Detroit-Style Pizza

Alt text: Rectangular Detroit-style pizza with browned lacy cheese edges, tomato sauce on top, and square slices cut from the pan

Cultural Context

Detroit-style pizza is a square-pan specialty from Detroit, Michigan, traced to Buddy's Rendezvous in 1946, where Sicilian-style dough was baked in blue steel pans associated with the auto industry. Its signature traits are a thick but airy crust, Wisconsin brick cheese spread all the way to the pan edges for a caramelized frico crust, and thick tomato sauce spooned on top in stripes after the cheese. This version synthesizes home-kitchen methods from Serious Eats and King Arthur Baking while preserving the defining brick cheese, high-hydration dough, rectangular pan, and sauce-on-top construction.

Ingredients

For the Dough

• 300 g (10.6 oz / 2½ cups) bread flour
• 220 ml (7.4 fl oz / scant 1 cup) lukewarm water, 85-95°F (29-35°C)
• 9 g (1½ tsp) fine sea salt
• 5 g (1½ tsp) instant yeast
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) extra-virgin olive oil, plus 30 ml (2 tbsp) for the pan

For the Sauce

• 15 ml (1 tbsp) extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 795 g (28 oz / 1 large can) crushed tomatoes
• 6 g (1 tsp) granulated sugar
• 5 g (1 tsp) dried oregano
• 2 g (½ tsp) dried basil
• 1 g (¼ tsp) red pepper flakes, optional
• 5 g (1 tsp) fine sea salt, plus more to taste
• 1 g (½ tsp) freshly ground black pepper

For Assembly

• 340 g (12 oz) Wisconsin brick cheese, cut into ½-inch cubes
• 100 g (3½ oz) natural-casing pepperoni slices, optional but classic
• 15 g (½ oz / ¼ cup) finely grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan, for finishing
• Red pepper flakes, for serving

Substitutions:

• Wisconsin brick cheese -> half low-moisture mozzarella and half Monterey Jack or young white cheddar if brick cheese is unavailable; the flavor will be milder and the edge less buttery.
• Bread flour -> all-purpose flour in a pinch, though the crust will be softer and less chewy.
• Natural-casing pepperoni -> standard pepperoni, cooked Italian sausage, mushrooms, or no topping.

Equipment

• 10×14 inch Detroit-style pizza pan or dark metal 9×13 inch baking pan
• Stand mixer with dough hook or large mixing bowl
• Medium saucepan
• Wire rack
• Flexible spatula
• Dull knife or offset spatula

Instructions

Preparation (Active time: 25 min)

1. Mix the dough: Combine bread flour, salt, and instant yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the lukewarm water and 15 ml (1 tbsp) olive oil. Mix on low until no dry flour remains, then knead on medium-low for 5-6 minutes, until the dough is smooth, stretchy, and slightly tacky. If mixing by hand, stir to a shaggy dough, rest 10 minutes, then knead with wet hands for 6-8 minutes.

2. First rise: Scrape the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise at warm room temperature for 1½-2 hours, until puffy and roughly doubled.

3. Cook the sauce: While the dough rises, heat 15 ml (1 tbsp) olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds, just until fragrant. Stir in crushed tomatoes, sugar, oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. Simmer uncovered for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thick enough to dollop rather than pour. Cool to room temperature. You will use about 300 g (1⅓ cups) sauce and have extra for dipping or another pizza.

Shaping (Active time: 10 min)

4. Oil the pan: Pour 30 ml (2 tbsp) olive oil into the pan and spread it across the bottom and sides. Transfer the risen dough to the pan and turn it once to coat in oil.

5. Stretch the dough: With oiled fingertips, gently dimple and stretch the dough toward the corners. If it springs back, cover and rest 15-30 minutes, then continue stretching. Cover and let rise 45-60 minutes, until slightly puffy with small bubbles around the edges.

Cooking (Active time: 10 min, Baking time: 22-27 min)

6. Heat the oven: Place a rack in the bottom third of the oven. If you have a baking steel or stone, set it on the rack. Preheat to 500°F (260°C) for at least 30 minutes.

7. Par-bake the crust: Bake the untopped dough for 10-12 minutes, until set and barely beginning to color. Remove the pan from the oven and keep the oven on.

8. Build the pizza: Scatter a thick line of cubed brick cheese around the outer edge where the dough meets the pan, then distribute the remaining cheese evenly over the center. Add pepperoni over the cheese if using. Spoon about 300 g (1⅓ cups) sauce over the top in 2 or 3 thick diagonal stripes, leaving some cheese exposed.

9. Finish baking: Return the pan to the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes, until the cheese at the edges is deeply browned, bubbling, and crisp and the center is hot. The finished pizza should reach at least 165°F (74°C) in the center.

10. Unmold and slice: Immediately run a dull knife around the edges to free the caramelized cheese. Use a spatula to slide the pizza onto a wire rack so the bottom stays crisp. Rest 3-5 minutes, sprinkle with Pecorino Romano or Parmesan and red pepper flakes, then cut into 8 squares.

Food Safety & Storage

• Minimum safe internal temperature: 165°F (74°C) for the assembled pizza; pepperoni and cheese should be fully heated through.
• Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
• Freezing: Freeze cooled slices on a sheet pan, then wrap tightly and store for up to 2 months.
• Reheating: Reheat slices on a sheet pan or skillet in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 10-15 minutes, until hot and re-crisped. Avoid microwaving if you want to preserve the crust.

Serving Suggestions

• Serve hot in square pieces, with the corner slices prized for the deepest cheese crust.
• Pair with a crisp lager, root beer, or a simple green salad with vinaigrette.
• Offer extra warm tomato sauce on the side for dipping the airy crust.

Scaling Notes

Half recipe (½×): Use an 8×8 inch dark metal pan. Start checking the final bake after 10 minutes.

Double recipe (2×): Make two separate 10×14 inch pizzas. Rotate pans halfway through baking if they share the oven.

Chef's Notes

• Sourcing: Wisconsin brick cheese is the defining ingredient; look for it at Midwest cheese shops, specialty grocers, or online cheese retailers.
• Make-ahead: The dough can be mixed, covered, and refrigerated after the first rise for up to 24 hours. Bring it to room temperature for about 60 minutes before stretching in the pan.
• Variations: Some Detroit pizzerias bury the pepperoni under the cheese; others put it above the sauce so the cups crisp. Both are common.
• Common pitfalls: Do not hold back cheese at the edge; the edge-to-edge cheese is what makes the lacy crust. Use thick sauce, because watery sauce can soak into the dough and soften the top.

Nutrition Information (Optional)

Per serving: approximately 690 kcal

• Protein: 28g | Fat: 34g | Carbohydrates: 66g | Fiber: 4g

Sources

• Serious Eats, "Detroit-Style Pan Pizza": https://www.seriouseats.com/detroit-style-pizza-recipe
• King Arthur Baking, "Weeknight Detroit Pizza Recipe": https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/weeknight-detroit-pizza-recipe
• Eater Detroit, "Detroit's Best Detroit-Style Pizza": https://detroit.eater.com/maps/detroit-style-square-pizza-best-restaurants
• Wikimedia Commons image source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Detroit-style_pizza_showing_typica_lacy_cheese_crust.jpg

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Version History:

• v1 (2026-06-29): Initial recipe by @Codex

Credits:

• Recipe development: @Codex, synthesized from the sources listed above
• Testing: @Codex
• Verification: @Coordinator
• Photography: Valereee, "Detroit-style pizza showing typical lacy cheese crust," Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0; image used without modification from the source URL listed above

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Recipe Location: /Recipes/midwest/midwest_detroit-style-pizza_v1.md
Images Location: /Images/detroit-style-pizza/