St. Louis-Style Pizza: Provel, Thin Crust, Square Cut

St. Louis-style pizza has a thin, crisp, cracker-like crust, a sweeter sauce seasoned with oregano and a topping of Provel, a processed cheese made from cheddar, Swiss and provolone. It is cut into small squares, called the party cut or tavern cut, instead of wedges. It is the pizza of St. Louis, Missouri, and it is unlike any other American style.

What is St. Louis-style pizza?

St. Louis-style pizza is defined by four things that rarely appear together. The crust is thin and crisp, close to a cracker. The sauce is sweeter than most and carries a lot of oregano. The cheese is Provel, not mozzarella. And the pie is cut into squares or rectangles, usually three to four inches across.

Toppings are spread right out to the edge so that every square has the same bite. The pie is usually round, but because the squares are small and the crust is firm, you pick up a piece and it holds. It is a bar-food pizza at heart, built for sharing around a table with a drink.

What is the cracker crust like on this pizza?

The crust is round and cracker-thin. A common internet myth says it is unleavened, but most pizzerias and historical recipes use yeast. What stays true is that the dough is rolled thin and baked until crisp, so there is no puffy rim to hold. Expect a snap when you bite and a crumb that is more biscuit than bread.

Because the crust is thin, it cooks fast and does not sag under the toppings. That is why it is a favorite for loaded pies. If you want a chewy slice, this is not the style for you. If you want a crisp one, order it well done.

What is Provel cheese?

Provel is a processed cheese made from cheddar, Swiss and provolone, with a low melting point, so it turns soft and gooey and does not stretch like mozzarella. Sources give different dates for its invention, from 1947 to the 1950s, and say a St. Louis grocery developed it. One trade article suggests its smoky flavor, which comes from liquid smoke, may have been meant to imitate pizza from a wood-burning oven.

Provel is the part of the style that people argue about. Some love the creamy, tangy melt and others miss the stretch. The way to judge it is to taste it, ideally on a plain cheese or a sausage pie, before you load on toppings.

Why is the sauce sweeter, with so much oregano?

St. Louis pizza sauce is sweeter than most American pizza sauces and seasoned with more oregano. The cause is thought to be Sicilian immigrant influence in the city, where Italian families settled in neighborhoods such as the Hill and brought their cooking with them. Sauce, Provel and thin crust together give the pie its taste: sweet, herby, salty and smoky at the same time.

What is the tavern cut on a pizza?

The pie is cut into squares or rectangles, three to four inches across, in what is called the party cut or tavern cut. The shape is easy to share and easy to eat standing up, and a cut of this kind is older than the pizza itself, so it was borrowed from tavern food. A story says a founder's former job as a tile layer inspired the grid, but the page that tells it notes that this style of cutting predates him.

When you order, expect the server to ask about cuts only if you want triangles. In most places, squares are the default, and you count the squares, not the slices.

How do you order St. Louis-style pizza?

Start with a simple pie. Ask for the thin crust, say whether you want it well done and choose one or two toppings. Order the toasted ravioli on the side if you are a first-timer, since the two are often served together in the city's Italian neighborhoods. The toasted ravioli guide explains that dish, and the guide to the Hill shows where the Italian-American cooking is based.

Ask whether the pizza is made in house, how the crust is rolled and whether the cheese is Provel or mozzarella. Supermarkets in the area also sell frozen versions, which shows how local the style is. If you cannot go to St. Louis, a frozen pie will teach you the idea.

How can Mosey help you compare pizza styles?

Pizza arguments are easier to settle with notes. When you rate a place on Mosey, rate the dish, and use the note for the crust, the cheese and the sauce, since they are three separate judgments. Add tags such as Pizza or Family Friendly, so friends can search for what you liked.

Make a list of the styles you want to try, from thin crust to deep dish, and add a note for each stop. Send it to friends by link and follow them to see where they rate and save. Rating five different pizza places earns the Sampler mark, and the Dishes page shows what people are rating near you.

Mosey is free for a place to list, with no hidden fees, so the corner pizzeria is on the same footing as the chain. For Midwest comfort food of another kind, read about Minnesota hotdish. See the New York pizza styles guide and the US food guides for more.

What should you remember before you go?

Taste the cheese plain, count in squares and order the sauce and crust you like. Check hours with the place.

Open the Mosey app, rate your first St. Louis pizza by the dish and start a pizza styles list.