This is by FAR the most delicious (and simplest) Detroit-style Pizza you can make at home!
I probably tried 10+ recipes before adapting to this one. The dough is simple, rises well (bread flour!), doesn’t need a ton of kneading, and comes out of the oven fluffy on the inside, and DELIGHTFULLY crunchy on the outside. My wife has recently said it’s her new favorite pizza, period!
How to Make Detroit-Style Pizza
This recipe couldn’t be much easier. Early in the day, we’re going to mix our simple dough (just 5 ingredients you likely already have around), let it rise and stretch over several hours, then eventually plop it in our oiled square pan, add toppings, then bake.
Serve it alongside other pizzas (just for variety), or double up the recipe into TWO pans for enough deep-dish to feed 4-6 people.
Let’s dive into what you’ll need:
The Ingredients
- Bread flour. Rises the best for deep-dish, but all-purpose would also work in a pinch
- Water. Preferably filtered, WARM water
- Yeast. I use simple Active Dry Yeast, but Instant would work as well
- Olive oil. For the yeast to eat, and so you’ll have a perfect crust!
- Salt. For flavor
- Pizza Sauce. I prefer to buy San Marzano tomatoes and mix myself. See below.
- Cheese. Traditional Wisconsin Brick cheese, or a mix of mozzarella
- Toppings. My family prefers pepperoni, but it’s your call!
Baker’s Percentages for Detroit-Style Pizza Dough
Here is the baker’s percentage of my Detroit-style recipe:
| Flour | 100% |
| Water | 75% |
| Yeast | 1.3% (if ADY, you might need less with IDY) |
| Salt | 3% |
| Oil | 3% |
The Directions
1 – Warm up the water in a microwave (or boil some water and mix it with cold water) to get water around 80-100F degrees. Then add the yeast and oil to the water and stir.
Optional: Wait 5-10 minutes to see if the mixture bubbles (meaning the yeast is active and working). If your yeast is old, you might check this!
2 – Mix a bit of flour into the bowl, then the salt, then stir until the salt is dissolved! I use a large spoon, but you can also use your fingers. Then, gradually add the rest of the flour, stirring as you go.
3 – Next, you’ll want to get your hands wet (so the dough doesn’t stick to your fingers as much), and then gently fold the dough into itself for about a minute. (This is the 1st kneading session). Press the mixture together, then fold it in half, then press again, etc. I do this IN the bowl, not on a countertop!
4 – Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, or a warm damp towel. Covering while proofing is important, as this keeps air out (and moisture in). Leave for 30 minutes, then come back and knead the dough again for 2-3 minutes.
5 – After kneading a second time, cover the dough again and let rise for another 2 hours or so.
6 – Oil the baking pan (the bottom and the sides) with olive oil. You almost can’t use too much! Then, place the dough inside the oiled pan and gently press/stretch it toward the edges of the pan.
NOTE: the dough won’t stretch all the way to the sides and stay there yet. That’s ok! You’ll be repeating this process over the next 1-2 hours.
7 – Cover the dough in the baking pan and let rise for another 30 minutes.
8 – Repeat this dough stretching & rising process as many times as you need to, until the dough has risen/stretched roughly to the sides of the pan. I usually do this 2 times (stretch + 30 mins, stretch + 30 mins).
OPTIONAL: If you’re making your own sauce, you can prep that now. I usually use:
- Crushed San Marzano tomatoes in a can
- Salt
- Olive Oil
- Oregano
- A tiny bit of sugar
9 – Add a layer of cheese on top of the dough (all the way to the edges!) and let the dough rise for another 30 minutes. (Hopefully, the rising dough will trap some of the cheese to the sides of the pan. This is a good thing).
Click here to view my favorite homemade NEW YORK STYLE pizza dough recipe 🍕
10 – Place your pizza stone (or steel) in the oven and preheat to 525F degrees (550F if you don’t have a pizza stone)
11 – Add more cheese and any toppings you want, and then lay down 2 stripes of pizza sauce!
12 – Bake for about 12-15 minutes, or until you see the edges starting to brown and blacken.
RELATED: Learn more about what Detroit-Style Pizza is here!
Recommended Tools
- Detroit-Style Pizza Pan. I absolutely approve of my Lloyd Pans 8×10, but you can also use a standard metal baking pan
- Pizza stone or baking steel: If you want the crunchy crust, you’ll want to use a pizza stone or steel to transfer heat quickly! I upgraded to the Nerd Chef Pizza steel and use it for ALL pizzas at home.
- Digital Scale. If you’re a serious pizza maker, you’ll probably use baker’s percentages and weigh your ingredients! My simple Apexstone scale has lasted YEARS.
- A large mixing bowl. Use whatever you have! I bought an extra large steel bowl and love it.
Easy & Delicious Detroit-Style Pizza Recipe
Ingredients
Dough
- 225 gram Bread Flour
- 169 gram Warm Water
- 2.9 gram Active Dry Yeast
- 6.8 gram Salt
- 6.8 gram Olive Oil Extra virgin
Pizza Sauce (Optional, else use a pre-made jar)
- 0.5 can San Marzano tomatoes, crushed (save the other half for the next pizza)
- 2 tsp Salt
- 2 tsp Oil
- 1 tsp Oregano
- 1 tsp Sugar (optional)
Toppings
- 0.5 bag Wisconsin Brick Cheese (preferred)
- 0.5 bag Mozzarella, or mix of Mozzarella & Monterey Jack (easier to find)
Instructions
- Warm up water and add yeast & oil
- Add a pinch of flour and salt, then mix. Then add the rest of the flour and mix until combined
- Using your hands, fold the dough into itself for a minute
- Cover doughball and let rest 30 minutes
- Fold the dough (knead) into itself for another 2-3 minutes, then cover and rest 2 hours
- Oil the steel baking pan (thoroughly), then place dough ball into the center and gently stretch it out. Cover and let rest 30 minutes
- Continue stretching the dough into the edges of the pan every 20-30 minutes for the next hour or two!
- Sprinkle 1 layer of cheese on the dough all the way to the edges (important!), and let rise a final time for 30 minutes
- Insert pizza stone/steel into oven and preheat to 525F (or 550 if you don't have a pizza stone)
- Prepare sauce (Optional)
- Place another layer of cheese on top, then add toppings, then drizzle sauce over the top in 2 stripes
- Bake for 10-15 minutes (depends on your baking temp!) until the edges start to turn dark brown. Let rest 3 minutes then remove from pan and slice!
Notes
Detroit-Style F.A.Q.s
What makes a pizza Detroit-style?
Detroit-style pizza is a rectangular deep-dish pizza with a thick, crispy crust. It is baked in a well-oiled SQUARE metal pan, and traditionally topped with Wisconsin Brick cheese, and then the toppings. The sauce is usually laid in 2 stripes on the very top of the pizza.
Is Detroit-style pizza dough the same as regular pizza dough?
No. Detroit-style is a deep-dish pizza that usually uses bread flour in a high-hydration dough. This gives the dough a thick bread-like flavor and texture, similar to focaccia!
What cheese is used on Detroit-style pizza?
Traditionally, Detroit-style uses Wisconsin Brick Cheese, which is similar to mozzarella or cheddar, but with a high-fat content that tastes sour. However, since Wisconsin Brick cheese is hard to find, it’s ok to make Detroit-style pizza with standard high-moisture mozzarella or even a mix of mozzarella and Monterrey Jack cheese.