This Detroit-Style Pizza recipe delivers an irresistible combination of crispy edges and pillowy dough in just 25 minutes of active cooking time. While the 4-hour rise creates the signature airy texture, the reward is a perfectly balanced slice with only 214 calories.
Whether you’re a pizza enthusiast or a curious home baker, this Motor City classic brings authentic pizzeria flavors straight to your kitchen. The golden-brown crust, loaded with protein and just the right amount of healthy fats, proves that homemade pizza can be both indulgent and mindful.
Ingredients for Detroit-Style Pizza
- For the Dough:
- 1 cup + 2 Tbsp lukewarm water – Perfect temperature ensures proper yeast activation
- ½ teaspoon instant yeast – Fresh yeast yields best results
- 2 ½ cups bread flour – High protein content creates perfect chewy texture
- 1 teaspoon ground sea salt – Enhances overall flavor
- For Toppings:
- 3/4 cup Pizza Sauce – Keep aside for striping over cheese
- 2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella or 8oz Brick cheese – Ensure it’s low moisture for best melting
- 3 ounces natural casing Pepperoni – Thinly sliced for perfect crisp
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese – Freshly shredded for best flavor
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Dough Preparation: Mix all dough ingredients and knead until smooth and elastic
- Initial Rise: Place in greased bowl, cover and let rise for 2 hours
- Pan Preparation: Press dough into oiled pizza pan, cover and rest for 15 minutes
- Shape and Form: Gently spread dough to pan edges, ensuring it reaches corners
- Second Rise: Let dough rise again for 2 hours until it’s increased by 1/3 in height
- Preheat: Set oven to 450°F with pizza stone or baking sheet inside
- Topping Assembly:
- Layer cheese edge-to-edge
- Add sauce in 2-3 stripes over cheese
- Top with pepperoni layer
- Sprinkle parmesan cheese
- Baking: Cook for 15-20 minutes until cheese is golden and bubbly
- Finishing: Cool briefly in pan before cutting into squares
Pan Selection & Preparation
Detroit-style pizza’s signature crispy edges come from the right pan! A dark metal 9×13 inch pan works best – the darker color helps create that amazing crust. Before you start, coat your pan really well with oil, getting into all the corners. This helps create those crispy, cheesy edges that Detroit pizza is famous for.
Cheese Tips
The cheese is what makes Detroit-style pizza special! While traditional Wisconsin brick cheese is amazing, shredded mozzarella works great too. The secret? Spread it right to the edges of the pan – this creates those wonderful crispy, caramelized cheese edges.
For extra flavor, mix your mozzarella with a bit of mild cheddar. Remember to use low-moisture cheese to avoid a soggy pizza!
Storage & Reheating
Keep your leftover pizza in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. When you’re ready to eat, reheat it in a 375°F oven for about 10 minutes – this keeps the crust crispy. Skip the microwave if you can – it makes the crust soft. For longer storage, you can freeze individual squares wrapped in foil for up to 2 months.
Common Questions
Why such long rise times? The 4-hour total rising time lets the dough develop amazing flavor and the perfect texture. Can’t find brick cheese? No problem! A mix of mozzarella and mild cheddar works great.
Want a crispier bottom? Brush some olive oil on the bottom of the pan before adding the dough. Remember: patience with the rise times is your friend here!
Detroit-Style Pizza
Equipment
- Pizza Pan
- Stand Mixer or Bowl
- Pizza stone or baking sheet
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 1 cup lukewarm water plus 2 tablespoons
- 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
- 2 1/2 cups bread flour
- 1 teaspoon ground sea salt
Toppings
- 3/4 cup Pizza Sauce
- 2 1/2 cups shredded low moisture mozzarella cheese or 8oz Brick cheese/Wisconsin cheese, diced
- 3 ounces natural casing Pepperoni thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup freshly shredded parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Stir all ingredients together in a bowl or stand mixer. Knead for several minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic.
- Place in a well-greased bowl, turning once in the bowl to coat in oil, then cover and allow to rise for 2 hours. (Don’t skimp on the rise times!)
- Oil the bottom and sides of a pizza pan. Stretch dough into a rectangle and lay into pan(s). Cover and rest for 15 minutes, to allow the gluten to relax.
- Without handling the dough too much, gently spread the dough all the way to the edges of the pan, poking it into the corners, in a flat even layer (there’s no ‘crust’ edge in Detroit pizza).
- Rise again for 2 hours, or until the dough has risen about ⅓ way up the pan.
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. I recommend baking the pizza on a pizza stone, or if you don’t have a pizza stone, use a baking sheet, and allow it to preheat in the oven.
- Sprinkle cheese all over the dough, making sure it covers all the way to the edges.
- Spoon pizza sauce into 2-3 lines/stripes going down the pan, over cheese—you don’t want to cover all the cheese in sauce.
- Add pepperoni, laying it in a single layer over the top. Lightly sprinkle parmesan on top.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until cheese is golden and bubbly. Cool for a few minutes in the pan before slicing into squares.
