Detroit-Style Pizza
intro
Crispy, cheesy square pizza with a thick airy crust, signature crispy frico cheese edges, zesty dolloped tomato sauce, and cupped pepperoni, baked hot in a steel pan.
Ingredients
Steps
Mix and rest dough
In a large mixing bowl, combine 320g bread flour, 7g instant dry yeast, and 6g kosher salt, stirring to distribute evenly. Pour in 240ml warm (40°C/105°F) water and 15ml (1 tbsp) olive oil, mixing until a shaggy, sticky dough forms with no dry flour pockets. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap, and let rest in a warm (24°C/75°F) spot for 30 minutes, until the dough doubles in size and shows small air bubbles across its surface.
Prep the baking pan
Pour the remaining 30ml (2 tbsp) olive oil into a 10x14 inch (25x35cm) heavy-gauge rectangular steel pizza pan. Use a silicone pastry brush to spread the oil evenly across the entire pan bottom and 1 inch up the inner sides. Avoid thin, flimsy non-stick pans, as they will warp at high heat and burn the crust before it cooks through.
Stretch dough in pan
Transfer the proofed, bubbly dough directly into the center of the oiled pan. Gently press and stretch the dough with clean, oiled fingertips to reach all four pan corners and edges, dimpling the dough surface as you go. If the dough springs back and resists stretching, let it rest for 5 minutes to relax the gluten, then resume stretching. Let the stretched, dimpled dough rest uncovered for 15 minutes, while you preheat your oven to 260°C (500°F) with a rack set to the middle position.
Layer cheese and pepperoni
Once the dough has finished its 15-minute pan rest, spread 450g freshly shredded low-moisture mozzarella evenly across the entire dough surface, pressing cheese right up against the oiled pan edges to form the signature crispy frico crust. Evenly scatter 85g cupping pepperoni slices across the cheese, leaving 1/2 inch of space between slices so they can curl into crisp cups as they bake.
Dollop seasoned sauce
In a small bowl, stir together 180ml strained crushed San Marzano tomatoes, 1g dried oregano, and 1g garlic powder until evenly mixed. Dollop 3-tablespoon mounds of the sauce across the top of the cheese and pepperoni, spacing mounds 1 inch apart. Do not spread the sauce into a smooth layer, as this will trap moisture and make the thick crust soggy.
Bake to crisp perfection
Carefully slide the pizza pan onto the preheated middle oven rack. Bake for 12-15 minutes at 260°C (500°F), rotating the pan 180 degrees halfway through the bake time to ensure even browning. The pizza is done when the cheese edges are deep golden and crispy, pepperoni slices are cupped and glistening, and sauce mounds are set with slightly darkened tops.
Rest, slice, and serve
Remove the pan from the oven, and immediately run a thin metal spatula around the pan edges to loosen the crispy frico crust before it cools and sticks. Let the pizza rest in the pan for 5 minutes to set the cheese, then lift the whole pizza out and transfer it to a wooden cutting board. Slice into 8 equal square pieces and serve hot.
Tips
2.Resist the urge to spread the tomato sauce across the entire pizza surface. The traditional Detroit-style 'red top' with spaced sauce dollops keeps the thick, focaccia-like crust light and crisp instead of soggy.
3.If you do not own a traditional blue steel Detroit pizza pan, a heavy-gauge anodized aluminum baking sheet works as a substitute; avoid thin, flimsy cookie sheets that warp at 260°C/500°F and cause uneven cooking.
OMG, this was the biggest hit at our Sunday family dinner! I’ve tried so many Detroit-style pizza recipes that end up with soggy crust, but this one was perfectly crispy on the edges, cheesy all the way to the pan, and the pepperoni cups got all crispy and greasy in the best way. My kids begged for seconds before they even finished their first slice! SO good.
Game changer alert! I brought this to my friend’s potluck last weekend and people were literally asking for the recipe before they finished eating. I was worried the cook time was too long for a weeknight, but I prepped the dough the night before and it came together so fast on bake day. 10/10, will be making this on repeat.
I swapped the regular all-purpose flour for my go-to 1:1 gluten free flour blend and it still turned out amazing! The crispy cheese frico edges are to die for, I didn’t even miss the regular crust. Will be adding this to my weekly meal prep rotation for easy Friday night dinners.
Tasted great overall, but I ran into a little trouble when I first tried to press the dough into the pan—it kept shrinking back! I ended up with a slightly lopsided crust, but the flavor was still spot on. Any tips for getting the dough to stay stretched?
I was skeptical about baking pizza in a square metal pan instead of my round pizza stone, but wow, this converted me. The crispy caramelized cheese around the edges is something you just can’t get with a regular round pie. I loaded on extra pepperoni like the recipe said and it was perfect.
Made this for my roommates last night and we demolished the whole pan in 10 minutes flat. It was so much easier than I thought it would be for a medium difficulty recipe! I used pre-shredded mozzarella because that’s all I had at the grocery store and it still slapped. 10/10.
I cut the whole pan into individual slices and froze them for quick work lunches this week. They reheat perfectly in the toaster oven—crust stays crispy, cheese gets all melty, tastes just as good as the day I baked it. Way better than frozen pizza!
My family is super picky about pizza sauce—we hate it when there’s too much, and this recipe’s sauce amount was exactly right! It’s spread thin, so you don’t get soggy crust, and the oregano and garlic in it taste just like the pizza I grew up eating outside Detroit. Only change I made was adding a little sprinkle of parm on top before baking.
I added a handful of pickled jalapeños on top of the pepperoni for a little heat and it was chef’s kiss. The richness of the cheese and the crispy pepperoni pairs so well with the tangy kick from the jalapeños. Definitely making this again for game night next month!
I tried making this with vegan pepperoni and dairy-free cheese for my sister who’s vegan, and even the non-vegan people at the table were going back for more slices. The crust recipe is so solid it carries all the toppings perfectly, no sad soggy vegan pizza here!
Wait, I totally forgot to put the pepperoni on top of the cheese like the recipe said, I layered it under the cheese by accident! It still tasted good, but I didn’t get those cute crispy pepperoni cups everyone is talking about. Bummed I messed that up, but I’ll get it right next time!
I’ve been searching for a reliable Detroit-style pizza recipe for years, and this is the one! The crust is light and airy on the inside, crunchy and fried on the bottom from the oil in the pan, and the cheese goes all the way to the edges like it’s supposed to. Served it with a side of ranch for dipping and it was a perfect weekend meal.
I was worried the medium difficulty rating meant I’d be stuck in the kitchen for hours, but the steps were so straightforward! My 10 year old even helped me press the dough into the pan and arrange the pepperoni, it was such a fun little activity for us after school. We had a blast making it and it turned out delicious.
Paired this with a cold hazy IPA last night and it was the perfect Friday night combo. The salty, crispy pepperoni and buttery crust went so well with the hoppy beer. I’ll be making this for every fight night watch party from now on, no question.
Made this last night for my partner’s birthday in my regular 9x13 metal baking pan because I don’t have the fancy Detroit-style pan, and it still turned out amazing! The crust was crispy, the cheese melted perfectly, I was so worried I’d mess it up without the special gear. Do you think a blue steel pan makes that big of a difference?
Leftovers of this are INSANE. I had a cold slice straight from the fridge for breakfast this morning and it was even better than it was last night for dinner. Don’t @ me, cold pizza is superior, and this recipe holds up so perfectly in the fridge.
I added a little drizzle of hot honey on top after it came out of the oven and it took this pizza to a whole new level. The sweet heat paired with the salty pepperoni and crispy cheese is *chef’s kiss*. Don’t sleep on the hot honey addition, trust me.
I used my leftover sourdough discard in the dough instead of the regular active dry yeast the recipe calls for, and it gave the crust such a nice tangy depth of flavor! It paired so well with the rich cheese and zesty pepperoni. Will definitely be doing that swap every time I make this now.
I used to order Detroit-style pizza from my local takeout spot every single Friday, but this recipe is so much better and way cheaper! I calculated the cost per pan and it’s less than half what I pay for delivery, and it tastes fresher too. Why did I wait so long to try making it at home?
Made this for the football watch party last weekend and it was gone before halftime. I made two pans thinking we’d have leftovers, and people went back for thirds. Even my cousin who swears he hates thick crust pizza had two slices. Absolute home run of a recipe.