I consider myself something of a pizza aficionado. I’ve eaten pizza in Chicago, New York, Italy (I ate a lot of pizza in Italy), but until I came to live out here in Missouri, I didn’t know there was also a St. Louis style as well. I love thin crust pizza (and pan, and deep dish, and hand-tossed), so I was excited to try a new variety when I found out about it, and believe me, I did not feel disappointed. The keys to a St. Louis style pizza are threefold: a thin, cracker-like crust, a special blend of cheese called Provel, and a slightly sweet tomato sauce. The crispiness of the yeast-free crust with the buttery gooeyness of the Provel are a delicious combination, and the sweeter sauce adds another twist to the classic pizza. Provel cheese is a mixture of swiss, cheddar, and provolone cheese that may be more difficult to find the further you get away from St. Louis, but don’t worry! You can also make your own blend as well if they don’t carry it in the deli section of your grocery store. Let’s make some pizza!

St. Louis Style Pizza

1 thin yeast-free pizza crust (recipe here)

1/4 pound of shredded Provel cheese (or a combination of swiss, cheddar, and provolone)

8 oz tomato sauce

3 tablespoons tomato paste

2 teaspoons basil

2 teaspoons oregano

1 tablespoon sugar

toppings of your choice

To make the sauce, whisk the tomato sauce, tomato paste, basil, oregano, and sugar together in a bowl. Set aside.

Shred your Provel cheese, or mix together 2 parts provolone cheese, one part cheddar cheese, one part swiss cheese, and a drop or two of liquid smoke if you have it.

Prepare your yeast-free thin crust and pre-bake the crust in a 425° oven until the edges just start to turn brown. Mine usually takes about 15 minutes to do so. Add your sauce and generously sprinkle your cheese and toppings on top. Give the pizza a final sprinkle of some oregano or homemade pizza seasoning and bake for an additional 10 minutes or so until the cheese starts to look golden brown. Cut the pizza into squares instead of triangles (it’s the St. Louis way!) and enjoy!

Mmm, thin + crispy, melty + gooey, sweet + salty…perfection. Plus, there’s something about pizza cut into squares that I really love—it feels a little rebellious. Anyway, if you’ve never tried a St. Louis style pizza before, I highly recommend it. And remember, I have an honorary PhD. in Pizza Studies from Youwannapizzame University, so you can totally trust me… xo. Laura

Credits // Author and Photography: Laura Gummerman. Photos edited with A Beautiful Mess actions.