over the mozzarella (and ricotta).
- Top with the breadcrumb mixture and allow to rest while you preheat your oven.
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Bake 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 aluminum foil for the remaining time.
- Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let sit for about ten minutes before transferring the sfincioneto the rack to continue to cool. Slice and enjoy warm or at room temperature.