A thin-crust, square-cut pie with pepperoni laid edge to edge and a crisp bottom. The pizza was codified at Donatos on Thurman Avenue in 1963 by Jim Grote and remains the city's defining regional pie.

Ohio State sophomore Jim Grote bought the original Donatos location on Thurman Avenue in German Village on May 31, 1963 for $1,300 and codified the Columbus thin-crust square pie with pepperoni edge to edge. The chain expanded to 400 plus locations across 30 states and reopened the original Thurman Avenue location in 2023 for its 60th anniversary. The Columbus square pie distinguishes itself from New York fold-style and Chicago deep-dish by its airy thin crust, square cut and topping discipline.

Where to eat Columbus-style pizza in Columbus

3 editor picks for Columbus-style pizza in Columbus, ranked by editorial score. All Columbus signature dishes · Columbus-style pizza across every city.

Book food experiences in Columbus

See all 44 food experiences in Columbus

Make it at home

Serves 42 hr 30 minIntermediate

Ingredients

  • 500g 00 or all-purpose flour
  • 330ml warm water
  • 10g instant yeast
  • 10g sea salt
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 300g low-moisture mozzarella, shredded
  • 1 cup tomato passata
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 150g sliced pepperoni
  • Olive oil for the pan

Method

  1. Combine flour, water, yeast, salt and olive oil in a stand mixer with the dough hook. Mix for 8 minutes until smooth and slightly tacky.
  2. Rest the dough in a covered bowl at room temperature for 90 minutes until doubled.
  3. Preheat the oven and a steel or stone to its highest setting, 260 to 290C (500 to 550F), for 45 minutes.
  4. Stretch the dough thin into a 30cm round on parchment, edges only slightly thicker than the center. Sauce with passata seasoned with oregano and sugar, leaving a 1cm border.
  5. Cover with mozzarella to the edge, then lay pepperoni in overlapping rows out to the rim. This is the Columbus 'edge to edge' rule.
  6. Slide onto the hot stone and bake 6 to 8 minutes until the cheese bubbles and the edges char. Slice into squares, not wedges, with a rolling pizza cutter.

Editor tip. The square cut is non-negotiable; a rolling pizza cutter through cooled cheese gives the cleanest geometry.

Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy.