Name: Tomato and anchovy sfinciuni
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 70 min
Total time: 100 min
Yield: 10
Ingredients: 30 gm coarse fresh breadcrumbs (¼ cup); 3 large ripe Roma tomatoes, halved; 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 onion, finely chopped; 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 1 sprig each thyme, basil and oregano; 6 anchovy fillets, finely chopped; 330 gm pizza flour (see note); 1½ tsp dried yeast; ¼ tsp caster sugar; 2 tbsp milk; 1 tbsp olive oil; For dusting: polenta or semolina; 80 gm Montasio cheese, diced (see note); For drizzling: extra-virgin olive oil

Tomato and anchovy sfinciuni

Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for tomato and anchovy sfinciuni.

Serves 10

Prep

30M

Cook

1H 10M

Total

1H 40M

Our version of the Sicilian flatbread sfinciuni takes the form of a pie filled with the traditional anchovies and breadcrumbs.

Ingredients

30 gm coarse fresh breadcrumbs (¼ cup)

3 large ripe Roma tomatoes, halved

2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 sprig each thyme, basil and oregano

6 anchovy fillets, finely chopped

330 gm pizza flour (see note)

1½ tsp dried yeast

¼ tsp caster sugar

2 tbsp milk

1 tbsp olive oil

For dusting: polenta or semolina

80 gm Montasio cheese, diced (see note)

For drizzling: extra-virgin olive oil

Method

Main

1.Preheat oven to 150C. Spread breadcrumbs on an oven tray and cook until dried but not coloured (2-3 minutes). Set aside.

2.Increase oven to 220C and place a heavy oven tray in to heat. Squeeze seeds from tomatoes (discard), coarsely chop and set aside. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add onion and garlic and stir occasionally until golden (8-10 minutes). Add tomato and herbs and stir occasionally until mixture is thick and pulpy (10-15 minutes). Remove herbs (discard), stir in anchovies, cook for another minute, season to taste, then cool to room temperature.

3.Combine flour, yeast, sugar and 1 tsp sea salt in an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Combine milk, oil and 180ml lukewarm water in a jug, then, mixing on low speed, gradually add to flour mixture. Increase speed to medium and knead until smooth and elastic (4-5 minutes). Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, turn to coat, cover with plastic wrap and stand until doubled in size (30-40 minutes).

4.Knock down dough, divide in half and roll out one piece on a polenta-dusted piece of baking paper to a 28cm-diameter round. Scatter with half the breadcrumbs, leaving a 1cm border, then spread with tomato mixture. Scatter with cheese, then with remaining breadcrumbs, then brush edges with water.

5.Roll out remaining dough on a lightly floured surface to a 28cm-diameter round, place over tomato mixture, pinch edges together, then roll up edges and pleat to seal. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil, season and transfer, on baking paper, to preheated oven tray. Bake until puffed and golden brown (40-45 minutes), remove from oven and stand for 15 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve hot.

Pizza flour is a strong baker’s flour. It’s available from select supermarkets and delicatessens. If it’s unavailable, substitute another strong flour. Montasio, a cow’s milk cheese from the Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia regions, is available fresh, semi-aged and aged from select delicatessens; we used fresh. If it’s unavailable, substitute Fontina or stracchino.
This recipe is from the March 2013 issue of
.
Drink Suggestion: An Aperol spritz. Drink suggestion by Max Allen
Notes