Description
Classic Detroit-Style Pizza features a thick, airy crust baked in a rectangular pan with Wisconsin brick cheese pressed against the edges to create a crispy, caramelized cheese crust. Topped with pepperoni and spooned with marinara sauce after baking, then finished with a flavorful garlic basil oil drizzle for a deliciously unique pizza experience.
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)
Pan Preparation
- 1 tsp Butter
- 2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
Toppings
- 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 all-purpose flour, kosher salt, instant yeast, extra virgin olive oil, and lukewarm water. Mix thoroughly using a fork, wooden spoon, or Danish whisk until a shaggy, fully hydrated dough forms. Cover the bowl with a tea towel or plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- Stretch and Fold: Wet your hands and gently stretch and fold the dough by grabbing one side, pulling it up, and folding it over. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat this process two more times while scraping down any dough stuck to the bowl’s sides. Cover and let rest for another 30 minutes.
- Repeat Stretch and Fold: Perform the stretch and fold every 30 minutes, completing 3 to 4 rounds over a 2-hour period. The dough should become smoother and more elastic.
- Transfer to Pan and Proof: Grease a baking tray with butter and extra virgin olive oil. Transfer the dough to the prepared pan, folding it gently like a letter, then flip it seam-side down. Cover and let it rest for 1.5 to 2 hours until it has risen noticeably.
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C).
- Stretch the Dough in the Pan: Using lightly oiled hands, stretch the dough to fill the pan’s corners evenly. Use your fingers to gently punch out most of the air bubbles, aiming for an even layer touching all edges.
- Add Cheese: Distribute cubed cheese evenly over the dough, ensuring pieces press right up against the edges of the pan. This will create a crispy, caramelized cheese crust.
- Add Pepperoni Cups: Layer the pepperoni slices evenly over the cheese.
- First Bake: Place the pan on the bottom rack of the preheated oven and bake for about 15 minutes until the crust starts to brown and the cheese begins to melt.
- Add Sauce: Remove the pizza from the oven and spoon the pizza or marinara sauce in parallel lines or dollops over the top, leaving some cheese and pepperoni exposed to prevent sogginess.
- Finish Baking: Return the pizza to the oven and bake for another 5 to 8 minutes, until the edges are golden and crisp and the cheese is bubbly and blistered.
- Make Garlic Basil Oil: While the pizza bakes, process basil leaves, garlic cloves, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a small food processor until blended to make a fragrant garlic basil oil.
- Remove and Dress: Use a butter knife or spatula to loosen the pizza from the pan edges. Transfer the pizza to a cooling rack to keep the crust crisp. Drizzle the garlic basil oil over the pizza, slice, and serve immediately.
Notes
- Detroit-Style Pizza is unique due to its rectangular metal pan baking, which allows cheese to melt against the edges forming a crispy, lacy crust.
- Use Wisconsin Brick Cheese if available for the authentic cheese texture and flavor, alternatively low-moisture mozzarella works well.
- Spoon sauce after the initial bake to prevent the pizza from becoming soggy.
- The stretch and fold technique enhances dough strength and texture without kneading.
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
