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My New York-style Sicilian pizza recipe features a foccacia-like crust topped with red sauce, anchovies, toasted bread crumbs, and melty mozzarella. It’s the perfect sheet pan pizza!
Ready for more Italian recipes? Try my sugo, seafood pasta, lamb ragu, and chicken Milanese next.
My family has grown accustomed to elaborate weeknight dinners, so I’ve got to experiment to keep things interesting.
Que, my Sicilian-style pizza, inspired by my trip to Sicily. Made with a soft and chewy crust and abundant aromatic, savory toppings, it tastes like you just stepped into Palermo!
What is Sicilian-style pizza?
Sicilian-style pizza, AKA pizza Siciliana or sfincione, is a rectangular pizza with a fluffy, sponge-like crust. It’s toppings are what sets it apart. Most feature a combination of anchovy filets, toasted breadcrumbs, and plenty of tomato sauce…and light on the cheese.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- Simple ingredients. To keep it convenient, I used store-bought pizza dough and a handful of simple and accessible toppings.
- Crowd-pleasing. I know anchovies can be hit or miss with some, but I promise, it totally works on this pizza!
- The perfect texture. The crust is firm yet doughy, and the toasted breadcrumbs mixed with melted cheese is uniquely satisfying.
Ingredients needed
- Pizza dough. I used store-bought, fresh dough, but you can use my homemade 2-ingredient pizza dough or frozen dough.
- Pizza sauce. Use your favorite store-bought tomato pizza sauce, or try my Pomodoro sauce (I learnt this recipe in Sicily too!).
- Mozzarella cheese. I prefer using freshly shredded mozzarella as I find it melts smoothly and has a fresher flavor. Feel free to use a mix of other cheeses like parmesan or pecorino romano cheese.
- Onion. Use white or sweet onions.
- Anchovies. Use anchovy fillets chopped into small pieces. If you’re iffy about anchovies, feel free to omit them or only add them to half.
- Cherry tomatoes. For a sweet burst of flavor.
- Bread crumbs. You can use panko, whole wheat, or gluten-free bread crumbs.
- Olive oil. Brushed over the crust and mixed with the bread crumbs to encourage browning.
- Basil. Fresh basil leaves are best, but you can use dried basil in a pinch.
- Spices. Optional, but I like to sometimes add red pepper flakes, oregano, and garlic powder.
How to make Sicilian pizza
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Shape the dough. Sprinkle a kitchen surface with flour and roll out the pizza dough on the counter to fit the pan. Transfer it to the greased baking sheet. Brush olive oil around the crust and in the center of the dough.
Step 2- Coat the bread crumbs. In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
Step 3- Assemble. Spread the tomato sauce, followed by half the cheese, onion, anchovies, and cherry tomatoes. Add the remaining cheese, followed by the breadcrumbs.
Step 4- Bake. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Tear up basil over the top and serve.
Arman’s recipe tips
- If using frozen dough, let it thaw overnight in the fridge, then again at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking. You want the crust to be fluffy, not dense!
- Use a pizza stone. While optional, pizza stones can be a good way to achieve the perfect bite, especially on the bottom of the crust. I reckon it’s one of my favorite investments (and it’s super cheap!).
- Is the dough springing back while you’re rolling it out? Set it aside to rest for 15 to 30 minutes. This gives the gluten time to relax.
- Pre-cook the toppings. To deepen the flavors, sauté the onions and anchovies in a lightly oiled skillet until golden.
Variations
- Skip the mozzarella. Traditional Sicilian-style pizza is made without mozzarella, so for a more authentic flavor, omit it and stir caciocavallo cheese into the pizza sauce.
- Add meat. Like pepperoni slices, prosciutto, Italian meatballs, shredded chicken, or Italian sausage.
- Try different veggies. Like mushrooms, crushed tomatoes, or roasted garlic.
Storage instructions
To store: Leftover pizza or individual slices can be kept in an airtight container (or covered in plastic wrap) and stored in the fridge for up to one week.
To freeze: Keep the slices in a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to six months.
Reheating: Reheat leftover pizza in a 350ºF (180ºC) oven until the crust is crisp and the cheese is bubbly.
Frequently asked questions
Regular pizza is made in a round, thinner crust, while Sicilian-style pizzas are baked in a thicker, rectangular crust. Sicilian-style pizzas also tend to have less cheese.
Yes, using gluten-free pizza dough and breadcrumbs will make it naturally gluten-free.
More pizza recipes to try
- Garlic pizza
- Mexican pizza
- Chicken crust pizza
- Crustless pizza
- Or any of these pizza recipes
Sicilian Pizza
Video
Ingredients
- 2 pounds pizza dough fresh or frozen
- 28 ounces pizza sauce
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese
- 1 medium onion sliced
- 2 ounces anchovies chopped
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1/4 cup basil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 230C/450F. Lightly grease a large baking pan.
- Roll out the pizza dough on a lightly floured surface to fit the size of your baking pan. Transfer the dough to a greased baking pan and press the dough down to fit the base and allowing 1/2-1 inch up the sides. Gently press down the center.
- Brush one tablespoon of olive oil around the crust and one in the center of the dough.
- In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
- Spread the tomato sauce, followed by half the cheese, onion, anchovies, and cherry tomatoes. Add the remaining cheese, followed by the breadcrumb mix.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden.
- Tear up the basil over the top and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published August 2023, updated and republished August 2024
Hm why the recipe is called Sicilian? Is it some thing from there or Italian people make this recipe?