Everything You Need To Know About Sicilian Style Pizza

ByBrittany Wolfe

Pizza is undoubtedly one of the most celebrated dishes all over the world. Italian in origin, Pizza is enjoyed in different countries in their own unique interpretation as well. While different people have different choices when it comes to pizza but some of the styles have become a classic favorite. Sicilian pizza is one such style of pizza that is enjoyed by a large number of people. 

There are so many styles of pizza to choose from like the Neapolitan style pizza or the Chicago style pizza, etc. but a number of people hold the Sicilian style pizza close to their heart. If you want to try Sicilian pizza in Marlboro NJ you can head to any of the best pizzerias as well. If you haven’t yet tried a Sicilian Pizza then this guide will acquaint you with this delightful variety of pizza.

What Is Sicilian Pizza?

Sicilian Pizza is one of the authentic styles of Italian Pizza. The original version of this pizza is called ‘silicone’, which when translated to English is ‘Thick Sponge’. The reason for such naming is because of the crust that features a spongy base. A meatless sauce is then spread over the crust, followed by toppings including anchovies, tomatoes, onions, and various herbs.

A traditional Sicilian pizza often uses breadcrumbs on top of all the ingredients and then finally cheese is grated over it to give it a nice finishing. Another notable thing about authentic Sicilian Pizza is that it does not use mozzarella cheese as cow’s milk was originally not available in the Sicilian region.

Ingredients Used In Sicilian Pizza

Authentic Sicilian Pizza is made from a thick and spongy dough, which is made from a mixture of flour, yeast, water, and olive oil. It is left to rise for some time and then pressed in an oiled, square shape baking pan. 

The crust is topped with a meatless sauce made from olive oil sautéed onion, fresh chopped tomatoes, anchovies, red pepper, and oregano.

The sauce is then covered with a coating of breadcrumbs and hard cheese is grated over it and then it is sent for baking. The dough is pretty spongy, which soaks the olive oil at the bottom giving the pizza a charred and crispy texture at the bottom while the middle remains spongy and porous.

Head to a restaurant for pizza in Sayreville NJ to try this delish variety of authentic Italian pizza 

Reasons Why People Love Sicilian Pizza

One of the most popular styles of pizza, Sicilian Pizza is a favorite among many and for good reasons.

  • It has a light and porous crust

Although the crust in Sicilian Pizza might look denser than the crust of other styles of pizza, it is not dense or chewy. The Sicilian Pizza style strikes a proper balance between the crust, the sauce, and the toppings. As the pizza is baked in the oven, some of the sauce is absorbed into the crust, which makes each bite of the pizza much more flavorful.

  • Much more sauce than traditional pizza

As compared to a traditional pizza, a Sicilian Pizza uses much more tomato sauce in its foundation. Also, some versions of the pizza use the sauce on top of the cheese so that it doesn’t get into the crust while some versions use sauce below the cheese as well. 

  • Rectangular shape discards the outer crust pieces

Traditional Sicilian Pizza is baked in a rectangular pan so it gets a rectangular shape. When you cut the pizza horizontally and lengthwise, you get a square sliced pizza as opposed to the usual triangle-shaped slices. The rectangular pizza slices mean that it doesn’t have an outer crust, which ensures that there are no hard or crunchy final bites. Pizzerias and eateries for pizza in Matawan NJ serve the most delicious square Sicilian Pizza.

  • Uses any hard style of cheese

The traditional Sicilian Pizza does not use mozzarella cheese but rather ground Pecorino Romano cheese. Modern-day recipes also use caciocavallo or canestrato cheese as well.

  • A crispy golden-brown crust

When baking the pizza, the traditional approach is to coat the bottom of the pan with olive oil. Doing this will create a frying effect on the dough, which helps support the sauce and toppings on the top and also gives a nice crunch to the crust. When baking, even if some of the sauce seeps into the dough, the semi fried crust will still hold it together.

  • No use of the massive amount of toppings

While trying a Sicilian pizza, you can opt to add your choice of toppings here and there, but the traditional variety does not use an extensive number of toppings rather it uses plenty of sauce and herbs and your choice of hard cheese.