# Old world Sicilian pizza recipe



## vanwingen (Dec 4, 2006)

Looking for an *old world authentic Sicili, Italy pizza recipe*. Theres this place I visited that has been making this pie since the 1940's. They use thin crust, plain sauce, a grated cheese, a white cheese, then toppings and cook it at 640 degrees.
The pie is very greasy. I asked what the ingredients were (not the recipe0 and they would not tell me. All they would say is their pies do NOT contain parmesan and mozzerela.

I am thinking grated romano cheese and provolone ???

They also have a seasoning they sprinkle on top. It appears to me to be Orageno, Basil, and maybe a hint of Thyme ????

Heres a picture of a unfinished and finished pie: Any suggestions???


----------



## vanwingen (Dec 4, 2006)

forgot to add about the pies.

when they cook the pies in a standard gas pizza oven at 640 degrees, the sauce and the grated cheese absorbs into the shredded cheese and when the pie is done it's greasy and the cheese is not very stringy.

any ideas?


----------



## kitchenelf (Dec 4, 2006)

I don't have a clue, sorry.  Provolone sounds like a good guess though - pecorino romano in place of the Parmesan sounds like another good guess.

Is there any fennel seed in that mixture they sprinkle on top?  That's a great flavor on pizza.

I'm surprised they let you take pictures!!


----------



## vanwingen (Dec 4, 2006)

nope, no fennel, I figured the basil replaced the fennel. My first guess was fennel as well.

any other herbs good on pizza?
I didn't see any rosemary, but what about sage?


----------



## amber (Dec 4, 2006)

That pizza looks so tasty! I love thin crusts, with a great sauce.  My best guess on cheese is romano and provolone.  As for seasonings, basil, oregano.  The greasy part comes from the pepperoni I would think.  Have you ever seen a bag of four cheeses in the supermarket? It contains, provolone, romano, american, mozzarella cheeses.  To me, a great pizza is all in the sauce, which of course depends on the seasonings.  The best pizza I have ever had was in Boston.  Their sauce was the best.


----------



## vanwingen (Dec 4, 2006)

The recipe was ceated in 1949, and has been unchanged since then, so with that said would the 4 cheese blend have been around in 1949? Thats my theory in it. All the ingredients have to be old world.

You mentioned oregano and basil, I assume take the THYME out of it?


----------



## kitchenelf (Dec 4, 2006)

I would leave the thyme in - it has appeared in a few recipes.  Is there cracked pepper?  Are you sure the fennel isn't maybe crushed a little first?  I really want it to be there!   

I don't know if it would be cost effective to be using Asiago or Fontina or Gruyere - I know there are ton of cheeses to choose from - Hey, I have an idea - hide in the bushes on delivery day!!!!!!


----------



## Snoop Puss (Dec 5, 2006)

I have a recipe for a closed Sicilian pizza (sfinciuni) that uses Pecorino and Caciocavallo. Not a cheese I've ever seen myself but check out:

http://images.google.es/imgres?imgu...|lang_fr|lang_en|lang_it|lang_pt|lang_ro&sa=G

Sorry it's such a long link - all the other pages I looked at were in Italian.


----------



## urmaniac13 (Dec 5, 2006)

The sicilian pizza we had here in Rome had mozzarella, but their version may be made with either provola, scamorza, or as snoop suggested cacciocavalo.  Usually pecorino doesn't work well with heat as they don't melt nicely, and if they are going for a really authentic sicilian pizza, they shouldn't be using asiago, fontina or gruyere as they are all specialties of the north, on the other end of Italy.
Spice could be a mixture of thyme, oregano and majoram.


----------



## vanwingen (Dec 5, 2006)

I know the recipe came from the old days from *PALERMO (BAGHERIA) SICILY*

Does anyone know of any old school pizza recipes from that 1940-1950's era?


----------

