Semolina flour is the ingredient that makes this pizza stand out. What is semolina flour? Semolina is a form of wheat, but not on the same genetic branches as the flours you might normally use to make bread or pizza crusts. It's more commonly used to make pasta. It's commonly quite yellow in color and fairly coarse, absorbing water much differently than standard wheat.
This style of pizza is particularly popular in New York and on the east coast, noted for it's rectangular size and for the cheese often being under the sauce. Make sure you plan out enough time as this dough needs to be started the day before.
SICILIAN STYLE
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3 Cups semolina flour
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1 1/2 Cups water
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1 1/2 Teaspoons instant yeast
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1 Teaspoon salt
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2 Tablespoons salt
1. If you would like to proof the yeast, do so now. Stir the yeast into the warm water and wait several minutes. If your yeast is active, it will start to blossom up from the bottom of your container.
2. The day before making your pizza, combine the following: 2 cups of the semolina flour, all of the water and all of the yeast. Once mixed, it will have the texture of a thick batter. This will need to sit for 24 hours. Cover your bowl and place it into the fridge.
3. The next day, several hours before you would like to sere your pizza, remove the dough from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for an hour.
4. After an hour, add the remaining ingredients: First add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the dough and stir until combined. Then add the teaspoon of salt and the remaining cup of flour. Stir until combined and a mass of dough forms. You may have to knead the dough by hand in order for everything to fully incorporate. Leave your dough covered on the counter for an hour.
5. After an hour, grease your pan with olive oil. Baking the crust in the oil is a large component of the flavor so this is important. Press the dough out by hand until it reaches the edges of the pan. If it is resistant to stretching, let it rest for a few minutes so it can relax. Let the dough rest covered in the pan for another hour.
6. Heat your oven to 450 degrees. Dress your pizza with sauce, toppings and cheese. Bake the pizza for 20 to 25 minutes until cheese is bubbling and the crust is starting to brown.
7. Because this crust has a lower gluten content, it will be harder to cleanly remove from the pan. It will be easier in the long run to cut the pizza in the pan. Just remember to not use metal as you will scratch the pan. You should be able to cut pieces out using a spatula. You can also purchase pizza wheel cutters made out of plastic that can be used in metal pans.
