Sfincione

Name: Sfincione
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h 35 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 550 g Thick dough, room temperature; 500 g Tomato, crushed; 300 g Onion, thinly sliced; 24 g Anchovy, chopped; 120 g Caciocavallo, grated; 60 g Breadcrumb, coarse; 2 g Oregano, dried; 45 g Olive oil; 3 g Salt; 1 g Black pepper, ground; 40 ml Water

Sfincione · ready in 1 h 35 min · 4 servings · 703 kcal per serving · medium · 11 ingredients

Sfincione is Palermo street food with a tall tender crumb, sweet onion tomato sauce, anchovy depth, caciocavallo, oregano, and toasted breadcrumbs.

Prep: 35 min
Cook: 50 min
Total: 1 h 35 min
Serves: 4
kcal: 703
Difficulty: medium

Italian Main dishes

A QiMeal recipe · Updated 3 October 2026

Ingredients · 4 servings

550 gThick dough, room temperature
500 gTomato, crushed
300 gOnion, thinly sliced
24 gAnchovy, chopped
120 gCaciocavallo, grated
60 gBreadcrumb, coarse
2 gOregano, dried
45 gOlive oil
3 gSalt
1 gBlack pepper, ground
40 mlWater

Equipment

stovetop, oven, sheet pan, saucepan, wooden spoon, grater, knife, cutting board, measuring spoon, oven mitt, hands, spatula

Instructions

Gather Ingredients
Gather and weigh all ingredients, then set out a sheet pan, saucepan, spoon, grater, knife, board, measuring spoons, and oven mitts. · 8 min
What to look for: All ingredients are measured and tools are within reach.
Cook Onion
Heat 35 g olive oil in the saucepan, add onion and anchovy, and cook over medium heat until the onion softens and the anchovy melts. · 10 min
What to look for: The onion looks glossy and translucent with no hard white edges.
Build Sauce
Add tomato, water, salt, black pepper, and half the oregano, then simmer until thick enough to mound softly on a spoon. · 15 min
What to look for: The sauce is thick, red, and glossy with sweet onion visible.
Shape Dough
Coat the sheet pan with remaining olive oil, press the thick dough into a 30 cm by 40 cm rectangle, and let it relax until puffy. · 20 min
What to look for: The dough fills the pan and looks soft, dimpled, and slightly risen.
Top Sfincione
Scatter caciocavallo over the dough, spoon on the onion tomato sauce, and finish with breadcrumbs and the remaining oregano. · 7 min
What to look for: The topping is evenly spread with crumbs covering the red sauce.
Bake Until Golden
Bake at 204°C / 400°F until the base is set, the crumb topping is toasted, and the edges spring back when pressed. · 25 min
What to look for: The edges are golden, the crumbs are toasted, and the sauce bubbles lightly.
Rest Then Serve
Rest the sfincione for 10 minutes, cut it into 4 generous squares, and serve warm for the soft Palermo style texture. · 10 min
What to look for: Slices hold their shape while the crumb stays thick and tender.

Nutrition (per serving)

kcal	703
Protein	24 g
Carbohydrates	93 g
of which sugars	9 g
Fat	27 g
of which saturated	9 g
Fibre	7 g
Sodium	1531 mg

Nutri-ScoreC

Allergens

Contains: gluten, milk, fish

Storage and reheating

Fridge: up to 3 days
Freezer: yes, up to 2 months
Reheat on a tray at 204°C / 400°F for 5 minutes until the crumb topping smells toasted and the base is warm.

Ingredient substitutions

Thick dough

Airy thick dough: Use the same weight of a soft high hydration dough.

Tomato

Crushed tomato: Use plain crushed tomato with no added herbs.

Onion

White onion: White onion keeps the traditional sweet savory profile.

Anchovy

Anchovy fillet: Use salted or oil packed anchovy, drained if needed.

Caciocavallo

Aged caciocavallo: Aged cheese gives a sharper traditional bite.

Breadcrumb

Coarse breadcrumb: Coarse crumbs toast better than fine crumbs.