St. Louis-style pizza

St. Louis-style pizza is a distinct style of pizza popular in St. Louis, Missouri, and surrounding areas.^{[citation needed]} The definitive characteristics of St. Louis-style pizza are a super-thin yeast-less crust, the common (but not mandatory) use of Provel processed cheese, and pizzas cut into squares or rectangles instead of large wedge shaped slices. Provel is a trademark for three cheeses fused to form one (provolone, Swiss, and white Cheddar), used instead of (or, rarely, in addition to) the mozzarella or provolone common to other styles of pizza.

Provel cheese was developed by the St. Louis firm Costa Grocery in the 1950s and is made in Wisconsin primarily for the St. Louis market. The cheese is not widely available outside the St. Louis area but can be made by combining swiss, sharp cheddar and smoked provolone cheeses.

Crust

A St. Louis-style thin crust pizza fresh from the oven, featuring a variety of toppings.

The thin, cracker-like round crust is made without yeast, as opposed to a deep dish Chicago-style pizza or the thin but leavened New York-style pizza.^{[citation needed]} The crust of a St. Louis pizza is somewhat crisp and cannot be folded easily so the pizza is typically cut into three- or four-inch squares or rectangles instead of the pie-like wedges typical of many pizza styles. Some local restaurants make their pizzas rectangular rather than round. Like Chicago-style thin crust pizza, the St. Louis pizza is cut into squares and is referred to as party or tavern cut. According to local legend, Ed Imo was a tile layer and cut his pizza accordingly.

The sauce is often seasoned with more oregano than other pizza types.^{[citation needed]} Despite its thin crust, St. Louis-style pizza can be layered deeply with many different toppings because of the sturdiness of the cracker-like crust. Some of the sauces used have a sweetness to them which is likely the influence of the Sicilian immigrants who came to the city in the first half of the 20th century.^{[citation needed]}

See also

• Cuisine of the Midwestern United States
• People and culture of St. Louis, Missouri