Pizza Dough

Sicilian

4 x 450 g balls · 1803 g total

Sicilian pizza dough (sfincione) is the highest-hydration style at 72%, with bread flour and generous olive oil producing a thick, focaccia-like crust that is crispy on the outside and soft within. The 450g dough balls are stretched into oiled sheet pans and given ample time to proof. Traditionally topped with tomato sauce, onions, anchovies, and breadcrumbs. Recommended fermentation: 24–48 hours cold, followed by 1–2 hours at room temperature in the pan before baking. The long cold ferment develops flavour while the final room-temp proof gives the thick crust its signature airy lift.

Dough Settings

kg
°C

Oil & Sugar

Oven Type

Bake temp400–500°C
Bake time60–90 sec

Yeast & Fermentation

Your Pizza Dough Recipe

Flour (Bread Flour)
998 g
Water (15–20°C)
718 g
Salt
25 g
Fresh Yeast
3.0 g
Olive Oil
50 g
Sugar
10 g

Fermentation Schedule

24h total

Mixed by hand · Room temperature: 20°C · Pizza Oven

  1. Step 1: Mix dough by hand

    Target: 23–26°C dough temp

    Combine ingredients and mix until shaggy. Turn out and knead until smooth, elastic, and the dough passes the windowpane test.

  2. Step 2: Bulk ferment at room temp (20°C)

    14 hours

    Let the dough rise until roughly doubled in size.

  3. Step 3: Divide & shape balls

    15 min

    Divide into 4 equal pieces and shape into tight balls.

  4. Step 4: Proof balls at room temp (20°C)

    10 hours

    Let the shaped balls proof until soft, puffy, and ready to stretch.

  5. Step 5: Bake (Pizza Oven)

    60–90 sec

    Bake at 400–500°C. Leave for 20–30 seconds and then turn for even charring, placing the pizza back on the same spot.

What Makes Sicilian Dough Different

Sicilian pizza — known as sfincione in Palermo — predates the Neapolitan style and is closer to focaccia than to what most people picture as pizza. The dough runs at 72% hydration with 5% olive oil, making it the richest and most forgiving style to work with. The oil creates a tender crumb and helps the bottom crisp in a sheet pan.

Unlike round pizzas, sfincione is baked in rectangular oiled pans and cut into squares. The thick, spongy crust absorbs sauce without becoming soggy — which is why traditional toppings include a chunky tomato and onion sauce, anchovies, and a shower of breadcrumbs for texture. The 450g dough balls give enough volume for a pan roughly 30×40cm.