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Sicilian Pizza

Sicilian Biga Grandma Pizza Recipe

Todd Mitchell
A recipe for a focaccia-like Sicilian Pizza using a Biga starter and the "Grandma" topping combination. This makes a pizza to fit a 15" x 10" baking sheet (cookie sheet)
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Prep Time 3 days 1 hour
Cook Time 14 minutes
Resting time (2 periods) 30 minutes
Total Time 3 days 1 hour 44 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Italian
Servings 6 People
Calories 477 kcal

Equipment

  • 2 Baking Pans (Cookie Sheet)
  • 1 Pizza Scissors (Optional)

Ingredients
  

  • 2 ounces water warm - no higher than 110°F (filtered/bottled preferred). This is for the Biga starter
  • 3 ounces high-protein flour (high gluten). This is for the Biga starter.
  • 1 pinch dry active yeast This is for the Biga starter.
  • 3 cups high-protein flour (high gluten)
  • ⅓ cups water warm - no higher than 110°F (filtered/bottled preferred)
  • ¾ cup water ice water (filtered/bottled preferred)
  • ½ tablespoon dry active yeast
  • 2 teaspoons salt fine
  • 1 ½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided into 3x 1/2 tablespoons

Grandma Pizza Toppings

  • 1 cup tomato sauce crushed or pureed. Savory cherry tomatoes preferred.
  • 2 cups provolone cheese grated (caciocavallo or toma is more traditional)
  • 1 teaspoon oregano dried
  • ¼ cup basil leaves fresh, chopped (or 2 teaspoons of dried)

Instructions
 

Day 1: Make Your Biga

  • Add a pinch of yeast to 2 ounces (1/4 cup) of warm water in a small bowl or mason jar. Whisk and let stand for 5 minutes to ensure the yeast is active and alive.
  • Add the yeast. Stir with a knife or flat spatula. The starter will be quite sticky, so scrape the blade on the edge.
  • Cover and store the Biga for at least 12 hours at room temperature or up to 24 hours. If storing longer, refrigerate after 12 hours at room temperature.

Day 2: Starting the Dough

  • Put a small dish of water near your work area to wet your hands as needed.
  • In a stand mixer bowl, put in the warm water and add the yeast and whisk. Allow to mix for 5 minutes so that foam appears.
  • Add the Biga to the mixing bowl.
  • Add 1/2 cup of flour and mix in the stand mixer at its slowest setting.
  • Add the cold water and continue to mix.
  • Slowly add the rest of the flour. The dough will still be very sticky and will not look very smooth yet.
  • Wet your hands and pull the dough off of the hook
  • Add the salt and continue to mix for another 1 minute
  • Add 1 teaspoons of olive oil and continue to mix. You may need to stop the mixer and pull the dough from the hook occasionally to ensure the dough is mixing well.
  • Use a brush to coat a baking pan with 1 teaspoon of oil.
  • Wet your hands and transfer the dough to the baking pan.
  • Re-wet your hands.
  • Stretch the dough by pulling it left and right, then fold the stretched parts on top.
  • Turn the pan a quarter turn and repeat. It will look like an envelope.
  • Fold the corners into the center and pinch together.
  • Turn over the dough using your wet hands and smooth the edges.
    Sicilian pizza dough ball.
  • Cover the pan in plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 20 minutes.
    Wrap the dough.
  • Place the covered pan in the refrigerator for 24 hours (up to 48 hours).

Day 3: Finishing the Dough and Making the Pizza

  • Remove the dough from the refrigerator and allow it to warm up for 1 to 2 hours on the countertop.
  • Use a brush to oil a second baking sheet with another 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil.
  • Invert the first pan and allow the dough to fall from the first pan onto the second. The dough will still be very sticky, so use a wetted spatula or dough scraper if it does not completely come away by itself.
    Invert the pan and transfer the dough to the new pan
  • Flip the dough over so both sides are oiled.

First Stretch

  • Gently using the fingers of both hands, press the dough outward (not pulling) to stretch the dough towards the edges of the baking sheet. The dough won't likely get all the way to the edges this first time. Don't tear the dough trying to get to the edges, but try to get it about the right shape of the pan.
    First stretch of the dough.
  • Let the dough rest uncovered in a warm space away from any draft for 30 minutes. The dough will contract but it will also start expanding.

Second Stretch

  • Oil your fingers and gently “pillow” (press like you’re playing the piano) the dough to cover the entire pan. Try to preserve the airy texture but also trying to get the dough evenly distributed across the pan. It will still likely not reach the corners completely.
    Pillow the dough for the second stretch like you're playing the piano.
  • Let the dough rest uncovered again in a warm space, away from any draft for 90 minutes. The dough should rise to the edge of the pan and fill it entirely now. Even if it doesn't, do not stretch or press the dough again.
    After 90 minutes, the pizza will have risen and filled the pan.

Cooking the Pizza

  • Preheat your oven to 450°F. If you have a pizza stone big enough, you can cook the pizza in the pan on top of the pizza stone.
  • Add your sauce, toppings (except the basil), then cheese.
  • Bake in the oven for 7 minutes, then rotate the pan.
  • Bake for another 7 minutes until the top of the crust is golden and the cheese is browning.
  • Remove the pan and let stand for 5 minutes.
    Sicilian pizza in the pan
  • Use a spatula to transfer the pizza to a cutting board.
  • Add the basil.
  • Sicilian pizza is generally cut "tavern style", meaning into squares or rectangles.
    Cutting a Sicilian pizza

Notes

This pizza fits a 15" x 10" standard baking sheet (cookie sheet).

Nutrition

Calories: 477kcalCarbohydrates: 62gProtein: 20gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 30mgSodium: 1293mgPotassium: 276mgFiber: 3gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 622IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 359mgIron: 4mg
Keyword Grandma Pizza, Pan Pizza, Sicilian Pizza
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