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5 from 5 votes

Detroit-Style Pizza

Nothing beats a thick slice of Detroit-Style Pizza! The dough is light and airy with a crust that's super crispy and it's topped with two kinds of cheeses and a delicious homemade pizza sauce. This is one spectacular pie that everyone at the table is guaranteed to LOVE!
Prep Time40 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
3 hours 45 minutes
Total Time4 hours 40 minutes
Course: Lunch, Main Dish, Snack
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: Comfort Food, low-moisture mozzarella cheese, mild provolone cheese, Pizza, pizza sauce, yeast
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 248kcal
Author: MaryAnn Dwyer

Ingredients

Pizza Dough

  • 2 1/2 cups unbleached bread flour, I used King Arthur's
  • 1 1/2 tsp. instant yeast
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 cup lukewarm water
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil, for greasing the pan

Pizza Sauce

  • 1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
  • 3 Tbsp. granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp. dried oregano, plus some extra for sprinkling the pre-baked pie, if desired
  • 2 tsp. dried basil
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp. sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp. black pepper

Toppings

  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 6 oz. low-moisture mozzarella, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 6 oz. mild provolone, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 8-12 oz. pepperoni, sliced into 1/8-inch thick slices

Instructions

Pizza Dough

  • Measure your flour by spooning it into your cup, then sweeping off excess with a knife. Mix and knead all the dough ingredients by hand or in a mixer until a shaggy dough forms.
    Cover the dough and allow it to rest for 10 minutes. Knead it again until it becomes smooth and elastic.
    Form the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly-greased bowl. Cover the bowl and allow to rest until doubled, about 2 hours.
    Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a Detroit-Style pan or a 9” x 13” metal pan. Gently stretch the dough into the edges and corners of pan until it won’t stretch any more.
    Cover the pan, and let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes before stretching again. Repeat the rest one more time, if needed, until the dough fills the bottom of the pan. You may not need to repeat.
    Cover the dough and allow it to rest for 30 to 45 minutes while you prepare the sauce. In the meantime, place a rack at the lowest position of your oven, and preheat the oven to 500°F.
  • Gently press the dough down with your fingers to get rid of some of the larger air bubbles. Sprinkle the grated Parmesan cheese along the edges of the dough. Top the dough with an even layer of pepperoni if using, then with the cubed cheeses. Spread the cubes to the edges of the pan.
    Dollop the sauce in two long rows dough the pie, as pictured. Sprinkle with some dried oregano, if desired.
    Bake the pizza on the bottom rack of the oven until the cheese is bubbly and the edges have turned almost black, about 15 minutes.
    Remove the pizza from the oven. Run a spatula around the edges to loosen from the pan. Let the pizza rest for 10 minutes, or until you can handle it. Transfer the pizza to a cutting board, cut into squares and serve.
    Leftover pizza will keep in the refrigerator for 5 days. Reheat in a 350°F oven until warm, 10-15 minutes.

Pizza Sauce

  • Add all the pizza sauce ingredients to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir until well combined. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and set aside. You will have more sauce than you need for the pie. Use as much as you prefer and refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight container in your fridge.

Notes

You can add other toppings to the pizza if you prefer. If you would like to add pepperoni, you can add anywhere from 8-12 ounces, sliced 1/8-inch thick.
If using pepperoni, veggies or sausage, you will add it to the top of the dough right before you add the cubed cheese in the recipe.
Right after you remove the pizza from the oven you will need to run a spatula around the edges to loosen it from the pan. You will then need to let it rest for 10 minutes before transferring the pie to a board to cut into squares.
Don't skip the Parmesan cheese around the edges of the pie before baking. It helps make the outside edges extra-crispy and caramelized.

Nutrition

Calories: 248kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 601mg | Potassium: 108mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 269IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 295mg | Iron: 1mg