Sfincione
Sicilian, from Italian 'spugna' · pronounced sfin-CHO-neh
A Palermitan tray-baked bread, thick and open-crumbed, topped with onion, tomato, anchovy, oregano, breadcrumb and a hard sheep's or caciocavallo cheese — traditionally no mozzarella. It is the ancestor of the American 'Sicilian slice', which replaced almost all of that topping with mozzarella.
Literal meaning
Thick sponge
Region
Palermo, Sicily
Also known as
sfinciuni, Sicilian sfincione
Common misuse
Using 'Sicilian' to mean sfincione. In an American pizzeria 'Sicilian' means a thick mozzarella-topped square; in Sicily it does not.
Related
Evidence
Strongly supported- Accademia Italiana della Cucina — regional Italian food documentation — Accademia Italiana della Cucina
- American Pie: My Search for the Perfect Pizza — Ten Speed Press