St. Louis–style pizza
Regional pizza style
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
St. Louis–style pizza is a type of pizza in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, and surrounding areas.[1] The pizza typically has a thin cracker-like crust made without yeast, is topped with sweet tomato sauce and provel cheese, and is cut into squares or rectangles (rather than wedges).
| |
| Type | Pizza |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | United States |
| Region or state | St. Louis, Missouri |
| Main ingredients | Unleavened pizza dough, sweet tomato sauce, Provel cheese |
St. Louis–style pizza is available at local restaurants and chains, such as Imo's Pizza. Frozen St. Louis–style pizzas are sold at local supermarkets such as Schnucks and Dierbergs Markets.
Distinct characteristics
Thin crust
Typically made without yeast and rolled thin,[1][2] the crust of St. Louis–style pizza is crisp and cracker-like, unlike the doughier deep dish pizza and New York–style pizza.[citation needed]
Instead of the larger pie-like wedges seen in other pizza styles, it is cut into three- or four-inch squares, referred to as a party cut or tavern cut.[3][4][5] It has been suggested that the square cut was inspired by Ed Imo’s former profession as a tile-layer.[6] The smaller slices and rigid crust help support the weight of its toppings.[7]
Provel cheese
Provel cheese is used in place of mozzarella.[1] Provel is a white processed cheese made from cheddar, Swiss, and provolone,[4][8] developed by Costa Grocery in St. Louis during the 1950s. It’s made in Wisconsin by a Kraft Heinz subsidiary, primarily for the St. Louis market.
Sweet tomato sauce
The tomato sauce is seasoned with more oregano than other styles of pizza,[1] and is sweeter, likely due to the influence of Sicilian immigrants upon Italian foods in St. Louis.[1]
