Ohio Valley Style Pizza Recipe
A recipe for a pan pizza made in the style made famous by DiCarlos. This makes a pizza to fit a 11" x 10" pan.
Equipment
- 1 11" x 10" Pan
- 1 Pot
- 1 Pizza Scissors (Optional)
Ingredients
- 13 ounces Pizza dough Using a larger pan will require more dough.(recommend our copy-cat version of Tony Gemignani’s Master Dough recipe but you can use another bread flour based recipe)
- 1 teaspoon. olive oil extra virgin
Ohio Valley Style Pizza Sauce
- 26 ounces whole steamed tomatoes (use a high quality brand)
- 1 teaspoon oregano dried
- ½ teaspoon garlic minced
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt sea salt preferred
- ½ tablespoon brown sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon olive oil extra virgin
Toppings
- 1.5 cups provolone grated
- 12 slices Pepperoni (mini cups preferred)
- ¼ cup basil leaves fresh, chopped (or 2 teaspoons of dried)
Instructions
Preparing the Dough
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator and allow it to warm up for 1 to 2 hours on the countertop.
- Drizzle 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil into the center of the pan. Use a basting brush to spread the oil across the entire pan, including the sides.
- Gently transfer the dough into the center of the pan.
First Stretch
- Gently using the fingers of both hands, press the dough outward (not pulling) to stretch the dough towards the edges of the baking sheet. The dough won't likely get all the way to the edges this first time. Don't tear the dough trying to get to the edges, but try to get it about the right shape of the pan.
- Let the dough rest uncovered in a warm space away from any draft for 30 minutes. The dough will contract initially but it will also start expanding.
Making Ohio Valley Pizza Sauce
- Open the can of tomatoes and put into a fairly large pot (the tomatoes will burst when crushed, so a larger pot is helpful).
- Using clean hands, crush the tomatoes inside the pot. To prevent tomato juice going everywhere, crush with your fingers facing down. Covering the pot with a tea towel will better prevent the juice going everywhere.
- Combine the remaining sauce ingredients in the pot.
- Stir the sauce thoroughly.
- Simmer the sauce on low heat to reduce the water content.
Second Stretch
- Use your fingers to gently “pillow” (press like you’re playing the piano) the dough to cover the entire pan. Try to preserve the airy texture but also trying to get the dough evenly distributed across the pan. It will still likely not reach the corners completely. You can pick up the edges of the dough and gently pull the dough towards the edges of the pan.
- Let the dough rest uncovered again in a warm space, away from any draft for 90 minutes. The dough should expand to the edge of the pan and nearly fill the bottom entirely now. Even if it doesn't, do not stretch or press the dough again.
- Preheat your oven to 500°F. If you have a pizza stone big enough, you can cook the pizza in the pan on top of the pizza stone.
- When the pizza goes into the oven (next step), begin to warm the sauce at low heat.
Cooking the Ohio Valley Style Pizza
- Prepare your toppings: grate the cheese, pull out the pepperoni, and make sure everything is up to room temperature before the pizza goes in the oven.
- Apply a fairly thin layer of sauce across the pizza leaving 1/2" border around the edge. This should be about 1/2 cup of sauce.
- Place the pizza pan in the oven. If you have a pizza stone, place the pan on the stone. Cook for 7 minutes.
- Remove the pizza pan from the oven and place on top of the stove or on a large wooden cutting board.
- Rotate the pan 180°.
- Add another layer of sauce to the pizza (again about 1/2 cup, or a bit more if you are so inclined).
- Distribute a small amount (about 1 handful) of grated provolone cheese on top of the sauce.
- Return the pizza pan to the oven and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Remove the pizza pan from the oven.
- The edge of the crust should be golden brown and the cheese browning. If it's not quite done, return to the oven for 2 more minutes.
- Use a spatula to transfer the pizza from the pan to a cutting board.
- Cut the pizza into squares.
- Add the rest of the grated provolone cheese to the top of the hot pizza. The sauce will begin to melt the cheese, but it will not melt it completely.
- Add the pepperoni to the pizza.
- Tear and apply the fresh basil before serving.
- Optionally, put the extra sauce into ramekins or bowls for dipping.
Notes
This pizza fits an 11" x 10" pan. Use 2-3 extra ounces of dough for a 13" x 10" cookie sheet.
Nutrition
Calories: 980kcalCarbohydrates: 109gProtein: 45gFat: 43gSaturated Fat: 21gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 80mgSodium: 3063mgPotassium: 896mgFiber: 7gSugar: 24gVitamin A: 1515IUVitamin C: 35mgCalcium: 892mgIron: 10mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!