St. Louis style crust

Can anyone help me out with a recipe for this style crust....I'm from St. Louis and I LOVE Imo's, Cecil Whittaker's, Fortel's, etc...

Made a thick crust pizza last week and it turned out really good...but my heart's in the st. Louis style crust

no one can help me out with this one???

Iconic, sorry. I had searched a little when I saw your post the other day, but I couldn't find any recipes specifically for St. Louis-style crust. I also love St. Louis pizza, having grown up in Springfield, MO.

Here's a link to some discussion of making pizza dough, and there are some great general tips. Maybe you could adapt a recipe.
http://www.roadfood.com/Forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1052

Also, for you or any others, here's a link devoted to St. Louis pizza and other items. http://foodcraver.com/stlouisstylp3.html

If I run across anything else, I'll add it. Good luck!

It's the square beyond compare!!!!!!!!

St. Louis style is very thin cracker style crust...ie: Imo's, Cecil Whittakers, Fortel's, etc.

Most of them use Provel Cheese..or a Provel,Cheddar,Mozzarella mix. The are also sliced into squares instead of the traditional slice shape...

Can anyone provide pictures of this style of pizza?

Mr. Rushmore, here's a picture of a version of St. Louis pizza at the Pizza House in Springfield, MO. This was taken on a trip last summer.

I'm just taking a stab in the dark on this one... Since I've never had a St Louie Pie I'm just going on the thin crust concept. Here's a link to an article that might help you on your mission there. Good Luck!

http://pizzatoday.com/production_articles.shtml?article=NDEwc3VwZXI0MDdzZWNyZXQ0MTQ=

Good lookin pie, Bushie!

Actually, about the only St. Louis-style crust place that uses provel is Imo's - one of the very worst choices available. They don't do a good job with the crust and it ends up like chewy cardboard instead of having crunch. Really, it's awful and a lot of locals won't eat there.

One of the best options for a really good St. Louis style pizza is Fortel's. They use mozzerella and they don't skimp on the toppings. They've also got the crust just right - the right thickness and the right amount of crisp crunch to it. I could eat there four or five days a week.

As I understand it, the reason for the squares is that the 'standard' wedge-shaped cut doesn't work well with the very thin crisp crust - the wedges tend to crumble at the tip. The squares hold up better and are easier to handle.

Dang, now I'm drooling for Fortel's...might have to drag the hubby there for dinner tonight...

quote:

Originally posted by clothier

Why would you cut a pizza into squares?

I've had it before, but it just doesn't make any geometric sense.

Where's a food anthropologist when you need one?

It's called a "Party Cut". When I managed a pizza shop down in Indy that was the only way we cut them (Square), unless a customer asked otherwise. I personally thought it was a regional thing since I'm from Michigan where we cut them in Slices!

quote:

Originally posted by clothier

Why would you cut a pizza into squares?

I've had it before, but it just doesn't make any geometric sense.

Where's a food anthropologist when you need one?

That's just one of the reasons I can't stand Donato's.

quote:

Originally posted by TJ Jackson

Good lookin pie, Bushie!

And TASTES even better, TJ!

What kind of depraved, moronic, schmuck would cut a round pizza into squares? What is this world coming too? Anybody that cuts a round pizza into squares ought to be drawn and quartered themselves! Their families should be slaughtered, their unborn should be aborted. Write your congress people! Talk to your county commissioners, your city council!

My god, it's probably not even kosher!!!!!

Can you think of anything worse than a round pizza cut into SQUARES? How unAmerican!!!!!! How unItalian!!!!!!

Help stop this travesty before it spreads.

Cakes

quote:

Originally posted by Cakes

What kind of depraved, moronic, schmuck would cut a round pizza into squares? What is this world coming too? Anybody that cuts a round pizza into squares ought to be drawn and quartered themselves! Their families should be slaughtered, their unborn should be aborted. Write your congress people! Talk to your county commissioners, your city council!

I sure hope your not refrering to me being a depraved, moronic, schmuck for slicing the pie into squares! Even in managment you do what the upper "Suits" tell you to do. Square cuts (party cuts) make a nice finger food. I though totally agree with you on cutting them in slices! But too each their own. Like I said above, I figured it was some regional thing.

Uncle,

Sorry my sarcasm didn't come through. It was pointed at a couple of other "contributors" to the topic.

Who the hell cares?

Strangely enough I was just looking for an Imo's-style crust recipe...I usually use "Roma" pizza shells, which are Imo's style, but I don't have any and don't want to go out to the store. Check out
myweb.accessus.net/~090/recipes/Imos%20Pizza.rtf for an Imo's style pizza recipe. I haven't tried it yet so I can't vouch for it. I grew up in St. Louis & love our style of pizza. Imo's is the classic, although I like Guido's (on Shaw) version best.

quote:

Originally posted by Cakes

What kind of depraved, moronic, schmuck would cut a round pizza into squares? What is this world coming too? Anybody that cuts a round pizza into squares ought to be drawn and quartered themselves! Their families should be slaughtered, their unborn should be aborted. Write your congress people! Talk to your county commissioners, your city council!

My god, it's probably not even kosher!!!!!

Can you think of anything worse than a round pizza cut into SQUARES? How unAmerican!!!!!! How unItalian!!!!!!

Help stop this travesty before it spreads.

Cakes

Funny you should say (I know, sarcastically) unItalian. When I was in Italy (Sicily, Naples, Rome), any time we ordered pizza it was cut up into bite sized squares and we ate it with a fork!

Almost all pizza places in Columbus, OH cut their pies into squares. The only ones that don't are chains like dominos and pizza hut.

quote:

Originally posted by hatteras04

Almost all pizza places in Columbus, OH cut their pies into squares. The only ones that don't are chains like dominos and pizza hut.

... and Tommy's, Massey's, Papa Johns, Katies, Minuteman, Josies, Papa Joes, Rubino's Bexly Pizza Plus, Angies, and Gahanna Pizza Plus among others.

quote:

Originally posted by Iconic

Can anyone help me out with a recipe for this style crust....I'm from St. Louis and I LOVE Imo's, Cecil Whittaker's, Fortel's, etc...

Made a thick crust pizza last week and it turned out really good...but my heart's in the st. Louis style crust

quote:

Originally posted by Iconic

Can anyone help me out with a recipe for this style crust....I'm from St. Louis and I LOVE Imo's, Cecil Whittaker's, Fortel's, etc...

Made a thick crust pizza last week and it turned out really good...but my heart's in the st. Louis style crust

I'm a IMO's fanatic myself. Until recently I was never able to recreate that wonderful, thin, almost cracker-like crust that IMO's is famous for in St Louis. Then one day while making Chicken Quesadias at home I had an Epiphany. I noticed that the Quesadia had a texture and crispness that was vaguely familiar. Then it hit me. IMO's. TRY THIS. I know this sounds weird but trust me. Go buy the largest size flour tortilla's you can find. Most stores have them as big as 12"-14". Next, you will need a baking stone to get that crispy crust we love so much. Next, you must have a very hot oven 450-475 degrees. Assemble your pizza on a peel so it can be slid onto the hot stone easily. Use only a small amount of sauce or it will make the crust soggy. You can buy IMO's cheese at most St Louis area Grocers. I get mine at Schnucks. Use your favorite toppings. Bake for 9-10 min. at 450.

cakes, you made no sense, how can you say how unamerican or italian, your not in italy, and america is known for changing recpies and styles, the hamburger places that cut the meat in squares doesnt make them morons, or change the flavor, the reason thin crust is cut in squares is if tried to pick up a piece cut into a long triangle all the cheese and toppings would fall off, only a moron would cut it like triangle , try using your brain before bashing let alone speaking, and as for the other comments on st.louis style pizza, you have to be from st.louis or have a open mind, not everyone is going to like it, not everyone likes sushi, does that make all japanese food bad,
your top places for st.louis style pizza,
Imos, best sauce, worked there when i was 16
cecil whittakers, 2 pizzas for 1 price in xtra large
schozties, not very known but excellent, one of the best
fortels, kinda expensive
thats a nice pizza, stone oven
delicante, another hidden secret
Rigazzis, you get a choice being in a sit down resurant of other food
rich and charlies, same
not to mention probally 10 other places around and on the hill,
some better than others, depending on cheese and sauce and location,
provel on some, others provelone, yes there is a difference, i love thick crust and deep dish also, im 5'9 and 165 and proud to say i can eat my half at pointers, just wish i knew someone that could hold up there end for the money prize

quote:

Originally posted by aftersh0ck

cakes, you made no sense, how can you say how unamerican or italian, your not in italy, and america is known for changing recpies and styles, the hamburger places that cut the meat in squares doesnt make them morons, or change the flavor, the reason thin crust is cut in squares is if tried to pick up a piece cut into a long triangle all the cheese and toppings would fall off, only a moron would cut it like triangle , try using your brain before bashing let alone speaking, and as for the other comments on st.louis style pizza, you have to be from st.louis or have a open mind, not everyone is going to like it, not everyone likes sushi, does that make all japanese food bad,
your top places for st.louis style pizza,
Imos, best sauce, worked there when i was 16
cecil whittakers, 2 pizzas for 1 price in xtra large
schozties, not very known but excellent, one of the best
fortels, kinda expensive
thats a nice pizza, stone oven
delicante, another hidden secret
Rigazzis, you get a choice being in a sit down resurant of other food
rich and charlies, same
not to mention probally 10 other places around and on the hill,
some better than others, depending on cheese and sauce and location,
provel on some, others provelone, yes there is a difference, i love thick crust and deep dish also, im 5'9 and 165 and proud to say i can eat my half at pointers, just wish i knew someone that could hold up there end for the money prize

How drunk are you?