Deep-dish delights

In 2016 the North Shore dining scene welcomed Fiamma, specializing in Neapolitan pies baked in a wood-burning oven and topped with unique ingredients: Peppadew peppers, buffalo mozzarella and pancetta, for example.

Those creative artisan pies have been Fiamma’s claim to fame ever since; but now, the eatery is making a left turn — a deliciously cheesy left turn — away from that wood oven and toward its gas one, which is where Fiamma is baking its new Sicilian pizzas.

The wood oven, which reaches temperatures between 700-800 degrees Fahrenheit, is too hot for the new deep-dish, square-shaped pies, explained General Manager Brion Voge. And the difference between the Neapolitan and Sicilian pies involves more than just the ovens they’re baked in, but their preparation as well.

Preparing the Sicilian pies is much more labor-intensive.

First, the dough must rise; then it must be pan-pressed, left to rise again, and then partially baked and cooled — all before a customer even places their order. For that reason, Fiamma offers only a limited number of Sicilian pies per day.

Lucky diners who order in time may choose among the classic “pomodoro,” the spicy “diavola,” or the meat-lover’s “Americano.” Or, they may build their own Sicilian, choosing any number of Fiamma’s famous ingredients, from veggies to meats to cheeses.

Between its toppings and its size — 14-by-10-inches with a 3/4-inch depth — the Sicilian is a lot of pie. So it makes sense that Fiamma offers its Sicilian pizzas whole or by the slice, which is actually half the pie, Brion said.

Not to be outshined, the Neapolitan is now available in 10-inch as well as 14-inch sizes. After all, Fiamma knows those creative, artisan pies are its claim to fame. But the restaurant is also aware that one can’t go wrong with deep-dish.