History

Tavern-style pizza migrated to Indianapolis from St. Louis and Chicago neighborhood bars in the mid-20th century. The square cut and cracker crust suited eat-with-one-hand bar dining and a low oven; the Italian sausage on top reflected the central Indiana pork supply.

Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy

Make it at home

Yield Makes one 14-inch pizza, serves 2 to 4Hands-on 25 minTotal 2 hrDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons cold water
  • 3/4 cup pizza sauce, well-reduced and tomato-forward
  • 8 ounces low-moisture mozzarella, grated
  • 4 ounces Italian sausage, cooked and crumbled
  • Dried oregano and chili flakes, to finish

Method

  1. Whisk flour, sugar, salt and yeast in a large bowl.
  2. Add oil and cold water. Mix to a shaggy dough, then knead 5 minutes until smooth but firm. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour or up to overnight for the best cracker crust.
  3. Preheat the oven to 500 F with a pizza stone or steel on the middle rack.
  4. Roll the dough as thin as possible, about 1/8 inch, on parchment to a 14-inch round. Dock all over with a fork.
  5. Spread sauce thin to the edges. Top with mozzarella, then crumbled sausage. Finish with a pinch of dried oregano.
  6. Slide the parchment onto the hot stone. Bake 8 to 10 minutes until the crust is deep golden and crisp.
  7. Cool 1 minute, then cut into small squares with a pizza wheel. Finish with chili flakes.

Tip from the editors. Roll the dough thinner than you think is right. The trademark cracker crust comes from a 1/8 inch base, not a 1/4 inch one.

This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.

Where to eat indianapolis tavern-style pizza

Indianapolis tavern-style pizza in Indianapolis

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