Detroit-style pizza: A square masterpiece with a crispy, caramelized crust, tangy tomato sauce, and a gooey layer of cheese. Originating in the Motor City in the 1940s, this unique pizza is made in a square or rectangular pan, resulting in a thick, focaccia-like crust that's crispy on the outside and airy on the inside. The sauce, typically made with crushed tomatoes, is spread all the way to the edges, creating a caramelized layer when baked. Generous amounts of cheese, often a blend of brick, cheddar, and mozzarella, are added, resulting in a gooey, bubbly topping. Detroit-style pizza is often served with toppings like pepperoni, sausage, or vegetables, and is a beloved local favorite and a must-try for any pizza enthusiast.
This article offers a comprehensive guide to making your own Detroit-style pizza at home, with two detailed recipes:
1. **Classic Detroit-Style Pizza Recipe**: This recipe provides step-by-step instructions for creating a traditional Detroit-style pizza, using a combination of active dry yeast and bread flour to achieve the perfect crust. It includes tips for making the pizza sauce from scratch, assembling the pizza, and baking it in a preheated oven.
2. **Vegan Detroit-Style Pizza Recipe**: For those who prefer a plant-based option, this recipe offers a delicious vegan version of the Detroit-style pizza. It features a homemade vegan cheese made from cashews, nutritional yeast, and spices, ensuring a gooey, flavorful topping. The recipe also includes instructions for making a flavorful tomato sauce and assembling the pizza.
Whether you're a seasoned pizza maker or a home cook looking to try something new, this article has everything you need to create a mouthwatering Detroit-style pizza in your own kitchen.
DETROIT-STYLE PIZZA
Forget the old Chicago vs. NY debate! America's best pizza could very well be Detroit-style pizza. Even though it's often referred to as 'deep dish,' I don't think that accurately captures the essence of this crispy, crusty, crazy-good slice. It has flavor elements of a slightly charred thin-crust pizza, with the texture of light, airy focaccia. Plus, if you use the properly shaped pan, the edges of your crust get wonderfully crunchy, making for a truly unique experience.
Provided by Chef John
Categories Main Dish Recipes Pizza Recipes
Time 1h35m
Yield 12
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Pour warm water into the bowl of stand mixer; mix in yeast and sugar and let dissolve. Add 2 teaspoons olive oil, salt, and bread flour. Knead mixture together with a dough hook attachment until dough is very smooth, soft, and elastic.
- Drizzle remaining olive oil over the bottom of a 10x14-inch Detroit-style pizza pan and spread around with your fingers. Place dough in the center; pull and stretch into a roughly rectangular shape with oiled fingers. Cover and let rise until doubled in volume, about 1 hour. Prepare sauce and cheese in the meantime.
- Combine marinara sauce, oregano, red pepper flakes, and garlic powder in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Simmer to fully hydrate the oregano and garlic, about 15 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 500 to 550 degrees F (260 to 288 degrees C).
- Dice Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheese into small cubes. Toss lightly to mix together.
- Rub fingertips with some olive oil from the pan. Press out air from the dough while stretching and pushing into a rectangle that goes all the way to the edges of the pan. Stretch up the sides about 1/2 inch or so.
- Lay most of the pepperoni onto the dough. Scatter cheese cubes evenly on top, making sure to fully cover all the edges where dough meets the pan. Ladle sauce on top in 3 long strips. Arrange remaining pepperoni over the sauce.
- Bake in the preheated oven until pizza is somewhere between golden brown and golden black, about 15 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes.
- Very carefully slide pizza onto a cutting board using a spatula. Cut into individual pieces using the lines of sauce as a guide.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 353.6 calories, Carbohydrate 27 g, Cholesterol 47.1 mg, Fat 20.1 g, Fiber 2.3 g, Protein 15.4 g, SaturatedFat 8.9 g, Sodium 857.7 mg, Sugar 5.6 g
DETROIT-STYLE PEPPERONI PIZZA
Provided by Jeff Mauro, host of Sandwich King
Categories main-dish
Time 2h35m
Yield 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- Position an oven rack in the bottom of the oven and preheat to the highest temperature setting, 500 to 550 degrees F.
- Pour the oil in a large, square metal cake pan (or, ideally, an authentic Detroit-style pizza pan). Put the Pizza Dough in the pan and gently stretch it out to fit so the dough reaches the corners. If the dough is being temperamental, set it aside for another 10 minutes to relax and try again.
- Layer the pepperoni on the dough. Then lay the cheese cubes all over, especially around the perimeter up to the edge of the pan (this creates the coveted crispy cheese crust). Dollop the pizza sauce on top in 3 lines.
- Bake in the ultra-hot oven until bubbly and golden and a crispy cheese crust has formed, 10 to 15 minutes. Using a fish spatula, loosen up the edges and place on a cutting board. Slice into squares and serve!
- Put the flour, salt, yeast and sugar in a food processor with a metal blade attachment and pulse to combine. Add 1 cup warm water, then process until a ball forms, about 30 seconds (if a ball does not form, add a bit more flour). Process for another 30 seconds, then roll into a tight ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl. Proof in a warm spot until the dough doubles in size, about 2 hours.
- Heat a small saucepot over medium heat and add the oil. Add the Italian seasoning and garlic and saute until fragrant; do not let the garlic burn. Add the tomatoes and sugar and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and simmer until concentrated, about 30 minutes. Set aside to cool.
DETROIT-STYLE PIZZA
There's New York and Chicago, but how many Americans have heard of this unique Detroit style? It's a thick, rectangular pizza, distinctive in that it has the sauce on top of the cheese, has particularly crispy edges, and is sometimes twice baked.
Provided by Amy Emberling
Categories Dinner Michigan Pizza Tomato Cheese Mozzarella Parmesan
Yield Makes 1 pizza
Number Of Ingredients 21
Steps:
- Make the dough:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the water and sea salt and stir to dissolve the salt. Add the flour and yeast and mix with a wooden spoon until the dough becomes a shaggy mass. Make sure that all of the flour is hydrated. Using the dough hook attachment, mix on medium-low speed for 4 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl and release the dough from the hook. Mix for an additional 4 minutes. It will now hold a round shape.
- Spray a bowl with nonstick cooking spray or brush lightly with olive oil. Place the dough into the bowl and cover with plastic. Let the dough relax for 15 minutes, and then shape the dough.
- Shape the dough:
- Lightly oil or butter the inside surfaces of a 9-by-13-in [23-by-33-cm] baking pan or Detroit pizza pan.
- Place the dough into the pan and use your fingertips to spread the dough out to the corners and sides of the pan. The dough will be sticky, so lightly dip your fingertips in oil to make stretching it easier. Set the pan aside, cover with plastic, and let rise in a warm area for1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the dough is approximately 1/2 to 3/4 in [1.5 to 2 cm] tall in the pan.
- Make the sauce:
- Combine the tomatoes, sugar, oregano, basil, garlic, salt, and pepper and stir together in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring periodically. Using an immersion blender or food processor, purée the sauce until smooth. Place it back over medium heat. Simmer the puréed sauce until slightly thickened, 5 to 10 minutes, stirring periodically.
- Keep the sauce warm for ladling over the pizza, or cool and refrigerate for up to a week. This recipe makes about 3 cups [710 ml] of sauce and it can also be frozen for up to 3 months, if desired. You will have more sauce than you need for one pizza.
- Top and bake the pizza:
- Preheat the oven to 475°F [240°C].
- Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese around the edge of the pizza where the dough touches the sides of the pan. This cheese will form a crispy, caramelized edge on the crust. If desired, place pepperoni in two rows of four down the length of the pizza, directly on top of the dough. Gently push the pepperoni into the dough.
- Sprinkle the mozzarella and brick cheeses over the surface of the pizza, spreading them all the way to the edges where the dough meets the sides of the pan. This cheese will also contribute to the crispy, caramelized edge on the crust. Season the top of the pizza with a pinch each of oregano and salt.
- Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Look for an amber-colored top and crispy edges.
- After removing the pizza from the oven, use a small offset spatula or knife to loosen the sides of the crust from the pan. Slide the pizza out of the pan onto a cooling rack. At this point, if a crispier bottom is desired, you can put the pizza (out of the pan) directly onto the oven rack or a sheet tray and bake for an extra 5 minutes for a slightly more browned finish on the bottom of the crust.
- After you remove the pizza from the oven, top it with the warm sauce. Traditionally, it is ladled into two rows down the length of the pizza. Serve warm.
- Do Ahead:
- This pizza can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheated on a lightly oiled sheet tray at 475°F [240°C].
DETROIT-STYLE PIZZA
Topped with pepperoni and melted, ooey-gooey cheese, this traditional Detroit-style pizza recipe is just what your pizza night needs. Don't be surprised when it vanishes in seconds. -Taste of Home Test Kitchen
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Dinner
Time 45m
Yield 12 slices.
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in ¼ cup warm water; let stand 5 minutes. In a food processor, combine flour, salt, sugar; pulse to combine. Add yeast mixture and remaining water; process until a soft dough forms and rolls around the inside of the bowl, 45-60 seconds. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 2 hours., Punch dough down; let rest for 5 minutes. Grease the bottom of a Detroit-Style Pizza Pan or a dark 13x9-in. baking pan with olive oil; gently stretch dough into until dough starts to spring back; let stand 10 minutes and stretch again until dough almost covers bottom of pan. Cover and let stand until slightly risen and dough reaches the edges of the pan, about 30 minutes., Preheat oven to 500°. Place pepperoni on top of dough and top with cheese, making sure the cheese touches the edges of the pan. Spoon pizza sauce in 3 strips lengthwise over cheese. Bake, on the bottom rack, until cheese is bubbly and the edges are dark brown, about 15 minutes. Loosen edges of pizza from pan and immediately transfer to a wire cooling rack; let stand 5 minutes. Transfer pizza to a cutting board; cut into squares. Transfer cut pizza back to the wire rack and sprinkle with red pepper flakes, if desired.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 255 calories, Fat 12g fat (5g saturated fat), Cholesterol 25mg cholesterol, Sodium 564mg sodium, Carbohydrate 25g carbohydrate (2g sugars, Fiber 1g fiber), Protein 12g protein.
Tips:
- For a crispy crust, use a combination of bread flour and all-purpose flour.
- Make sure the dough is well-hydrated. The dough should be sticky, but not too wet.
- Let the dough rise in a warm place for at least 2 hours, or until it has doubled in size.
- Preheat the oven to the highest temperature possible before baking the pizza.
- Use a pizza stone or baking steel to bake the pizza. This will help to create a crispy crust.
- Load the pizza with toppings before baking. This will help to prevent the toppings from sliding off the pizza.
- Bake the pizza until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Let the pizza cool for a few minutes before slicing and serving.
Conclusion:
Detroit-style pizza is a unique and delicious type of pizza that is perfect for any occasion. With its crispy crust, tangy sauce, and gooey cheese, Detroit-style pizza is sure to please everyone. Whether you are a pizza lover or just looking for something new to try, Detroit-style pizza is definitely worth a try.
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