If we measured pizza on a spectrum, Chicago deep-dish pizza would sit on one end, and St. Louis-style pizza would sit on the other. All other types of pizza would fall somewhere in between. St. Louis-style pizza is the antithesis to deep-dish pizza in every way, and you’ll understand why when you see it. It has a thin, cracker-like crust that’s cut into squares (known as tavern-style) rather than into wedges, which makes the slices easier to hold and supports the weight of the heavy toppings. But its most defining (and controversial) characteristic is the Provel cheese: a nutty, funky mixture of cheddar, Swiss and provolone that melts easily without being stringy.

St. Louis-style pizza is the easiest pizza to make at home, even when every part is made from scratch (like in our recipe). We’ll let you in on all the secrets to making the most authentic pie possible, including a Provel substitute if you can’t get your hands on it.

What is St. Louis-style pizza?

St. Louis-style pizza is a type of regional pizza made famous by the Missouri chain Imo’s Pizza. It has a thin, cracker-like crust that’s topped almost all the way to the edges with sweet pizza sauce and Provel cheese—a type of process cheese made from cheddar, Swiss and provolone. The pie is cut tavern-style (into squares or rectangles instead of wedges), and is the perfect sharing pizza.

Ingredients for St. Louis-Style Pizza

• All-purpose flour: While most pizza crust recipes use bread flour or 00 flour for a chewy and tender crust, St. Louis-style pizza crust is more similar to a cracker. Stick with all-purpose flour for this recipe.
• Baking powder: We want the crust to rise just a little bit, so it’s not completely flat and delicate.
• Olive oil: Olive oil prevents gluten from forming, making the crust crispy rather than chewy while adding a bit of richness and fat for flavor.
• Tomatoes: The tomato sauce is made from scratch in this recipe, so gather good-quality tomato paste and crushed tomatoes in puree. I love San Marzano tomatoes for making tomato sauce.
• Sugar: St. Louis-style pizza sauce leans sweet, and is made with 1/2 cup of granulated sugar.
• Herbs: Dried oregano and basil add herbaceous notes to the sweet pizza sauce.
• Provel: Provel cheese is a St. Louis-style pizza staple. If you can’t find it at your local grocer, use a mixture of 1-1/2 cups of shredded white cheddar, 1 cup of shredded provolone and 1 cup of shredded Swiss.
• Toppings: Our recommended toppings for St. Louis-style pizza are pepperoni, thinly sliced green peppers and red onions. Since the crust is so thin and delicate, you want the toppings to be lightweight.

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