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]

Part of a series on
Pizza
Main articles History of pizza Pizza delivery Pizza in Canada Pizza in China Pizza in the United States List of pizza varieties by country
Pizza varieties Altoona-style pizza Beach pizza California-style pizza Chicago-style pizza Chocolate pizza Detroit-style pizza Focaccia al rosmarino Fugazza Grandma pizza Greek pizza Happy pizza Hawaiian pizza Iranian pizza Kebab pizza Lazio Matzah pizza Meatball pizza Mexican pizza Neapolitan pizza New Haven-style pizza New York-style pizza Pan pizza Pictou County pizza Pizza quattro stagioni Pizza al taglio Pizza cake Pizza capricciosa Pizza Margherita Pizza marinara Pizza pugliese Pizzetta Quad City-style pizza Quattro formaggi Sardenara Seafood pizza Sicilian pizza Spaghetti pizza Stuffed crust pizza Sushi pizza St. Louis-style pizza Taco pizza Italian tomato pie Trenton tomato pie White clam pie White pizza
Cooking variations Coal-fired pizza Deep-fried pizza Grilled pizza Pizza cake
Pizza tools Pizza cutter Pizza saver Pizza stone Peel Masonry oven Mezzaluna Pizza box
Events Long Island Pizza Festival & Bake-Off National Pizza Month World Pizza Championship
Frozen pizza brands Bagel Bites Celeste DiGiorno Ellio's Goodfella's Grandiosa Home Run Inn Dr. Oetker Palermo's Pizza Pops Richelieu Foods (private label) Schwan's Company (private label) Tombstone Totino's Wagner
Related articles Jumbo slice List of pizza chains List of pizza franchises List of Canadian pizza chains List of pizza chains of the United States Pizza by the slice Pizza cheese Pizza-ghetti Pizza party Pizza theorem
Similar dishes Pizza bagel Calzone Coca Cong you bing Farinata Flammkuchen Focaccia Garlic fingers Khachapuri Lahmacun Manakish Panzerotti Paratha Pastrmajlija Pissaladière Pizza puff Pizza rolls Quesadilla Sardenara Sausage bread Scaccia Sfiha Stromboli Uttapam
v t e

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]

References