Go Back
Scachatta Pizza Recipe

Scachatta Pizza Recipe

Livy Lane
Craving authentic thick Sicilian pizza straight from Palermo's street markets? This Scachatta Pizza Recipe delivers the famous spongy crust topped with rich onion-tomato sauce and crunchy breadcrumbs everyone raves about.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 3 hours
Course  Main Dish
Cuisine Main Dish
Servings 12
Calories 280 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups semolina flour
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 Tbsp active dry yeast
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 1/4 cups warm water 110°F
  • 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tsp kosher salt

Instructions
 

Activate Yeast Properly

  • Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let sit 10 minutes until creamy foam forms.

Mix Dry Dough Ingredients

  • Combine semolina flour, all-purpose flour, and salt in large mixing bowl thoroughly.

Create Flour Well

  • Make deep well in center of flour mixture for wet ingredients.

Form Wet Dough

  • Pour yeast mixture and olive oil into flour well gradually.

Knead Elastic Dough

  • Mix until shaggy, then knead 8-10 minutes until smooth and springy.

First Dough Rise

  • Place dough in lightly oiled bowl. Cover with damp cloth 1.5 hours.

Caramelize Onions Slowly

  • Heat 1/4 cup olive oil. Cook sliced onions 15-20 minutes until deep golden.

Crush Tomatoes by Hand

  • Hand-crush whole tomatoes directly into caramelized onion mixture.

Simmer Rich Sauce

  • Season tomato-onion sauce. Simmer 20 minutes until thick and flavorful.

Chop Anchovies Fine

  • Mince anchovy fillets very small. Stir into cooled tomato sauce completely.

Oil Baking Sheet Well

  • Generously coat 13x9 baking sheet with olive oil (3 Tbsp minimum).

Stretch Dough Carefully

  • Gently stretch risen dough to fill baking sheet edges completely.

Second Proof in Pan

  • Cover dough loosely. Let rise 30 minutes until puffy and airy.

Distribute Anchovies Evenly

  • Scatter chopped anchovies across entire surface of risen dough evenly.

Layer Sauce Generously

  • Spoon thick tomato-onion sauce covering pizza completely edge to edge.

Add Cheese Layer

  • Sprinkle grated Pecorino Romano cheese evenly over sauce surface.

Create Crunchy Topping

  • Mix breadcrumbs, oregano, 2 Tbsp olive oil. Sprinkle thickly over cheese.

Bake High Heat

  • 425°F conventional oven 25-30 minutes until deeply golden bubbling.

Notes

  • Semolina flour creates essential spongy chew Sicilian pizza demands perfectly.
  • Slow onion caramelization builds deep sweet flavor base everyone notices.
  • Hand-crushed tomatoes preserve chunky authentic sauce texture completely.
  • Anchovies melt completely—only umami remains, no fishy taste detectable.
  • Skip cheese entirely for traditional dairy-free street food version everyone loves.
  • Layer thinly sliced potatoes between dough and sauce for Bagheria variation.
  • Sicilian oregano essential—imported regular oregano lacks same citrus intensity.
Keyword Scachatta Pizza Recipe