When it comes to making an Italian deep-dish pizza, I find it difficult to choose between Sicilian Pizza vs Roman Pizza. They are both crispy on the outside and fluffy in the middle but the flavors are quite different – and making them is a bit different too. Why don’t we explore this question a little more today?

Among Italian-style pizzas, there are generally three styles people are familiar with: the classic Neapolitan pizza and the crispy, fluffy Roman and Sicilian styles.
What’s the Difference between Sicilian vs Roman Pizza?
(or should we be asking pizza romana vs sfincione)?
Before discussing each individually, the most significant difference between the two is how different they are in their focus on the sauce (Sicilian) and the cheese (Roman
Roman pizza (or Pizza Romana) is also known as pizza al taglio – which literally translates to “by the cut” or “by the slice”. It also goes by pizza al metro (pizza by the meter) and pizza in pala (paddle pizza). This style of pizza hails from Rome and has a fascinating history dating back centuries – but still evolving today. It was (and generally still is) traditionally baked in rectangular pizza pans and sold in rectangular slices as a popular street food.
Sicilian pizza (or “sfincione” in its homeland – which literally translates to “thick sponge”) finds its roots in Palermo, Sicily and was popularized in the mid-19th Century. Some (especially some Sicilians) might say that they aren’t Italian at all (they do have their own language) and therefore, they could even argue that this pizza isn’t Italian either.
We’ll leave that debate to those who live in Italy…or Sicily…err…you know what I mean!
Sicilian pizza is also baked a pan, well oiled with olive oil. These pizzas are less about the cheese and more about the vibrant tomato sauce, enriched with herbs and sometimes sardines or anchovies for an added punch of flavor. Sometimes the only cheese used is a light sprinkling of pecorino or another hard, grated variety.
What Is Roman Pizza?
In contrast, Roman pizza is different in most every way – but in particular due to its crispy crust exterior. That crispy crust comes from the addition of olive oil allowing for higher hydration and typically cooking in a pan.

More traditional Roman pizza was based on simpler ingredients like crushed tomatoes, minced garlic, artichoke hearts, and basil.
However, as told in episode 2 of Netflix Chef’s Table: Pizza, old-school Roman pizza was generally thought to be “junk food” until reinvented by Gabriele Bonci. Bonci transformed Roman pizza through more passion about the ingredients and their quality.
Therefore, Roman pizza is less bound by tradition, and so there are more variations today. It can be thin or thicker (like focaccia), it isn’t always cooked in a pan, it can have a lot or a few toppings, a wild array of toppings, and sometimes it’s served at room temperature.
Roman pizza dough is often left to proof longer – sometimes up to 72 hours. These differences combine to result in the dough being richer, more pliable, crispy on the outside, and still chewy on the inside. Cooking in a pan also allows for more generous portions of toppings.
What’s Special About Pizza Sicilia?

Sicilian pizza is rather unique from the “original” in almost every way. This style evolved from ancient civilizations’ bread traditions that occupied Sicily, including Greeks, Romans, and Arabs.
Traditional Sicilian pizza generally has a thick crust, is typically rectangular (but doesn’t have to be), uses pomodoro di Pachino (or Pachino tomatoes) which can come in four varieties, including cherry and grape tomatoes. Alternatively, Sicilian pizza sauce may be made from Rosso Sicilian tomatoes, which appear to be only available in the US by growing them yourself! But these unique heirloom tomatoes appear to be a great choice for a sauce.
If you’re looking for a quick, authentic sauce option, you could try this cherry tomato sauce by Agromonte which is available from Amazon.
Sicilian pizzas are then generally topped with strong, savory ingredients like onions, anchovies, and strong cheeses like toma or caciocavallo (aka horse cheese, even though it doesn’t come from horses!). Often, they have less cheese than we find on an American-style pizza.
Sicilian pizza is also baked at a lower temperature (and therefore longer) and commonly “tavern cut” into squares or rectangles (which does make it very nice for a pizza party!).
The American Evolution of Sicilian Pizza

Sicilian pizza did undergo a bit of an evolution when coming across the Atlantic Ocean to America, where we find that the American Sicilian pizza places a heavy emphasis on cheese (mozzarella). The toppings too have been Americanized like pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, and peppers. It’s still akin to the original focaccia-type-thick-crust pizza loaded with toppings, but that’s where the similarities end.
So What Should I Make? Roman Pizza vs Sicilian Pizza?
Well, of course you’re not going to go wrong making either!
In fact, most of the reasons to pick either Roman or Sicilian pizza are actually the same!
- You have 4 or more people to serve (pizza party anyone?)
- You have a conventional oven
- You have bread flour available
- You love to load up your pizza with toppings
- You like a crispy pizza crust
- You have more time to proof your dough in advance
All these reasons favor BOTH styles of pizza!
Therefore, the biggest differences really are more about the choice of toppings – including the cheese.
Traditional Roman pizza uses simple ingredients. More modern takes are more experimental with a strong focus on the freshness and quality of the ingredients.
Traditional Sicilian pizza (i.e. the type from Sicily) focuses on savory and doesn’t have melted cheese on top. Americanized Sicilian pizza (especially the Grandma) is more like traditional Roman pizza – simple ingredients!
It’s kind of full circle!

Todd’s cooking skills have revolved around the grill since about age 12, when he developed a love for grilling and took over for Mom at the BBQ. He worked at Wendy’s and at Earl’s Tin Palace (a restaurant chain in Canada) but never really did any sort of baking…until he and Heather started making pizza together! Now he’s often making dough in the mornings and pizza in the evenings.