My First Sicilian

[zalicious]

I made a pizza tonight inspired by a recipe by Bond 007. Sorry, I can't give a link 'cause I'm a noob    I used:
3c BF
1c Semolina
1T IDY
1T sugar
1t salt
1/4c OO
and about 1 1/8c water
My bread machine did the mixing & kneading, & then I plopped it into an oiled bowl to rise for a couple of hours. I then smooshed it into an oiled roasting pan, & let it rest about 25 min before putting on the toppings. That was my mistake, as it came out too breadlike. But, boy was it delicious! The crust was wonderfully crispy, yet tender, & the flavor fantastic. Any recommendations on when to dress this kind of pie? Should I have done it as soon as I spread it into the pan? Oh, yeah, I baked it in the center of my oven @ 450 for 20 min.

[scott r]

Actually you did the right thing.  It is customary for sicilian pizzas to rest in the pan and rise a bit before baking.  You are probably just used to pizzas made with bromated flour.  I have never found a pizzeria making sicilian pizza without using it.  Be glad that you are staying away from the bromate as it is potentially a carcinogen.  Maybe you can play with omitting the semolina, or using different mixing procedures to change the texture.  A wetter dough might help as well.  Good luck!

[zalicious]

Thanks for the suggestions; as I will absolutely be trying this again. My crust rose to about 1 inch, a bit higher than I wanted or expected. It's been SO long since I've had an authentic one. I've forgotten how tall it should  be?

[scott r]

Some places do go as high as 1 inch.  I would go for about 3/4 myself.

[Rock808]

What size pan did you use and where did you get it?

[zalicious]

At the time I was using an enameled broiler pan ( I think it came with the oven?). It measures about 10x13" on the bottom &  11 1/2x14" across the top, and a little less than 1 1/2" deep. It worked very well, & is a nice size for a big scrumptious Sicilian pie.

[perna]

I used the broiler pan to make a sicilian pie last night, used the pizza hut recipe and it came out AMAZING!

I do need to adjust either the temp or the cooking time a bit. I prebaked the crust with a bit of sauce for 10 mins, which was a bit too long because when I topped it and put it back in to bake the crust was done in 5 mins but the cheese wasnt done. Only took 2 mins under the broiler to melt the cheese but the crust got a bit over done in a few spots.

Next pie I will only prebake for 5 mins, top it and bake for 10 mins, I will keep it at 450 and see how it works.