Description
This authentic Detroit-Style Pizza recipe features a thick, chewy crust baked in a metal pan with cheese pressed up against the edges to create a distinctively crispy, lacy cheese crust. Topped with pepperoni and a flavorful marinara sauce, this pizza is finished with a fresh garlic basil oil drizzle for a perfect balance of rich and fresh flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough
- 2¼ cups All purpose flour (300 grams)
- 1¼ tsp Kosher salt (7 grams)
- 1¼ tsp Instant yeast (4 grams)
- 1½ tbsp Extra virgin olive oil (18 grams)
- 1 cup Lukewarm water (250 grams)
Cooking and Topping
- 1 tsp Butter
- 2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cups Cheese, cubed (use Wisconsin Brick Cheese or Low-Moisture Mozzarella)
- 1 cup Pepperoni
- 1½ cups Pizza or Marinara Sauce
Garlic Basil Oil
- ¼ cup Basil leaves
- 1-2 Garlic cloves
- 3 tbsp Olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Mix the Dough: In a large bowl, combine the flour, kosher salt, instant yeast, extra virgin olive oil, and lukewarm water. Mix thoroughly with a fork or wooden spoon until a shaggy, fully hydrated dough forms. Cover with a tea towel or plastic wrap and set aside to rest for 30 minutes.
- Stretch and Fold: Wet your hands and gently pull up the dough from one side, then fold it over itself. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat this stretch and fold action three more times in total. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Cover and let the dough rest for another 30 minutes.
- Repeat Stretch and Fold: Perform the stretch and fold process every 30 minutes for a total of 3 to 4 rounds over 2 hours. This will develop the dough’s gluten and make it smoother and more elastic.
- Transfer Dough to Pan: Grease a baking tray with butter and extra virgin olive oil. Transfer the dough to the pan, fold it gently like a letter, then flip it so the seam is on the bottom. Cover and let it rest for 1.5 to 2 hours until it rises and puffs.
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C).
- Stretch the Dough in the Pan: If the dough hasn’t spread to all corners, lightly oil your hands and gently stretch it into the edges of the pan. Punch out most of the air pockets with your fingers to create an even layer.
- Add Cheese: Distribute the cubed cheese evenly over the dough, making sure to press some cheese right up against the edges of the pan. This technique creates the signature crispy cheese edge.
- Add Pepperoni Cups: Layer the pepperoni slices on top of the cheese evenly across the pizza.
- First Bake: Place the pizza on the bottom rack of the preheated oven and bake for about 15 minutes.
- Add Sauce: Remove the pizza and spoon the pizza or marinara sauce in parallel lines or dollops over the top, leaving some cheese and pepperoni exposed to avoid sogginess.
- Finish Baking: Return the pizza to the oven and bake for another 5 to 8 minutes until the edges are golden and crispy and the cheese is bubbly with slight blistering.
- Make Garlic Basil Oil: While the pizza bakes, blend the basil leaves, garlic cloves, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a small food processor until smooth to create a fragrant oil.
- Remove from Pan & Dress: Use a butter knife or spatula to loosen the pizza from all edges of the pan. Transfer the pizza to a cooling rack to keep the crust crispy. Drizzle the garlic basil oil evenly over the top.
- Slice and Serve: Slice the pizza into six pieces and enjoy immediately while hot.
Notes
- Detroit-style pizza is unique for its rectangular metal pan baking method and the cheese pressed to the edges that creates a crispy, lacy crust.
- Using Wisconsin Brick Cheese or low-moisture mozzarella ensures the ideal melt and texture.
- Avoid covering the whole pizza with sauce to maintain the crispiness of the crust and toppings.
- Resting and repeated stretch and fold of the dough develops superior gluten structure for a chewy crust.
- Use a well-oiled or nonstick pan to help the pizza release easily after baking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 545 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 1346 mg
- Fat: 33 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 20 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 42 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 19 g
- Cholesterol: 45 mg
