Detroit Pizza
Detroit-Style Pizza characterized by its thick, fluffy interior and deliciously crispy edges. The dough requires no kneading, making it easier than some other styles of pizza, and since no fancy pizza oven is needed, it's definitely doable for a home cook!
Servings: 9 pieces
Equipment
Ingredients
For the dough
- 3 1/3 cups bread flour
- 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 1/2 cups cold water
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
For the Detroit pizza
- 1/3 cup corn oil for oiling the pan
- 10 slices mozzarella cheese
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella
- 2 cups shredded sharp white cheddar
- 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes drained for 3-5 minutes and reserve tomato water
- 1/2 teaspoon Sicilian oregano
Instructions
For the dough
- In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. Add the water a bit at a time and mix thoroughly to form a dry rough mass.
- Pour the oil over the dough and mix again to scrape off any dough residue stuck to the sides of the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap for 20 minutes.
- Remove the plastic and bowl fold the dough. Keep a small bowl of water near your side. Dip hands into the water and grab the edge of the dough and pull and stretch it up and back down towards the middle of the dough mass. Rotate the bowl 90° and perform another fold, dipping your hand into the water between each fold. Keep rotating and folding until the dough will no longer easily stretch (about 6 stretches). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit for 30 minutes before doing another series of bowl folds.
- After two series of folds, use a bowl scraper or wet hands and place the seam side of the dough down into the bowl. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and place into the fridge overnight. Note: you can make the pizza the same day by letting the dough double in size after the second set of bowl folds, but the pizza will have far better flavor if refrigerated overnight.
For the Detroit pizza
- Remove the dough from the fridge 2 hours prior to using.
- Preheat oven to 500°F and set 1 rack on the lowest level and the other to the middle level.
- Oil a 10x14" Detroit pizza pan, then place the dough ball into the pan and press it out to the edges of the pan. Cover with plastic wrap for 30 minutes, then press it again into the edges to fully cover the pan. Cover again with plastic for another hour or until the dough has risen significantly. Placing the pan in a warm spot or on a proofing mat set to 78°F will speed up the process.
- Meanwhile, strain the crushed tomatoes for 3 minutes to remove excess water. Save both the strained tomatoes and the tomato water. Mix 2 tablespoons of the crushed tomatoes into the tomato water. Season the tomatoes with salt to taste and the oregano. If you want a smooth sauce, blender pulse or use an immersion blender.
- Remove the plastic from the pan and lightly brush a thin layer (about 1-2 tablespoons) of tomato water on top of the dough. Bake for 12 minutes on the bottom rack.
- Remove the pan from the oven and with a spatula check the bottom. If the bottom is completely blond in color you will most likely need to bake the pizza on the bottom rack for the full amount of time in the next steps. If the dough is golden to golden brown at this point, you will finish baking on the middle or upper level of the oven.
- Slide the sliced mozzarella into the edges of the pan. Evenly distribute the shredded cheese on top of the pizza. Spread the sauce in 2 or 3 thick vertical lines or 5 diagonal lines on to the pizza.
- Return the pizza to the oven and bake for another 14-18 minutes or until the center of the dough reaches at least 195°F internal temp when checked with an instant read thermometer. Slice the pizza into 9 large pieces or go smaller if you like. Enjoy!
Notes
- Pans. A Detroit pizza pan works best for this recipe but a 9x13 deep cake pan will also work.
- Dough. Store bought pizza dough can be subbed for the homemade dough. You will need 28-30 ounces of dough for one detroit pizza. Note: the dough I am using is a high hydration dough (80%) which gives an airy crumb. Most storebought dough will be 60-65% hydration which will result in a more dense pizza.
- Yeast. I always recommend working with instant yeast (SAF brand is what I use) because you don’t need to proof it in a warm liquid and it can be mixed with dry ingredients and salt right away. This is the yeast that most bakeries and pizzerias use for its consistency and long shelf life especially when stored in the freezer. If using active yeast, add it to the warm water first, and check for bubbles to make sure it’s alive. Once it bubbles mix it in with the dry ingredients and form your dough.
- Oil. Corn oil will produce a crispier crust than olive oil. If you want, you can oil the pan with olive oil.
- Cheese. Traditonally, Wisconsin brick cheese is used for Detroit pizza but that will prove hard to find. Montery jack can be subbed for the cheddar or you can use all mozzarella.
- Toppings. Cupping pepperoni can be used or any toppings you like. Note: a pizza with heavy toppings will take a few minutes longer to cook.
- Leftovers. Detroit pizza can be saved in the fridge for up to 3 days or frozen for 3 months. Reheat in a 350°F oven.
Nutrition
Calories: 468kcal | Carbohydrates: 46.4g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 23.5g | Saturated Fat: 8.9g | Cholesterol: 44mg | Sodium: 854mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Calcium: 319mg | Iron: 4mg
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