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Altoona-style pizza

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Altoona-style pizza
A slice of Altoona-style pizza
TypePizza
Place of originUnited States
Region or stateAltoona, Pennsylvania
Main ingredientsSicilian-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

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Crust

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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

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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

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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

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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

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References

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  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ a b c "Hotel blaze hits home". Altoona Mirror. Archived from the original on 2021-05-25. Retrieved 2021-05-25.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ "Altoona Hotel pizza". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 1996-10-13. p. 78. Archived from the original on 2021-05-25. Retrieved 2021-05-25.