Method

• 1.
  Whisk the flour, yeast, 11/2 tbs oil, 1 tsp salt and 225ml warm water in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment at a medium speed for 10 minutes.
• 2.
  Use 1 tbs oil to thoroughly grease a 23cm-25cm round cake pan and pour in the dough. Pour the remaining 21/2 tbs oil over the whole surface of dough so that it can rise in the pan but won’t dry out.
• 3.
  You can spread the oil with your fingers if you dip them in oil rst. Leave in a warm place to rise and double in volume. This could take anywhere between 1-4 hours, depending on the warmth of the room. The slower the rise, the better the flavour and the larger the holes in the bread, so it is better not to rush it.
• 4.
  Meanwhile, fry onion in oil in a small pan over low heat with anchovies and some freshly ground black pepper until the onion is soft and slightly caramelised. This will take up to 15 minutes – you don’t want the onion to take on any colour but you want the sweetness to come through.
• 5.
  Add the tomatoes, tomato paste and 1 tsp oregano and stir through. Bring to the boil, then simmer over low heat for 40 minutes until reduced. Set aside.
• 6.
  Preheat the oven to 200°C. When the dough is swollen, pour over about 150g of the sfincione sauce and scatter with remaining oregano. Transfer the bread to the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
• 7.
  Scatter the cheese over and bake for a further 5-10 minutes until the sauce has started to brown around the edges and the cheese has melted.
• 8.
  Take the pizza out of the oven and remove from the pan straight away. Allow to cool on a wire rack. Cut into wedges and serve. Use the leftover sfincione sauce stirred into pasta or as a topping for cooked fish.