This is my recipe interpretation of copycat Di Carlo’s style pizza. Di Carlo’s style pizza is an institution in the tri state area of Ohio, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania.

**** This recipe was updated January 13, 2020 with edits and new photos****

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If you are reading this, it’s because you probably live too far away from a Di Carlo’s Original Pizza and were craving the unmistakeable Ohio Valley pizza sooooooooo so badly. They pretty much put Ohio Valley Pizza on the map. Literally, hands down, the best pizza I have ever eaten.

Have you ever noticed that people are territorial about their pizza no matter where they are from? Well, I’m from the Ohio Valley, and yes, Ohio Valley has their own Regional Style. Let me first describe what Ohio Valley Pizza is. What it isn’t is your typical run of the mill circular pizza pie. It’s square in shape, the uncooked toppings are usually added on top of the sauce out of the oven as it’s sliced and slightly cooled. The sauce is more of a stewed tomato type sauce, and it’s typically sold by the slice.

If you are from the Ohio Valley, Wheeling, WV and Pittsburgh area, then you know this is one of the most highly coveted pizzas around. If you ate this pizza as a kid growing up, (like I did, in the Mingo Junction/Steubenville Ohio area.) and have since moved away, you will inevitably make time to stop in and order some when you go back home to visit just to get a taste of the goods again. Oh, and they don’t deliver. At least not back in the day.

There’s no other pizza like it around. If you have ever eaten this pizza, then you understand that you can’t even wait to get home to eat it. You tear into the box in the car. Pizza in one hand and the other hand white knuckling the steering wheel. It might be worse than texting and driving. I don’t text and drive…and I plead the 5th on eating and driving. One slice is never enough!

You can refer to more history on their About Page on the Original DiCarlo’s Pizza website regarding the first DiCarlo’s ever opened. But here’s a quick rundown.

Primo Di Carlo was the son of Michael and Caroline Di Carlo, who immigrated to the United States from Italy. They owned and operated a grocery store in Steubenville Ohio. My birth town. They later expanded to a bakery as well. Primo decided he wanted to get in the pizza business when he returned from serving in the military during World War II. While stationed in Italy, he noticed that the locals were making a crispy bread, topping it with tomato sauce and cheese and selling it. He believed he could make a similar concept to succeed in his home town. He pretty much hit it out of the ballpark.

When he returned home from Italy, he and his brother Galdo adapted the Italian recipe. They opened their first pizza shop in Steubenville, Ohio in 1945 and sold pieces of their pizza ­ which they called “poor man’s cheesecake” ­ for 10 cents a slice. They basically put pizza on the map in the Steubenville, Ohio and the Wheeling, West Virginia area. When most people think of Ohio Valley Pizza they automatically think of Di Carlo’s.

Factoid: Crooner Dean Martin’s hometown was Steubenville, Ohio and it is said he was “gumbas” with the Di Carlo family.

The creamy stringiness of the cold provolone & mozzarella cheeses is almost indescribable. Yes, you heard me right. I said cold cheeses. It’s sprinkled over top of the steamy sauce straight out of the oven and layered with room temperature pepperoni. The steam of the pizza box melts the cheese and warms the pepperoni to sheer perfection. I swear I can smell it just talking about it. The crispiness of the outside crust combined with the light & airy inside will have you hooked after the first bite. People have been known to fist fight over corner slices! I exaggerate, but you get my drift.

There really are no words. You simply have to try this pizza for yourself at least once in your life. And if you can’t? Well, I feel sorry for you. So here is my very own tribute adapted recipe interpretation that is reminiscent of that distinct Ohio Vally pizza.

I called upon my memory of the flavors and adapted and substituted ingredients I thought would work for me to come close enough to give me that feeling of nostalgia and satisfy my insatiable cravings for this pizza. And I do mean insatiable! Please, puh-lease understand that I am not claiming this to be the original recipe. I have no idea what it is. I’m sure it’s under lock and key.

COPYCAT Di CARLO’S STYLE PIZZA DOUGH RECIPE:

1 teaspoon active dry yeast

1/2 Tablespoon organic honey (OR 3 teaspoons sugar)

1/4 cup warm water (110-115 degrees)

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup bread flour

1 cup tipo (00) flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup warm water

1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil (plus more for rising dough and baking sheet)

***** For best results, I recommend that you make the dough ahead of time (if you’re able) at least 4-6 hours ahead or you can do a slow cold ferment in the refrigerator overnight.

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

******I also recommend you use a mix of all the flours. You can usually find tipo flour at Italian specialty markets. Or you may purchase tipo flour here. If you don’t have any one hand just adjust measurements and use 1 1/2 cup of each of all purpose flour and bread flour.

Read all about a cold ferment here.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE PIZZA DOUGH:

In small ceramic or glass dish, add 1 teaspoon yeast, 1/2 tablespoon organic honey, and 1/4 cup warm water. Let stand for 10 minutes to activate yeast. It should be nice and bubbly.

In a separate large bowl add 1 cup all purpose flour, 1 cup bread flour, 1 cup tipo flour, 1 teaspoon salt. Whisk ingredients together.

Once yeast has activated, add the yeast and about 3/4 cup of water. Don’t add all the water in case you don’t need it. Give the flour time to absorb the liquid. Dough should come together in a shaggy ball. It there are still dry bits of flour add water a tablespoon at a time until dough comes together in a shaggy ball.

Turn dough out on a clean counter or surface and knead for at least 5 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic.

Return dough to bowl and drizzle some Extra Virgin Olive oil over the dough and oil sides of bowl lightly. Cover bowl with a plastic wrap or a clean towel.

Let rise in a warm area free of drafts such as your microwave or counter for at least 4-6 hours.

If doing a cold rise; place in fridge overnight and bring back to room temperature before shaping & baking. ( I have used both a counter rise and cold ferment overnight and have gotten delicious results from both.)

The sauce is really simple and can also be made ahead of time if desired. It’s made with very few ingredients and takes very little preparation. Over the years I have found that 6 in 1 tomatoes give me the best results. They have that sweet tomato-y flavor that mimics the sauce the closest in my opinion. I have to special order them from a grocer called Taylor’s Market in California. But you can find them here also, 6 in 1 tomatoes.

COPYCAT Di CARLO’S STYLE PIZZA TOMATO SAUCE RECIPE:

One 28 oz. can of 6 in 1 all purpose ground tomatoes

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 Tablespoon brown sugar

Mix of provolone and mozzarella cheese for topping the pizza (you can sometimes find a bag of mixed provolone and mozzarella blend.)

***** Optional: you can add a slice of either green pepper or pepper of your choice to cook in the sauce but I recommend removing the pepper before putting the sauce on the dough.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR COPYCAT Di CARLO’s STYLE PIZZA SAUCE:

To a deep sauce pot add canned tomatoes, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, sea salt and brown sugar. You can throw in a pepper if you’d like but I don’t use pepper at all in my sauce anymore. Stir and simmer on low medium heat for 15-20 minutes.

ASSEMBLY OF PIZZA:

Preheat oven to 500 degrees an hour before baking.

Lightly oil the bottom and sides of your baking pan with extra virgin olive oil. I used a 15 x 10 baking sheet and all of my dough. If you truly want the legit Di Carlo’s pizza experience, you can use a square pizza pan.

Remove your dough from the bowl and place in the center of your pan.

Don’t roll the dough. Spread the dough out with your hands all the way to and up the sides. You don’t want to ruin the integrity or overwork it. Be patient and gentle with it. If it is rubber banding back on itself, cover it and give it 5 minutes or so to relax the gluten.

Now that your dough is situated in the pan, poke it with a fork to prevent air bubbles from happening while baking.

Place the pizza in a 500 degree oven on bottom rack and bake for about 10 minutes or until dough just begins to to get lightly brown. You don’t want to overcook the dough. Remove the pan and decrease oven temperature to 425 degrees.

Spoon a thin layer of sauce on the dough making sure not to cover the crust in sauce. Leave about 1/2 inch border.

Lightly sprinkle on a very small amount of mix of mozzarella and provolone cheese before placing back in oven. This is just to absorb some of the liquid so the dough doesn’t become soggy.

Place in 425 degree oven for about 6-8 minutes or until crust is golden brown and bottom of pizza crust sounds hollow when you check it with a spatula. Remove from oven.

Immediately sprinkle on the provolone and mozzarella cheese mix and top with room temperature pepperoni.My favorite pepperoni to use with this recipe is Margherita pepperoni. Sometimes, I’ll use Boar’s Head pepperoni. I feel these two pepperoni brands comes the closest to Di Carlo’s pepperoni flavor.

Give the pizza a few minutes for the cheese to melt and the pepperoni to warm before you slice it.

Take note of the golden brown thin crispy crust, yet airy, chewy interior. It’s so delicious and like no other pizza you’ve had before. Whenever I’m craving a slice of Di Carlo’s Original pizza, this copycat version that I’ve created really hits the spot. One bite of this pizza and it just might transport you back to your childhood memories.

This pizza is also great reheated. Reheat in preheated oven at 325 degree oven for 5-10 minutes.



