Pane Cunzato (Sicilian Dressed Bread)
Warm, crusty Sicilian rolls drenched in olive oil and filled with ripe tomatoes, olives, anchovies and pecorino.
Made with Basic bread dough. Make a batch of the base first, then this takes minutes. Skip to the method
- Time55 min
- LevelEasy
- Costabout £1.56 a head
- Oven220°C (200°C fan)
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Divide your ready made bread dough (see the base recipe) into 4 pieces of 150 g. Shape each into an oval roll, place on a lined tray, cover and prove for 30 minutes until puffy.
30 min - 2
Heat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan). Slash each roll once lengthways and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until deep golden and hollow sounding underneath. Cool for 10 minutes.
19 min - 3
Toss the sliced onion with the vinegar and a pinch of salt and leave for 10 minutes to soften.
10 min - 4
Split the warm rolls open. Drizzle the cut sides generously with olive oil, pressing it into the crumb, then season the tomato slices with salt and oregano.
- 5
Fill each roll with tomato, onion, olives, anchovies and pecorino. Drizzle with a little more oil.
- 6
Press the lid on, wait 5 minutes so the juices soak in, then eat with your hands.
Tips
- Use the ripest tomatoes you can find. Out of season, cherry tomatoes halved and salted for 10 minutes taste far better.
- The bread should be generously oiled. Pane cunzato means dressed bread, so do not be shy with good olive oil.
- Anchovies are salty, so go lightly on added salt. Leave them out for a vegetarian version.
Storing and freezing
Best eaten within 1 hour of filling. Plain baked rolls keep for 2 days or freeze for 1 month. Keep leftover filled rolls in the fridge for no more than 1 day.
Questions
Is pane cunzato vegetarian?
It is not as written because of the anchovies and the traditional animal rennet in pecorino. For a vegetarian version, leave out the anchovies and use a vegetarian hard cheese in its place.
What bread is traditionally used?
In Sicily it is made on a freshly baked loaf of local bread, often a round or long loaf with a chewy crust. Soft rolls from basic bread dough are a good home version.
Can I make it dairy free?
Yes. Leave out the pecorino and add extra olives and a handful of capers or torn basil. Rinse the capers first, as they are very salty.
More made with basic bread dough
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.