This Detroit Style Pizza recipe has a thick, delicious yeasted crust. It’s topped with the perfect amount of sauce, melty cheesy and a blanket of pepperoni cups. And while most recipes require a 24-hour ferment, this recipe takes a fraction of the time!
What Is Detroit Style Pizza
Each week I’ve been trying to incorporate a fun, new-to-us meal into our routine. Staying at home more means that often times meals can feel monotonous or a bit boring; that’s why pizza night can be a time to have fun and get a little wild!
Enter: this Detroit-Style Pizza recipe. I fell in love with this type of pizza a few years ago when I visited Detroit and New York. It’s so delicious. In New York, you might be familiar with Prince Street Pizza (truly fantastic). In Detroit, there is the famous and delicious Jet’s Pizza. Here’s what makes up Detroit Style Pizza:
- The iconic thick crust that is thick, chewy and very light. I love absolutely LOVE IT!
- Rectangular and/or square shape. This is usually made in a thin and dark square pan. This shape is very different to the very typical round-shaped pizza.
- I believe that Detroit Style Pizza is inspired by Sicilian pizza and Chicago pizza. It’s a bit of a cross between the two, I would say.
Flesichmann’s RapidRise ® Yeast
This post is sponsored by Fleischmann’s. I used their RapidRise ® Yeast in this recipe and the best part is that you don’t have to activate the yeast in water.
If you’ve ever been intimidated about recipes that use yeast, using their RapidRise ® Yeast is the move! You simply add the yeast to the dry ingredients vs. blooming it in any warm liquid. This not saves time but also makes it super easy to use.
Traditionally Detroit-Style Pizzas are a 24 hour or 72 hour ferment and slow rise. But this only needs about 1 hour and 45 minutes, from start to finish. It cuts down the time DRAMATICALLY. Of course, if you wanted the flavor to develop, you could absolutely stick it in the fridge to rise slowly for 24 hours, but it’s absolutely not needed. I think it tasted amazing without that time.
Detroit Style Pizza Pan
A lot of recipes will call for a custom Detroit Style Pizza Pan and if you’d like to buy one, you definitely can. But I find single-purpose pans annoying and fussy. I like to use a 9×13-inch baking pan. Yes, the same one I use to make sheet cakes and brownies.
I like to use a darker 9×13-inch pan because this gets hotter much quicker. And it really contributes to a crispy, delicious crust. The link above for the Detroit Style Pizza Pan is very thin and conducts heat rapidly–which definitely contributes to a delicious pizza.
Get Creative With Toppings
While I topped with pepperoni cups, cubed aged provolone and mozzarella, I say get creative. Here are some other toppings that I think would be fantastic:
- Banana Peppers
- Pepperoncini with pepperoni
- Veggie (I’m talking sliced mushrooms, red bell peppers, red onion and kale)
- Meat Lovers (crumbled sausage, pepperoni and bacon)
How to Make Detroit Style Pizza
- In a large bowl, mix together the all-purpose flour, kosher salt and Fleischmann’s RapidRise ® Yeast
- Then pour in the warm water (100 degrees F) and olive oil. Mix it together until combined.
- Pour a few tablespoons of olive oil in a 9×13-inch baking pan and spread it around. Add the dough to the center.
- Using your fingers, press dimples into the dough. We’re going to allow the crust to relax and then slowly push it into toward the corners. Set your timer for 15 minutes and cover the dough with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. This should be rising in a warm place in your home. Not drafty!
- At the 15-minute mark, return back to the dough, and press it using your fingers, working it closer to the edge of the pan but not all the way. Set your timer again for 15 minutes and cover it once more.
- At the 15 minute mark, return back to the dough, and press it, using our fingers, until the dough reaches the edges and the corners.
- Cover it and allow to rise for 1 full hour. At the 1-hour mark, spread the sauce on top in one even, thin layer. Top it with the two cheeses and place a blanket of pepperoni cups. Pepperoni cups will shrivel up and shrink so it’s important to put a good amount.
- Transfer to the oven to bake for 7 minutes, rotate it at the 7-minute mark to ensure even baking and then bake for an additional 7 minutes.
- Remove from the oven. Allow to cool for a few minutes and then slide it onto a large cutting board.
Tips and Tricks
- If your fingers are sticking to the dough, you can just lightly grease them with some olive oil and it’ll be stick-free!
- A lot of Detroit-Style Pizzas are made in a special pan. I didn’t buy a special pan but I do think that a dark-colored 9×13-inch baking pan works better than a lighter colored.
- Be sure you’re rising the dough in a warm place in your oven. As we get into cooler months, you want to make sure you’re rising the dough in a non-drafty part of your home.
- You really want to put the cheese and sauce all the way to the edge of the pan. This cheese, gets baked onto the crust, resulting in the BEST tasting crust edges.
- I used cubed aged provolone that I found at my local Italian market, but if you can’t find, no worries, just replace it with more mozzarella.
If you make this recipe, let me know on Instagram!
(This post is sponsored by Fleischmann’s RapidRise ® Yeast . Thank you for supporting the sponsors that keep A Cozy Kitchen cozy. )
Video: How to Make Detroit-Style Pizza
Looking for more recipes? Here are a few that I love:
Detroit Style Pizza
Ingredients
Pizza Dough:
- Olive oil (for pan, dough and stretching)
- 2 1/4 (270 grams) cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon Fleischmann's RapidRise ® Yeast
- 3/4 (6 ounces) cups warm water
Topping:
- 3 ounces aged provolone cubed
- 8 ounces shredded mozzarella
- 1/2 cup pizza sauce
- 5 ounces pepperoni cups
Instructions
To Make the Pizza Dough:
- Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a 9x13-inch baking pan. The darker the aluminum, the better. This will give you a better crust.
- In a bowl, mix together the all-purpose flour, salt and instant yeast.
- Pour in the warm water and 1 tablespoon olive oil and mix again. The dough will be pretty wet and that’s ok!
- This is a different type of pizza dough; it will be kinda wet so don't sweat that too much. Just knead it up or mix it up until it becomes cohesive.
- Dip your fingers into the olive oil from the pan and transfer the dough to the greased baking pan. Dimple the dough using your fingers. We’re going to do this every 15 minutes until it reaches the edges. We have to stretch the dough slowly to ensure zero ripping of the dough. Cover the dough with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and allow to rise in draft-free place in your kitchen/house and set a timer for 15 minutes.
- Return to the dough and remove the plastic wrap/towel and dimple the dough once more, spreading it close to the edges of the pan--it should be about half way to the edges by now. Cover once more and set another timer for 15 minutes.
- Return to the dough and dimple and stretch the dough, using extra olive oil on your hands as needed, until it reaches the edges and corners of the pan. Cover the pan and set a timer for 1 hour. This is the last rise required!
To Assemble and Bake the Pizza:
- Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.
- Uncover the dough and spread the pizza sauce on top of the pizza dough, smoothing it out until it reaches the edges. This pizza doesn’t really have a crust exterior so be sure to take it to the edges too.
- Top it with the cubed provolone (if using) and sprinkle with mozzarella. I like to add some cubes of the aged provolone close to the edge of the pan so it gets all crispy.
- Add the pepperoni cups on top and be sure to place them overlapping and very close together. It should look like a blanket of pepperoni.
- Transfer to the oven and bake for 7 minutes, rotate the pan 180 degrees. And then bake for an additional 7 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and the cheese is all melty and bubbling.
- Allow to cool for about 5 minutes and then transfer to a large cutting board. Slice it up with a sharp knife and serve!
Notes
- Dough Sticky? - If your fingers are sticking to the dough, you can just lightly grease them with some olive oil and it’ll be stick-free!
- Special Pan - A lot of Detroit-Style Pizzas are made in a special pan. I didn’t buy a special pan but I do think that a dark-colored 9x13-inch baking pan works better than a lighter colored. I linked to a dark 9x13-inch pan. Glass baking dishes *WILL NOT* work for this recipe. They don't conduct enough heat fast enough and hot enough to cook the crust properly.
- Cheese! - You really want to put the cheese and sauce all the way to the edge of the pan. This cheese, gets baked onto the crust, resulting in the BEST tasting crust edges.
- I used cubed aged provolone that I found at my local Italian market, but if you can’t find, no worries, just replace it with more mozzarella.
- Pepperoni - For pepperoni cups, you want pepperoni that's sliced on the thicker side. My friend Billy suggests the pepperoni from the 365 Whole Foods Brand. For this recipe, I used the Hormel Pepperoni Cups. I found them at my local grocery store. I thought they were wonderful.
- Pizza Sauce - For the pizza sauce, I used the Rao's Brand pizza sauce and it was delicious!
This needs way more yeast to the recipe. I had new yeast, perfect temp water. Had my proofing mat even. The dough did literally nothing. Found a KA recipe, used the same yeast and the dough did its thing.
Also, Detroit style pizza the sauce goes on top of the cheese. Not all over the pizza.
Sorry, just didn’t work.
This pizza has a HOLD on us and we make it almost weekly, but I always end up having a few hard lumps in it after it’s been mixed and I’m pressing it out. What am I doing wrong?
Love this recipe! Always our go-to for pizza night. I typically have to add a bit more water (like 1/4 cup), as others have said, and even then it’s still a little dry. I may try even more water next time. But it always turns out great! Side note: after reading through reviews ppl are obviously v serious about Detroit style pizza
Great pizza and easy recipe to do for pizza night! I do agree, I had to add a bit more water for a stickier dough. Also, the measurements given saying it will fit a 9 x 13 never work for me. I usually am able to make a 9 x 9 square pie.
Hello,
I’m hoping to make this tonight! Can you use a 9×13 aluminum jelly roll pan?
Detroit Style Pizza is not made with the sauce on the dough . The cheese goes on before the sauce and it is not spooned over the entire pizza. The sauce is spooned on the pizza like a racing stripe usually 3 strips per pizza
This recipe was great, the key is to oil the pan well with good quality olive oil and I used a Detroit pizza pan. My pizza had provolone and mozzarella thick cut shredded mix and made sure to line the outside edge with extra cheese for extra crisp edges. Will make this recipe now till the day I die.
Mine didn’t rise at all 🙁 was I supposed to use only this brand of instant yeast? Or was there supposed to be a bit of sugar added to activate it?
no sugar needed. sounds like the yeast was old or expired.
This recipe is a huge hit! As a native Detroiter, I love your take on Detroit style pizza. Very hot over and very dark pan are key. Thank you!
I made this recipe this evening and it received great reviews from the family. I baked it at 500 degrees and had no issue with the bottom burning. Turned out Amazing!
Lovely!!
I have made this pizza four times now and it never disappoints. Even made it for my mother in law and she loved!
3/4 cups warm water? Dough was still dust. I had to add more water
YES to this recipe! As other commenters mentioned, the water needs adjusting – I added a full 8oz and it was just a teensy bit dry. Everything else worked out as described, and it had delicious flavor baked in my darker pan. We used Rao’s sauce and mozz/provolone with nice pepperoni from the deli case. I liked not having to roll anything out and even with a little dough management the couple hours before you want to eat, it was a relaxing Sunday meal I look forward to repeating soon.
It was good, but very dense and not airy like normal Detroit style crust!
I love this recipe! There are a couple tiny things that make it even better…
1. The previous reviews are right, the amount of water in the recipe does NOT create the “sticky dough” in the description. Mine was tough and dry, but I just added a little more until it matched the consistency in the images. No biggie.
2. For an extra crispy crust, put your dark-metal pan *directly* on the very bottom of your oven for only a minute or two after baking the 14 minutes. Not the bottom rack, the literal bottom of the oven. But watch it closely so it doesn’t burn! So worth it.
Thanks for creating this recipe! I look forward to customizing it in the future and even making a breakfast pizza with it! (:
your recipe for detroit style pizza is not correct. The cheese goes on the dough before the sauce. When you add the sauce you add it in strips (3) and do not cover the entire pizza. The cheese that is used is not mozzarella.