St. Louis Style Pizza
intro
Thin, cracker-crisp crust, tangy thick sauce, and creamy Provel cheese, cut into shareable squares for a classic Midwestern St. Louis bite.
Ingredients
Steps
Mix the crust dough
Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together 240g all-purpose flour, 1 tsp fine sea salt, and 1/2 tsp baking powder. Add 2 tbsp (30ml) canola oil and 6 tbsp (90ml) cold water, stirring with a fork until a shaggy, firm dough forms, then knead by hand for 2 minutes until smooth, with no dry flour remaining.
Roll crust to thin sheet
Use the remaining 1 tsp (5ml) canola oil to lightly grease a 12x17 inch (30x43cm) rimmed baking sheet. Place the dough in the center of the sheet, and use a wooden rolling pin to roll it evenly to cover the entire pan surface, pressing dough to 1/8-inch thickness up the pan’s slight rim to form a narrow edge. Prick the entire crust surface all over with a fork at 1-inch intervals to prevent air bubbles during baking.
Par-bake the thin crust
Place the baking sheet on the middle rack of the preheated 425°F (220°C) oven, and par-bake for 5 minutes until the crust is set and very pale golden, with no raw dough patches. Remove from oven, and use a fork to press down any large puffed air bubbles that have formed on the crust surface.
Mix the pizza sauce
While the crust par-bakes, stir together 170g tomato paste, 2 tbsp (30ml) water, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp granulated sugar, and 1/4 tsp ground black pepper in a small glass bowl until completely smooth, with no lumps of tomato paste remaining. The finished sauce will be thick and spreadable, not runny, to avoid soggy crust.
Layer sauce and cheese
Spoon all of the thick sauce onto the warm par-baked crust, and use the back of a spoon to spread it in an even, thin layer across the entire surface, leaving the 1/4-inch raised crust edge bare. Sprinkle all 227g of shredded Provel cheese evenly over the sauce, covering every sauced spot completely with no gaps.
Bake until crisp and melted
Return the assembled pizza to the middle rack of the 425°F (220°C) oven, and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the cheese is fully melted and bubbly across the surface, and the edges of the crust are deep golden brown and crisp to the touch.
Cut into party squares
Remove the pizza from the oven, and let it rest for 2 minutes on the pan to set. Use a sharp wheel pizza cutter to cut the pizza into 2x2 inch (5x5cm) square slices, rather than traditional triangular wedges, before serving warm.
Tips
2.If Provel cheese is unavailable at your local grocery store, make a close substitute by blending equal parts shredded low-moisture mozzarella, mild white cheddar, and provolone for the same creamy, smooth melt.
3.Do not skip pricking the crust before par-baking: this step prevents large, puffy air pockets that cause toppings to slide off and create uneven slices.
OMG this is exactly the St. Louis pizza I grew up eating at family cookouts back home! The thin crispy crust and that iconic provel cheese hit so different, I made it for my kid’s birthday potluck last weekend and every single slice was gone in 10 minutes. SO easy to throw together too, no fancy kneading or long rise required, total game changer for busy weeknight dinners.
Wait, quick question—do I *have* to use provel cheese? My local grocery store doesn’t carry it, I’ve been using a mozz/provolone blend for pizza nights but it never tastes quite right. The crust recipe was perfect though, super crispy even when I loaded it up with pepperoni and mushrooms for our family dinner last night. My kids loved it, they kept begging for seconds before they even finished their first slices!
Made this for my Cardinals watch party (baseball, not football, don’t @ me) last weekend and my whole crew was raving. I was worried the thin crust would get soggy with all the toppings I piled on—Italian sausage, banana peppers, extra sauce—but it held up perfectly! Cook time was exactly as listed too, no guessing games with the oven temp. Only tiny note is I’d add a little extra oregano next time to match my personal taste.
I was skeptical a pizza this easy could actually taste authentic, but wow—SO good. I prepped a bunch of the crusts ahead of time on Sunday and stored them in the fridge for quick dinners all week, they held up perfectly even after 4 days. I brought a slice to my coworker at lunch and she immediately asked for the recipe, so that’s the ultimate seal of approval if you ask me.
I tried making this last night with a 1:1 gluten free all-purpose flour blend and it was *almost* perfect! The crust was a little more crumbly than I remember regular St. Louis pizza being, but the flavor was spot on—even my non-GF teen ate two slices without complaining. Wondering if anyone else has tested GF swaps for this crust?
Y’all. I left St. Louis 5 years ago and have been craving proper Imo’s-style pizza ever since, I can’t believe how dead on this recipe is! The square cut, the sweet tangy sauce, that perfect cheese pull—my roommate who’s from New York even admitted it was better than his usual foldable slice (don’t tell his nonna). This is going straight into my permanent dinner rotation for sure.