Short answer
Sicilian pizza is a thick, rectangular pizza baked in an oiled pan, with a soft, airy crumb, a crisp golden base and often tomato sauce over the cheese. In America it is cut into square pieces and differs from the thin New York slice.
Sicilian pizza is a thick, rectangular pizza baked in an oiled pan, with a soft, airy crumb and a crisp, golden base. In the United States it is cut into square pieces, often with sauce spread over the cheese, and it differs from the thin, foldable New York slice.
What is Sicilian pizza?
Sicilian pizza is a thick-crust pan pizza with a spongy interior and a crunchy, oil-fried bottom, served as square or rectangular pieces. The American version is called Sicilian pizza in New York pizzerias, where it is also nicknamed a square slice.
The style draws on the baked doughs of Sicily, including sfincione, a soft focaccia-like bread topped with tomato and onion. American pizzerias adapted that idea into a thick pan pie topped with sauce and mozzarella. The exact origin of the American pie is not firmly documented, so treat any single-shop claim with care.
What does Sicilian pizza taste and feel like?
Sicilian pizza tastes of baked bread and tomato, with a soft interior and a base that is crisp and a little oily from the pan. The slice is heavier and breadier than a plain slice.
Common features include:
- A crumb that is open and airy, similar to focaccia.
- A bottom crust that is deeply golden because it bakes in oil.
- Sauce that is thicker and often spooned on top of the cheese.
- A sprinkle of dried oregano and sometimes grated hard cheese.
Many people like the corner pieces best because the edges caramelize against the pan.
How is Sicilian pizza made?
Sicilian pizza is made by putting a wet yeast dough into an oiled pan, letting it rise until puffy, then topping and baking it. The dough is not stretched thin, so it keeps its volume.
- Mix flour, water, yeast, salt and olive oil into a loose, sticky dough.
- Let it rise once in a bowl, then transfer it to a generously oiled sheet pan.
- Stretch the dough toward the corners, resting it between stretches.
- Proof the dough in the pan until it is airy, usually one to two hours.
- Add mozzarella and spoon tomato sauce over the top.
- Bake in a hot oven until the edges are brown and the base is crisp.
A lot of oil in the pan is the secret to the golden bottom.
Sicilian pizza vs New York slice: what is the difference?
Sicilian pizza is thick, square and spongy, while a New York slice is thin, round and foldable. The difference comes from the dough, the pan and the bake.
| Point | Sicilian pizza | New York slice |
|---|---|---|
| Shape | Rectangle or square | Round pie cut into triangles |
| Thickness | About 1 inch | Thin |
| Crumb | Airy and spongy | Chewy and flexible |
| Base | Fried-crisp from pan oil | Crisp from a hot deck |
| Sauce | Often on top of the cheese | Under the cheese |
A Sicilian piece is eaten with the hand flat rather than folded. It is also heavier, so a single square is more filling than a standard slice.
How is Sicilian pizza different from grandma pizza?
Sicilian pizza is thick and airy, while grandma pizza is a thin, crisp pan pie with a very short rise. Both use a sheet pan, but the crust and the order of toppings are different.
Grandma pizza usually has mozzarella spread first and crushed tomatoes on top, baked on a thinner dough that is not proofed for long. Sicilian pizza has a deeper dough that rises substantially and may be topped sauce-last.
What toppings go on Sicilian pizza?
The classic Sicilian pizza keeps toppings simple: tomato sauce, mozzarella, oregano and perhaps grated hard cheese. Vegetable toppings and extra cheese are common additions.
- Sauteed onions and peppers
- Mushrooms
- Roasted garlic
- Fresh basil after baking
- Anchovies, in the spirit of sfincione
Thick dough can handle heavier toppings than thin crust, but wet toppings should be drained or pre-cooked so the crumb stays airy.
What pan and oven does Sicilian pizza need?
Sicilian pizza needs a heavy, rectangular pan with sides, such as an aluminum sheet pan or a dark steel pan, and an oven at 450 to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Dark metal browns the base better than a shiny pan.
- Pan size: a half sheet pan, about 13 by 18 inches, is standard for home cooks.
- Oil: two to four tablespoons of olive oil coat the pan and fry the base.
- Rack position: the lower third of the oven gives a crisper bottom.
- Cooling: move the pizza to a rack after baking so steam does not soften the base.
A wet dough sticks without enough oil, so be generous. Loosen the edges with a thin spatula before lifting the pizza out of the pan.
What sauce and cheese go on Sicilian pizza?
A Sicilian slice often uses a thicker cooked tomato sauce, spooned on top of the mozzarella, with dried oregano and sometimes a dusting of grated hard cheese. The order protects the cheese and keeps the crumb from getting wet.
Pizzerias differ, so some put the cheese on top, the way a round pie is built. Both versions are called Sicilian. Mozzarella is usually low-moisture, shredded and spread edge to edge, with extra at the corners where it browns against the pan.
Why is my Sicilian pizza dense or greasy?
Sicilian pizza turns dense when the dough has not proofed long enough in the pan, and greasy when too much oil is used with a pan that is not hot enough. Both problems have simple fixes.
- Let the dough proof until it looks puffy and jiggles slightly when the pan moves.
- Use enough oil to coat the pan, not to pool in it.
- Bake on a lower rack so the base fries instead of steams.
- Drain wet toppings before adding them.
- Rest the pizza for five minutes before cutting.
A dough that feels too stiff to spread in the pan usually needs more water or a longer rest.
Does Fascati Pizzeria serve Sicilian pizza?
Not according to what is recorded. Google Maps describes Fascati Pizzeria in Brooklyn Heights as a thin-crust New York-style shop, and the menu lists a plain slice, pizza by the slice, a whole pizza and an anchovy slice. A square or Sicilian pie is not recorded.
Shops can have items that are not captured in directories, so ask when you call or visit. See the menu page for the recorded items and the hours and location page for the address and hours. This guide is independent and takes no orders.
Common questions
Is Sicilian pizza the same as grandma pizza?
No. Both are square pan pizzas, but Sicilian is thick and spongy while grandma pizza is thin and crisp with a shorter rise. Grandma pizza usually has the cheese under the sauce.
Why is Sicilian pizza square?
It is baked in a rectangular pan, usually a sheet pan, so it is cut into squares. The pan also gives the thick dough support and a fried-crisp bottom from the oil.
What kind of dough does Sicilian pizza use?
A high-hydration yeast dough, often with bread flour, olive oil and a long rise directly in the pan. The wet dough bakes into an airy crumb inside and a crisp crust outside.
Is Sicilian pizza from Sicily?
The American Sicilian slice is inspired by Sicilian breads such as sfincione, but it is largely an Italian-American creation. Pizza in Sicily is a different range of baked doughs.
How long does Sicilian pizza take to bake?
At home it usually bakes about 15 to 25 minutes at 450 to 500 degrees Fahrenheit, depending on thickness and the pan. The edges should be browned and the base crisp.
This page is part of the independent guide to Fascati Pizzeria, which has the address, hours and menu.
This article is general information from an independent guide, not from Fascati Pizzeria itself. For the store’s current details see hours and location.