Sfincione, a leavened pastry that tells the story, tradition and culture of Palermo's gastronomy, with its rustic, tall and fluffy appearance and its intense and lively flavors just like Sicily itself. It is considered a signature specialty of the Sicilian capital's street food, which has always delighted the palates of Palermitans and others.
Sfincione is truly a treat that cannot be resisted and probably recalls in the childhood memories of some people the so-called "Sfincionaro," the one who roamed the streets of the city with his three-wheeler shouting: "Chi cciàvuru! Càvuru, càvuru," which in Sicilian means "What a scent! Hot, hot."
Where was Sfincione born?
It is said that it was the nuns of the Monastery of San Vito in Palermo around the 18th century who created the Sfincione. The Franciscan nuns, on the occasion of the festivities, had the idea of preparing a dish different from the usual bread that was eaten every day and to enrich it they decided to add to the dough a series of typical products of the peasant tradition: tomatoes, onions, anchovies, Sicilian caciocavallo cheese and oregano.
The origin of its name
The origin of the name "Sfincione" is not certain but theories refer to the term "sponge," which recalls the fluffiness and consistency of its dough. Since it is a poor dish that can be easily made with few ingredients, it eventually spread to home cooking, where housewives would prepare it at Christmas time or during the engagement party at the bride's house.
Over time, it became so popular that it earned the title of Palermo's premier street food, sold in the squares, on carts at street corners and in the city's markets, and became so important in Sicilian gastronomic culture that it was included in the list of traditional agricultural food products (PAT).
There is also a white variant, the white Sfincione of Bagheria, which is typical of the eponymous town and calls for the addition of tuma ("fresh ricotta" or cottage cheese) and breadcrumbs instead of tomato sauce.
We leave you with the recipe of Sfincione by Cesarina Rosa Maria from Palermo, prepared just as it was made in her parents' house.
Try it, it will win you over at the first bite!
Sfincione of Palermo
A truly irresistible rustic, tall and fluffy leavened pastry: one of the symbols of Palermo's gastronomy and street food.
DifficultyEasy
€
CostLow
Ingredients
- For the pasta:
- 500 g of 00 flour
- 50 g of lard
- 50 g sugar
- 12 g of salt
- 25 g of fresh brewer's yeast
- 250 g of water at room temperature
For the onion sauce: - 1 kg of white onions
- 700 g of tomato puree
- salt and pepper
- extra virgin olive oil
To finish the Sfincione: - 100 g of fresh caciocavallo cheese
- 50 g of breadcrumbs
- 50 g of grated parmesan cheese
- 10 g of fresh oregano
Method
For the pasta:
- Dissolve the brewer's yeast in a bit of lukewarm water, taken from the planned total quantity of 250 g;
- In a planetary mixer, pour the 00 flour and lard and start kneading, gradually adding first the water with the dissolved yeast and then the rest of the ingredients;
- Add the sugar and salt last;
- Knead the dough for at least 10 minutes;
- Transfer the dough to a bowl, covering it with plastic wrap, and let it rise for 2 hours in an unlit oven;
- After the rising time, grease a 60-cm-diameter baking dish and transfer the dough to the dish by gently spreading it with your hands. It is important not to use a rolling pin.
For the onion sauce: - Finely chop the onions and cook them over low heat with a glass of water;
- After about half an hour, or once they have become soft, add the extra virgin olive oil and sauté for 10 minutes;
- Add the tomato puree, salt and pepper, continuing to cook for another 30 minutes;
- When done, remove the sauce from the heat and mash it with a blender until you get a creamy consistency.
To finish the Sfincione: - Cover the rolled-out dough in the baking dish first with the caciocavallo cheese, pressing lightly with your fingers to make sure it adheres well to the dough, and then with the sauce and onion topping;
- Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and grated Parmesan cheese, finishing with a sprinkling of fresh oregano;
- Place the pan in the turned-off oven and let the dough rise for another hour;
- Turn the oven to 180°C (350°F), setting it to fan mode, and bake for about 30 minutes without opening the door during baking.
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