Old Forge Pizza
intro
Iconic rectangular, square-cut Pennsylvania regional pizza with a crisp oiled crust, bright uncooked tomato sauce, and a creamy, melty two-cheese blend.
Ingredients
Steps
Mix pizza dough
In a large mixing bowl, combine 360ml warm (38°C/100°F) water, 10g granulated sugar, and 7g instant yeast. Let sit 5 minutes until the surface appears foamy, indicating active yeast. Add 480g all-purpose flour, 12g kosher salt, and 30ml (2 tbsp) olive oil, stirring with a wooden spoon until a shaggy, sticky dough forms with no dry flour pockets. Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel, and let rest in a warm (24°C/75°F) spot for 60 minutes until the dough doubles in volume.
Shape crust in pan
Generously grease a 33cm x 46cm (13x18 inch) half-sheet pan with the remaining 15ml (1 tbsp) olive oil, coating the bottom, corners, and inner sides fully to prevent sticking and create a crispy crust. Turn the risen dough out onto the oiled pan, and use olive-oiled fingertips to press and stretch the dough evenly across the entire pan surface, pushing it all the way to the edges with no thick raised rim. Let the pressed dough rest, uncovered, for 20 minutes to relax the gluten so it does not shrink during baking.
Make tomato sauce
While the pressed dough rests, stir 400g undrained crushed tomatoes, 9g minced garlic, 1g dried oregano, 1g ground black pepper, and 5g chopped fresh basil in a medium bowl until fully combined. Do not cook the sauce—traditional Old Forge pizza uses raw, bright tomato sauce to prevent a soggy crust. Set the sauce aside at room temperature, and preheat your oven to 245°C (475°F) as the dough finishes resting to ensure it is fully hot for baking.
Assemble pizza layers
Once the rested dough has puffed slightly across the pan, use the back of a metal spoon to spread all of the tomato sauce in a thin, even layer across the entire dough surface, taking care to avoid thick sauce pools that can make the crust soggy. Evenly sprinkle 340g shredded low-moisture mozzarella over the sauce, then top with 113g shredded white American cheese, spreading the cheese all the way to the pan edges to create a crispy, cheesy perimeter.
Bake to crisp perfection
Place the assembled pizza on the middle rack of the preheated 245°C (475°F) oven. Bake for 20-22 minutes, rotating the pan 180 degrees at the 11-minute mark to ensure even browning, until the cheese is bubbly with scattered golden brown spots, and the crust edges are deep golden and crisp to the touch.
Rest and slice to serve
Remove the baked pizza from the oven, and let it rest directly in the pan for 8 minutes to set the cheese and crust—this prevents toppings from sliding when cut. Use a sharp rotary pizza cutter to cut the pie into 12 even square slices (3 cuts across the short side, 4 cuts across the long side) and serve warm.
Tips
2.Do not substitute fresh mozzarella for low-moisture mozzarella in this recipe; fresh mozzarella has a very high water content that will seep into the crust and leave it soggy instead of crisp.
3.White American cheese is a key traditional ingredient for Old Forge pizza, creating the signature smooth, creamy melt and mild, rich flavor; avoid yellow American or extra-sharp cheeses that will overpower the classic taste.
OMG I grew up eating Old Forge pizza every Sunday at my grandma’s house in NEPA and I swear this recipe is dead on! The crispy, chewy rectangular crust, that slightly sweet sauce, the blend of cheeses? I made this for our family dinner last night and even my picky uncle who swears no one makes it like the old neighborhood asked for seconds. Game changer, I’m never buying takeout pizza again!
Tried this for our weekly pizza night with the kids and it was a massive hit! Cook time was a little longer than my usual weeknight meals so I prepped the dough during my lunch break from working from home, let it rise slow in the fridge, and it came together so fast at dinner time. My kids loved it so much they asked to put it on the monthly meal rotation! Only note: I added a little extra oregano because we’re obsessed with it in our house.
Made this on my pizza stone on the grill last weekend for a potluck with the neighbors and everyone was begging for the recipe. The rectangular cut is perfect for serving a crowd, no weird floppy slices, and the crust held up even when people loaded on extra toppings. SO good, will be making this for every backyard hangout from now on.
Wait, has anyone tried making this with a 1:1 gluten free flour blend? I have celiac and have been dying to try Old Forge style pizza since I saw a TikTok about it last month, but I don’t want to waste ingredients if the texture won’t turn out right. Dough recipes are always so hit or miss with GF flour!
Okay so I messed up the first rise because I got caught up binging my show and let the dough double twice, oops. I thought I ruined it but I punched it down, let it rest 10 minutes, and it still turned out incredible? That cheese pull when I took the first slice was unreal, I posted a reel of it and all my friends were asking where I ordered it from. 10/10, even when you half pay attention it slaps.
Full transparency: I’ve never made homemade pizza dough in my life, I usually just buy the pre-made stuff from the grocery store. I was nervous because the difficulty is listed as medium, but the step by step instructions were so easy to follow! I only messed up a little when spreading the dough in the pan, it kept springing back, but I waited a few minutes and it stretched perfectly. Can’t believe I made this myself!
The sauce on this pizza is exactly what I’ve been missing from every other homemade pizza recipe! It’s not too tangy, has that tiny hint of sweetness, and it doesn’t make the crust soggy even when you add a decent amount of it. I made a double batch of the sauce to use for calzones later this week, it’s that good.
I worked at an Old Forge style pizzeria outside of Scranton for 15 years back in the 80s, and this recipe is so close to the one we used to make it made me a little emotional. The only thing we did differently was add a tiny sprinkle of romano cheese on top right before it went in the oven. Otherwise? Spot on. Great work.
How well does this hold up for meal prep? I usually make all my lunches for the week on Sundays, and I’m wondering if this stays good reheated, or if the crust gets soggy in the fridge? I’ve had bad luck with homemade pizza getting mushy after a day or two.
Pro tip for anyone making this: drizzle a little hot honey on top after it comes out of the oven. The sweet heat pairs so perfectly with the savory cheese and slightly sweet sauce, it’s next level. My roommate thought I was crazy until he tried a slice and ate half the pan.
Uh, I used regular active dry yeast instead of instant yeast because that’s all I had in the pantry, and I didn’t adjust anything. Did I completely mess this up? It’s rising right now but I’m panicking because I’m making this for my in-laws who are coming over for dinner tonight, help!
I was a little skeptical because most homemade pizza recipes have that soft, bready crust that I don’t love, but this is perfectly crispy on the bottom and edges, chewy in the middle, exactly how I like it. I used a well-seasoned rectangular baking sheet like the recipe said and didn’t even have issues with it sticking. 10/10, no notes.
I brought this to our office potluck last week and it was the first dish gone! People were hovering around the platter waiting for me to set it down, I swear. I made one classic cheese version and one with sliced sausage and peppers, and both were a hit. Only downside is now my coworkers keep asking me to make it for every office event.
Wait, I cooked mine for 22 minutes instead of the 18 the recipe said because my oven runs cold, and the edges got a little darker than I wanted, but the flavor was still unreal. Definitely recommend checking it a few minutes early if you know your oven has hot spots like mine does, learn from my mistake!
I calculated the cost to make this and it’s literally half the price of ordering delivery pizza for my family of 4, and it tastes 10x better. The ingredients are all super basic pantry staples I usually have on hand anyway, so I don’t even have to make a special trip to the grocery store to make it. Total win for my weekly grocery budget.
Can I load this up with veggie toppings? I love mushrooms, onions, and bell peppers on my pizza, but I don’t want all the water from the veggies to make the crust soggy. Should I cook the veggies first before putting them on top?
Made this for our watch party for the big game last Sunday and it was the perfect game day food. The square slices are easy to grab and eat standing up while you’re yelling at the TV, no plates necessary, and it’s hearty enough that no one was hungry an hour later. We paired it with some wings and it was a perfect spread.
The mix of low-moisture mozz and white cheddar is genius. I never would have thought to add white cheddar to pizza cheese but it adds that little sharp kick that makes it taste exactly like the pizza I had on a trip to Pennsylvania a few years ago. I’ll never go back to just plain mozz on my pizza again.
Wait, do I need a special pizza pan to make this? I only have regular thin baking sheets, no heavy duty half sheet pans, and I’m worried the crust won’t get crispy on the bottom if my pan is too thin. I’ve had so many floppy, soggy crust fails in the past I don’t want to waste ingredients.
Made this for date night with my partner last night and we both agreed it’s better than any of the fancy wood fired pizza places in our neighborhood. We set up a little topping bar with pepperoni, olives, roasted garlic, and basil, and made custom slices, it was such a fun at-home date idea. We’re already planning to make it again next weekend!