Sfincione Siciliano #BreadBakers

Sfincione Siciliano is a staple street food of Sicily, with a fluffy bread base topped with strong cheese and a rich onion anchovy tomato sauce, finished with breadcrumbs, more cheese and oregano.

 

Sfincione is pronounced sfeen-CHOH-neh (IPA: /sfin'tʃoːne/) in Italian. From what I can discern, it’s like if focaccia married cheese pizza with a little nod to Ligurian pissalandrea in the sauce but without the black olives. Yeah, a little mixed up maybe but the Sicilians are on to something! It’s delicious. 

I shared four pieces with my brother- and sister-in-law and when she sent me a thank you text, she called them pizza squares. Perfect name! If you can't say sfincione, just tell your family you are making pizza squares for dinner. 

Sfincione Siciliano 

The traditional cheese for this dish is called Siciliano Caciocavallo but the interwebs assure me that the best substitute is an aged provolone for both taste and texture. This recipe is adapted from one on Tavol Arte Gusto and makes one sfincione in a 12x17 in or 30x43cm pan. Start this recipe early in the day to allow for the three rising sessions. 

Ingredients

For the base:

1 teaspoon dried active yeast

1 ½ cups or 355ml warm water

1 teaspoon sugar

3 cups or 380g 00 Italian flour

2/3 cup or 100g re-milled durum wheat semolina

2 teaspoons fine sea salt

1 tablespoon olive oil, plus a little extra for greasing the pan

For the onion sauce:

3 medium-sized onions

2 tablespoons olive oil (use the oil from the anchovies and top up if needed)

2 anchovy fillets in olive oil

1 can (1 lb 12oz or 800g) peeled Italian tomatoes

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

For the toppings:

7 oz or 200g Sicilian Caciocavallo or Provolone Stravecchio

5 – 6 anchovy fillets in oil

2 tablespoons breadcrumbs

2-3 sprigs fresh oregano

Method

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water, along with the teaspoon of sugar. Within a few minutes, it should start to create bubbles and foam up. This is how you know your yeast has been activated.

Measure your 00 flour, semolina and salt into a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, if using. 

Add the yeast dissolved in water, and knead until you’ve created a soft dough. 

Little by little, add the oil—continuing to knead throughout.

The dough should appear smooth and well-developed (forming a cohesive elastic mass.) Finally, shape the dough into a ball.

 Cover the bowl and let the dough to rise for at least 3 hours; it should quadruple in volume.

In the meantime, prepare the sauce. First, thinly slice the onions.

 

Place them in a pot with the oil and anchovies. Let them heat through for 5–6 minutes over high heat.

Puree the tomatoes in a blender (or with a hand blender), then add them to the onion pot. 

 

Fill the tomato can up about a quarter with water to make sure you get all of the tomato out and add it to the pot as well. 

Bring to a low boil then the sauce over low heat for about 45 minutes.

The result should be a rich, thick sauce. Add the baking soda and salt and stir well. 

Remove from the heat and set aside and to cool.

Finally, take the risen dough and spread it out in a 12x17 in or 30x43cm baking pan lightly greased with oil. Spread the dough using your fingers, gently tapping it with your fingertips trying your best not to pop any air bubbles.

Add the anchovy fillets broken into bits.

At this point, cover the pan with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for another hour or so.

Cut most of the cheese into pieces and grate a little, about 3-4 tablespoons. Mix the grated cheese with the breadcrumbs.

After that rise in the pan, add the remaining toppings to the dough: first the pieces of cheese.

Followed by the sauce.

Then finish with the grated cheese/breadcrumbs, and a handful of fresh oregano leaves.

Finally, let it rise for another hour. Near the end of rising time, preheat your oven to 475°F or 246°C.

Bake the sfincione in the hot oven, on the lowest rack or, if possible, in direct contact with the oven floor for 10 minutes. Move the pan to the middle-upper rack, to bake for another 20 minutes or so. The topping should be dry and the base nice and puffy and golden.

Remove from the baking pan. 

Cut in squares to serve. Golden bottom! I was a bit concerned by the dark edges, but the bottom was lovely and crunchy.

So fluffy! 

Enjoy!

It’s the second Tuesday of the month which means it’s time for my Bread Baker group to share their recipes. Our theme this month is Italian bread. Many thanks to our host, Karen of Karen’s Kitchen Stories. Check out the links below.

• Cornetti Dolci (Italian Croissants) from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Focaccia Bread Art from Making Miracles
• No-Knead Green Chutney Focaccia with Tofu from Cook with Renu
• No Knead Potato Focaccia from Sneha's Recipe
• Overnight Ciabatta from A Messy Kitchen
• Overnight Focaccia from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Sfincione Siciliano from Food Lust People Love
• Sourdough Cherry Tomato Focaccia from Zesty South Indian Kitchen

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. Follow our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated each month on this home page. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.

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Confit Turkey Thighs

A delicious alternative to roast turkey, serving just a few people, these succulent confit turkey thighs have crispy skin and melt-in-your mouth meat.

Just a few months ago, I was looking for a roast pheasant recipe only to discover that, much like a whole turkey, if you roast a whole pheasant, you often end up overcooking the breast to get the thighs cooked. If you read my roast pheasant crown post, you know that I decided to separate the parts and cook them separately, choosing to confit the whole legs.

That’s because once you cook something with the confit method, you will want to confit all the things. Duck legs, pork belly, garlic, chicken gizzards, even tomatoes! I’ve cooked them all covered in oil or fat. I’ve even poached wild salmon in butter, which is essentially what the confit method is: Poaching something slowly in fat or oil.

So last Thanksgiving when I found myself with only three eaters to cook turkey dinner for, my thoughts, as per usual, turned to confit. I decided on turkey thighs because we do love the crispy skin and smaller joints like legs and wings don’t really have one big piece of skin to crisp up or, frankly, as much meat to share. 

I already bought my turkey thighs to repeat this dish for Thanksgiving this year and I can hardly wait. It’s that good! 

Confit Turkey Thighs

This recipe is easily doubled or trebled, if you have the right pot and enough duck fat. If you don't have duck fat, you can use another animal fat like goose fat, lard, or schmaltz (rendered chicken fat), or mild vegetable oils such as olive oil, canola oil or peanut oil. Keep in mind that some fats might change the flavor of the confit compared to the traditional duck fat method.

Ingredients

2 turkey thighs, bone-in, skin on – approx. weight = 1.87 lbs

Flakey sea salt – I like Maldon

Poultry seasoning

Freshly ground black pepper

2 bay leaves

Duck fat to cover in tightfitting pan or Dutch oven – I used 3 3/4 cups or 887ml

Method

Generously season the turkey thighs all over with the salt, poultry seasoning and black pepper in a shallow pan or casserole that will fit in your refrigerator. Tuck the bay leaves under the thighs and cover with cling film.

Refrigerate 24 hours or as many as 48 hours. 

When ready to confit the turkey thighs, preheat your oven to a slow 300°F or 150°C.  

Wipe the salt off gently with a paper towel and dry the thighs. Put them into a close-fitting oven safe pan or Dutch oven.  

Warm the duck fat gently if it is solidified.

Pour the duck fat over the turkey thighs to cover. They look like they are sticking out but there is a very thin layer of fat over the top. 

Bake at this gentle temperature for at least 3 hours. Remove from the oven and use a slotted spoon to put the thighs in a snug storage container with a lid. Pour the duck fat from the cooking pan over the thighs to cover. 

When chilled, the fat covering will protect the turkey thighs. 

These confit turkey thighs can be kept, carefully covered, in the refrigerator until you are ready to use them. As long as they are completely submerged in the duck fat and they are in an airtight container, they can last months. Confit is a great make-ahead dish.

To serve, bring the duck fat to room temperature and pour it off the turkey thighs. (Save it in a clean jar in the refrigerator for future use!)

Preheat your oven to 400°F or 200°C. 

Brown the thighs skin side down in a hot pan. This just takes a few minutes.

Turn the thighs over and brown the other side. 

Bake the thighs, skin side up, in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. You can do this in an empty pan but last Thanksgiving, I popped them on top of the pan of stuffing since that needed to be baked as well. It was a good decision!

Baked and just out of the oven

To serve, remove the crispy skin and cut it into strips. Pull the turkey apart into large pieces. Discard the bones. Put the turkey in a serving bowl, surrounded by the skin so people can help themselves to both. 

Enjoy!

It’s Sunday FunDay and today we are acknowledging that not everyone has a crowd to cook for during the holidays. So, for those folks, we are sharing some holiday main courses with fewer diners in mind. Check out the links below. 

• Bacon-Wrapped Sirloin Tip Roast from Palatable Pastime
• Confit Turkey Thighs from Food Lust People Love
• Dry Brined Roast Turkey Breast from Amy's Cooking Adventures
• Milk-Braised Pork Loin with Carrot Sauce from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Nawabi Mutton Biryani with Burani Boondi Raita from Sneha's Recipe
• Roasted Lemon, Herb & Lavender Spatchcocked Chicken from Culinary Cam
• Stuffed Pork Loin Roast from Sid's Sea Palm Cooking
• Stuffed Turkey Breast with Gravy from Karen's Kitchen Stories

 

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

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Garlic Rosemary Lamb Shanks

These garlic rosemary lamb shanks simmer in a slow cooker with beef stock, red wine and onions until they are so meltingly tender that you won’t need a knife! Carrots and potatoes cooked with the shanks round out the meal. 

Years ago, I was watching a Nigella Lawson program where she was roasting a lamb shank for one. That’s a cut I had never bought but, like everything she does, Nigella made it look so easy. 

I promptly forgot about it until I found a large shank (big enough for two) in my local grocery store and I made my purchase. Just like Nigella said, it roasted beautifully! You can see that recipe here. (It’s one I posted in my first six months of blogging before I learned a little more about photography. I leave those posts up because it’s part of the journey and, honestly, pretty photos or not, the food is delicious.) 

Ever since, I almost always have a couple of lamb shanks in the freezer, just in case. On cold and windy days, slow cooker garlic rosemary lamb shanks with potatoes and carrots are a warming hearty meal.

Garlic Rosemary Lamb Shanks

Sometimes I remove the lamb, carrots and potatoes and thicken the broth to make gravy and sometimes I serve it au jus, not thickened. I’ve included the instructions for making gravy but either way, this is a delicious meal. The longer you can leave the lamb to marinate, up to 24 hours, the better. This feeds two generously, with leftovers.

Ingredients

2 lamb shanks

Fine sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Leaves from 2-3 sprigs rosemary, plus a little extra for garnish, if desired

2 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

2 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for slow cooker

2 medium onions, peeled and sliced

1 3/4 cup or 414ml beef stock

1 cup or 240ml dry red wine

2 medium carrots, peeled and cut in chunks

2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut in chunks

To thicken the gravy:

3 tablespoons cornstarch

3 tablespoons cold water

Method

Score the lamb shanks with a sharp knife then season the shanks with salt and pepper all over, rubbing it in with your clean hands. 

Mince the garlic and rosemary leaves, discarding the stems. Sprinkle on the garlic and rosemary, massaging them in as well. 

Place both lamb shanks is a Ziploc bag, then pour the cider vinegar and olive oil over them. Seal the bag, pressing out as much air as possible. Chill for up to 24 hours. 

When you think about it, give the lamb bag a massage ot two and turn it over during the marinating time. 

Drizzle olive oil to coat the bottom of the slow cooker, then line it with the onion slices.

Add in your lamb shanks and any marinade from the bag, along with the beef stock and red wine.

Cook on high for 2 hours then switch to low for 2 hours or until the meat is tender. 

When the lamb has one more hour, add in the carrots and potatoes, tucking them as much as possible in the cooking liquid.

When the time is up, check the lamb with a fork. If it goes in really easily, the lamb is tender. If not, set your timer for another 30 minutes or so.  

When the lamb shanks are done, remove them along with the carrots and potatoes from the slow cooker and cover all to keep warm. 

 

Switch the slow cooker to high again. 

Mix the cornstarch into the cold water then add the mixture to the slow cooker, stirring well. Cook until thickened slightly. The result is a lovely rich onion gravy.

Serve the lamb, carrots and potatoes with the savory gravy, garnished with a little chopped rosemary, if desired.

Enjoy!

It’s Sunday FunDay and our theme today is Crocktober, aka recipes made in a slow cooker or cooked long and slow in an oven or on stovetop. Many thanks to our host Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm and Camilla of Culinary Cam. 

• Braised Beef Cheeks over Garlic Gnocchi by Culinary Cam
• Crockpot Orange Chicken by Amy's Cooking Adventures
• Garlic Rosemary Lamb Shanks by Food Lust People Love
• Keto Masala Beef Steaks by Sneha's Recipe
• Leftover Kabob Fajitas by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Peppered Short Ribs by Sid's Sea Palm Cooking
• Slow Cooker Cinnamon Apple Oats by Our Good Life
• Slow Cooker Chili con Carne by Palatable Pastime

 

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

Pin these Garlic Rosemary Lamb Shanks!

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