Altoona-style pizza
 A slice of Altoona-style pizza | |
| Type | Pizza |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | United States |
| Region or state | Altoona, Pennsylvania |
| Main ingredients | Sicilian-style pizza dough, tomato sauce, sliced green bell pepper, salami, american cheese |
Altoona-style pizza is a distinct type of pizza created in the city of Altoona, Pennsylvania, by the Altoona Hotel. The definitive characteristics of Altoona-style pizza are a Sicilian-style pizza dough, tomato sauce, sliced green bell pepper, salami, topped with American cheese and pizzas cut into squares instead of wedges.[1][2][3][4]
Characteristics and preparation
Crust
The crust is made of a Sicilian-style pizza dough, giving the pie a thick and soft crust. Instead of the larger pie-like wedges typical of many pizza styles, Altoona Hotel pizza is typically cut into squares.[1][3][5][4]
Cheese
While originally topped with Velveeta, Altoona-style pizza is popularly topped with yellow processed cheese known as American cheese. The yellow squares of American cheese are a staple of this dish, used instead of the mozzarella or provolone common to other styles of pizza.[1][3][5][4]
Toppings
The traditional toppings included on a slice of Altoona-style pizza are a sliced green bell pepper and cooked deli style salami with peppercorns, notable for being underneath the pizza's cheese topping.[1][3][5]
History
Altoona-style pizza originated at the Altoona Hotel, which was noted as serving "a unique pizza" in 1996 by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.[6] Following the destruction of the hotel in 2013 by fire, other local restaurants began serving Altoona-style pizza.[1]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e Deto, Ryan. "Altoona Hotel Pizza: The slice with yellow cheese from Central Pa. you've never heard of". Pittsburgh City Paper. Archived from the original on 2021-05-26. Retrieved 2021-05-25.
- ^ Tracy, Jordan (2020-05-05). "Jordan Does It All Wrong!! Will the real Altoona Pizza please stand up?". WTAJ. Archived from the original on 2021-05-25. Retrieved 2021-05-25.
- ^ a b c d DiFilippo, Bill (2020-05-08). "Here's How To Make The Wonderfully Bizarre 'Altoona Style' Pizza". UPROXX. Archived from the original on 2021-05-25. Retrieved 2021-05-25.
- ^ a b c "Hotel blaze hits home". Altoona Mirror. Archived from the original on 2021-05-25. Retrieved 2021-05-25.
- ^ a b c Robicelli, Allison (6 May 2020). ""Altoona-style pizza" baffles the nation—including Altoona itself". The Takeout. Archived from the original on 2021-05-27. Retrieved 2021-05-25.
- ^ "Altoona Hotel pizza". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 1996-10-13. p. 78. Archived from the original on 2021-05-25. Retrieved 2021-05-25.