Sicilian Style Thick Crust Pizza

Why this recipe works Sicilian-style pizza gets a bad rap: At many American pizzerias, these thick slabs baked in baking sheets are just larger masses of the same dough that’s used for round thin-crust pies. That means the crust is bready and dense, lacks textural contrast, and offers little in the way of interesting flavor. But good Sicilian-style thick-crust pizza is something else entirely. It features a tight, even, cake-like crumb that’s pale yellow, almost creamy. The underside is delicately crisp. Spread over the top is a concentrated layer of tomato sauce, followed by a blanket of cheese. In order to create our ideal Sicilian pie, we used a mixture of all-purpose flour and traditional semolina. The latter, a flour variety made from durum wheat, is the same type used to make many Italian pastas and breads and is the source of the crust’s pale yellow color; slightly sweet, rich flavor; and fine crumb. We used a generous amount of olive oil in the dough to tenderize it, cold-fermented the dough to let flavors develop and prevent large bubbles from forming, and then rolled it out and weighed it down with another baking sheet during the second rise to keep the crumb even and tight. Finally, we topped it with a long cooked tomato sauce and a combination of mozzarella and Parmesan, which stood up to the thick crust. Anchovies give the sauce depth without a discernible fishy taste; if you decide not to use them, add an additional ¼ teaspoon of salt.

SERVES: 6 to 8

RESTING TIME: 10 minutes

RISING TIME: 24 hours

BAKING TIME: 20 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 27 hours

KEY EQUIPMENT: food processor, medium saucepan, baking stone, 2 rimmed baking sheets, rolling pin

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE DOUGH

• 2¼ cups (11¼ ounces) all-purpose flour
• 2 cups (12 ounces) semolina flour
• 1 teaspoon instant or rapid-rise yeast
• 1⅔ cups (13⅓ ounces) water, room temperature
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2¼ teaspoons salt

FOR THE SAUCE AND TOPPINGS

• 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 3 anchovy fillets, rinsed, patted dry, and minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated fine (1 cup)
• 12 ounces whole-milk mozzarella cheese, shredded (3 cups)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together all-purpose flour, semolina flour, and yeast. In a 4-cup liquid measuring cup, whisk together water, oil, and sugar until the sugar has dissolved. Using the dough hook attachment on low speed, slowly add the water mixture to the flour mixture and mix until a cohesive dough starts to form and no dry flour remains, about 2 minutes.
2. Scrape down the bowl as needed. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
3. Add salt to the dough and knead on medium-low speed until the dough is smooth, elastic, and clears the sides of the bowl, about 8 minutes. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured counter and knead it by hand to form a smooth, round ball, for about 30 seconds.
4. Place the dough seam side down in a lightly greased large bowl or container, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 24 hours or up to 2 days.
5. For the sauce and toppings, process tomatoes, sugar, and salt in a food processor until smooth, about 30 seconds. Heat ¼ cup of oil and garlic in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is fragrant and just beginning to brown, about 2 minutes.
6. Stir in tomato paste, anchovies, oregano, and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomato mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce measures 2 cups, for 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer the sauce to a bowl and let it cool completely before using.
7. One hour before baking, adjust the oven rack to the middle position, set a baking stone on the rack, and preheat the oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a rimmed baking sheet (including the rim) with vegetable oil spray, then coat the bottom of the sheet with the remaining oil.
8. Press down on the dough to deflate it. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured counter and dust it with flour. Press and roll the dough into an 18 by 13-inch rectangle.
9. Loosely roll the dough around a rolling pin and gently unroll it onto the prepared sheet, fitting the dough into the corners. Cover loosely with greased plastic wrap, then place a second rimmed baking sheet on top and let the dough rise for 1 hour.
10. Remove the top sheet and plastic wrap. Using your fingertips, gently press the dough into the corners of the sheet. Using the back of a spoon or ladle, spread the sauce in an even layer over the surface of the dough, leaving a ½-inch border around the edges. Sprinkle Parmesan evenly over the sauce, followed by mozzarella.
11. Place the pizza in the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake until the bottom crust is evenly browned and the cheese is bubbly and partially browned, for 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through baking. Let the pizza cool in the sheet on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then transfer it to a cutting board with a metal spatula. Cut into squares and serve.