Detroit Style Pizza Deep Delicious &

Pizza, in all its shapes and sizes, sauces and toppings, is one of the most delicious things to eat. Even bad pizza isn’t so bad! There are thin and crispy crusts, thick and chewy crusts, and then there is Detroit-style pizza. If you’re not familiar with this style of pizza, don’t worry - you don’t have to hop on a plane to the Motor City to give it a try. With a few tips and tricks you can make this super delicious pizza in your own kitchen.

What sets Detroit-style pizza apart from other pizza? First off is the pan it’s baked in is typically a 25x35 cm (10x14 inch) rectangular pan with high sides, which ensures a deep dish pizza pie. And, to ensure a tender-yet-chewy crust, a high hydration dough is made with bread flour instead of good old all-purpose flour. Then there is the way the pizza is assembled. Pepperoni is the typical topping and half of it is placed directly on the dough, then cheese, then pepperoni. When applying the cheese, it’s important to push it all the way to the edge of the dough so it melts into the edges of the pizza forming a crisp, golden brown crust. And finally, the sauce goes on last. It’s a bit of a switcheroo, but with one taste, you can see how it works. This pizza is thick and chewy, crispy and cheesy, with a rich, tangy sauce. It’s a stunning example of simple ingredients doing extraordinary things, and while you may not want to eat it every day, or every month for that matter, it’s important to eat it at least once.

Rather than purchase a pan specifically for this style of pizza, I used a large cast iron skillet that I already had. If you would like to go the rectangular route, then I suspect a standard 23x33 cm (9x13 inch) pan would suffice. And, while I included my recipe for a pizza sauce, you could take a short cut and purchase your favourite, or make your own.

I would recommend using the bread flour though - don’t use all-purpose, and I stayed the traditional route with pepperoni. If you want to keep it vegetarian, you could add mushrooms, but I would sauté them first as they would release too much liquid onto the pizza and make it soggy. And I think we all agree that soggy pizza is not what we’re after. You’ll want to cook the pizza in a very, very hot oven, as hot as it will go, ideally 500º F. It won’t take long until you have a golden, gorgeous, pan of pizza to call your own. Waiting a few minutes to slice it is the hardest part, and that first bite… oh, it’s a good one!

Detroit-Style Pan Pizza

Serves 4

Crust

2 cups plus 2 Tbs (300 g) bread flour

1½ tsp salt

1 tsp instant yeast

1 cup (250 mL) water

Olive oil, as needed

Toppings

340 g Mozzarella, Monterey Jack or Fontina cheese, cubed

300 g sliced pepperoni

Sauce

2 Tbs (30 mL) olive oil

1 yellow onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

Pinch red pepper flakes

2 Tbs (30 mL) tomato paste

1 796 mL can crushed tomatoes

1 Tbs granulated sugar

1 tsp granulated garlic powder

1 tsp granulated onion powder

2 Tbs butter

1. To make the crust: in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, stir together the flour, salt, and yeast. Add the water, and mix on the lowest speed until the dough comes together into a rough ball, about 10 minutes. Let it rest for 10 minutes, then mix on medium-high speed until the dough turns into a silky soft ball, another 10 minutes. It will likely stick on the bottom of the bowl as it kneads. Remove the dough from the bowl, and on a lightly floured surface, knead the dough into a tight ball and place it into a lightly greased bowl. You can just grease the same mixing bowl you used for the dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature until the dough has doubled in size, about 2 hours.

2. Meanwhile, make the sauce: heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the oil. Add the onions, and cook until they soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, and cook for another minute until fragrant. Add the dried herbs, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine, then add the red pepper flakes and tomato paste. Stir to evenly coat the onions. Add the crushed tomatoes, sugar, garlic powder, and onion powder. I like to rinse out the can of tomatoes with about ½ cup (125 mL) water and add this to the sauce as well. Turn the heat to medium-low, and simmer, partially uncovered, for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the butter and season to taste. Let the sauce cool completely before assembling the pizza.

3. Pour about 2 Tbs (30 mL) of olive oil into a 30 cm (12") cast iron skillet, or heavy metal pan. Transfer the dough to the skillet and turn to evenly coat. Press the dough into the edges of the pan, dimpling it with your fingertips as you go. If it starts to shrink back, just cover the skillet with plastic wrap and let it rest for another 15 minutes, then repeat the dimpling and pressing. Stretch the dough beyond the pan so it will relax down into the pan. Cover with a damp towel and let it rest for 30 minutes.

4. Set one oven rack to the lowest position and another about 15 cm from the top. Preheat the oven to 500º F.

5. Evenly scatter half of the pepperoni over the dough, then top with the cheese, spreading it evenly and all the way to the very edges of the pan, then add the remaining pepperoni. In three concentric circles, spoon the sauce evenly over the surface. You will likely need just half of the sauce, so save the rest for dipping the pizza or for future pizza prep.

6. Bake the pizza on the lowest rack until the edges of the crust are a rich, golden brown (you can use a metal spatula to lift up the edges and check), about 15-20 minutes. If the cheese is bubbling but the crust isn’t browned, cook for another 2-4 minutes. However, if the bottom is brown but the top isn’t, you can move the pizza to the top rack and cook for another 2-4 minutes. Once you’re pleased with all the browning, remove the pizza to a cooling rack. Let it rest a few minutes, then run a metal spatula around the edge of the skillet to loosen. Carefully lift it out and slide it onto a cutting board. Do not leave the pizza too long in the skillet otherwise it will go soggy. Slice the pizza and serve immediately.