Airy, Crisp Detroit Pizza You’ll Crave Weekly
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This Detroit-style pizza is known for its crispy edges, light and airy crumb, and signature “cheese first, sauce second” layering. It’s baked in well-oiled metal pans—traditionally blue steel—with the cheese melting all the way to the edges to form a caramelized crust that’s honestly hard to beat! A MUST TRY!! Try my Detroit pizza sauce recipe too!
Why Make It?
Funny story—years ago, when I was preparing to move to southeast Michigan from the Philly area, I was mourning the loss of my favorite pizza from the East Coast. I figured good pizza would be hard to find. And at first? I wasn’t wrong. I was surrounded by chain pizza (suburban Ann Arbor is, after all, the birthplace of Domino’s). But then I found Buddy’s, and other Detroit style pizza and everything changed. This pizza – when done well – might make you question your loyalty to NY Style pizza.
Now, I’m not usually a fan of really thick crusts, but this? This was different. Medium-thick, ultra-light, and ridiculously crisp on the bottom—it’s the kind of pizza that wins you over in one bite. Reproducing it at home? That took a few tries. But here’s what I learned.
Ingredient Notes
- Flour: The dough is lean—just flour, water, yeast, and salt. No oil. A strong bread flour works best here.
- Hydration: High hydration (68–73%) gives the crumb that light, airy texture.
- Cheese: Wisconsin brick cheese is ideal. Most of you (including me) can’t find this outside of the Midwest, a mix of low-moisture mozzarella and mild cheddar is a solid plan B.
- Pan: This is where the magic happens. Detroit-style pizza owes its crisp, cheesy edges to blue steel pans, originally used as parts trays in Detroit auto factories. In 1946, Gus Guerra of Buddy’s repurposed them for pizza—and they delivered that now-iconic caramelized crust. I bought mine years ago at PA products in Michigan but similar pans can be found online.
Method Overview
To make Detroit-style pizza, start by mixing the dough, letting it rest, then kneading until smooth. Allow it to rise with a couple of stretch-and-folds before optional overnight refrigeration or a room temperature rise for about 1 hour. Before baking, oil your pan and press in the dough into the pan (it takes about three tries [it’ll resist], resting 10 to 15 minutes between each attempt). After the final press, let it rise until it is nice and puffy (about 2 to 3 hours). Parbake the plain dough at 500°F for 6–8 minutes in the bottom of the oven (lowest shelf), then check to see that some browning has developed, and top with cheese all the way to the edges. Reduce oven temperature and bake at 475°F until the edges are crisp—cover with foil after the cheese has melted but keep baking until the edges are no longer bubbling and are nice and crispy. Finish with warm pizza sauce spooned over after baking, just like they do in Detroit. I never can get the racing stripes right but it’s still amazing!
Watch How to Make It
Tips & Techniques
- Stretching in the Pan: Expect resistance (sorry!!). The triple pressing method (with rests) gives the dough time to relax.
- Oil Matters: Use just enough oil to coat the pan—too much and the crust turns greasy, not crisp. If I add too much, I usually swipe up the excess with a paper towel.
- Protect the Cheese: Cover loosely with foil during the second bake to keep the top from over-browning while the edges crisp. This is key!
- Fermentation: The cold fermentation improves the dough’s flavor, but you can make this a same day dough (if you start in the morning).
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⭐️ Pair this with the Perfect Salad!
📖 Recipe
Airy, Crisp, and Totally Irresistible: Detroit-Style Pizza
Video
Equipment
- Detroit style metal pan (10 x 14 inches) See calculator for making dough for other size pizzas
- pizza steel or stone optional but highly recommended
Ingredients
NOTE: For More or Less Dough Try My Detroit Pizza Calculator
For the Dough
- 248.5 grams (2 cups) Bread Flour
- 186.4 grams (0.75 cups) Water
- 10 grams (2.5 tsp) Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 5.5 grams (1 tsp) Salt
- 2.5 grams (0.5 tsp) Sugar
- 1.5 grams (0.5 tsp) Active Dry Yeast or Instant Dry Yeast
For the Toppings
- 1 pound mozzarella or mild cheddar cheese (a mixture recommended) Low moisture mozzarella – not fresh
- 1/3 cup Detroit pizza sauce recipe here; more or less to your preference
Instructions
- Make the Detroit pizza sauce ahead of time, or you can make it while your dough rises.
Make the Dough
- Mix the dough: In a large bowl, stir together the water, yeast, sugar, and olive oil. Let it sit for 10 minutes to activate the yeast (skip the rest period if you are using instant dry yeast, but do not skip if you are using active dry yeast).
- Add flour and rest: Mix in the flour until just combined—it’s okay if it looks a little lumpy. Cover and let rest for 20–30 minutes.
- Add salt and knead: Sprinkle in the salt, then knead (by hand or mixer) for 3–5 minutes until the dough becomes a little smoother.
- Stretch and ferment: Let the dough rise at room temperature for 1 hour, doing two stretch-and-folds during that time. To do a stretch and fold, slide your hand underneath one side of the dough, gently stretch it upward, then fold it over to the opposite side—repeat on all four sides. Let it rest, covered, for about another hour at room temperature, or if you want to bake it the next day, skip to the next step for cold proofing overnight.
- Optional cold proof: Transfer dough to an airtight container with room to expand and refrigerate overnight.
Stretch the Dough into the Pan
- To Prepare for Baking: About 3 to 4 hours before baking, oil your Detroit-style pan and press the dough into it. Since the dough will resist, press it in three rounds, resting 10 to 15 minutes between each. Keep it covered between pressings.
- Final rise: After the last press, let the dough rise uncovered at room temperature until it’s puffy – this can take about 2 to 3 hours.
Baking the Pizza
- Make sure you have one rack near the bottom of the oven and one rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 500°F during the latter part of the dough rise.
- Bake the dough (without toppings) on the bottom rack of the oven for 6–8 minutes until the bottom is lightly golden (check with a spatula). Reduce the oven temperature to 475°F.
- Spread cheese all the way to the edges of the pan (this creates those crispy, caramelized corners). If the dough has pulled back from the edges, let some cheese fall into those gaps. Add any other toppings you like.
- Reduce oven temperature and bake at 475°F in the center of the oven until the edges are browned and the cheese is bubbling—this can take 10 to 15 minutes total. IMPORTANT: Once cheese melts (check after 5 minutes), loosely tent the pizza with foil to prevent overbrowning while you wait for the cheesy edges to crisp and brown. Keep foil loose or spray with oil to prevent sticking.
- Add sauce after baking: Warm your pizza sauce and spoon it over the top after baking. Racing stripes are optional but highly encouraged! Run a small sharp knife around the edges to loosen the pizza before sliding it onto a cutting board or large flat pizza pan to cut.
Notes
Nutrition
🍕 Detroit-Style Pizza FAQs
What makes Detroit-style pizza different from other styles?
Detroit-style pizza is baked in a rectangular pan with a medium-thick, airy crust and a crispy, cheesy edge. The sauce is spooned on top of the cheese, traditionally in classic racing stripes. It’s not as thick as Sicilian—more of a medium-thick crust that’s light and chewy, with crisp corners from the caramelized cheese.
What kind of pan do I need?
You’ll need a deep, rectangular metal pan—ideally a Detroit-style pizza pan—but a well-seasoned or generously greased 9×13-inch metal baking pan works in a pinch. Avoid glass or ceramic, which won’t crisp the edges the same way.
Why does the cheese go under the sauce?
This keeps the crust from getting soggy and allows the cheese to bubble up and caramelize along the sides, giving you those signature crispy, lacy edges.
What cheese is best for Detroit pizza?
Brick cheese is traditional—it melts beautifully without being greasy and has a mild, buttery flavor. It’s hard to find outside the Midwest, especially Wisconsin. If you can’t get it, use whole milk mozzarella or a combination of mozzarella with mild cheddar.
Can I make the dough ahead of time?
Yes! This dough actually improves with an overnight rest in the fridge.
Do I need a stand mixer to make the dough?
Nope. While a mixer makes things easier, you can mix by hand. It’s a wet dough, but a few rounds of stretch-and-fold will help develop the gluten.
Why is the sauce cooked?
Detroit-style sauce is simmered to develop a deeper flavor and a thicker consistency—perfect for spooning on top without it sliding off or soaking the crust.
Can I freeze leftovers?
Yes! Wrap slices tightly in foil or plastic, then freeze. Reheat in a hot oven or air fryer to bring back the crispy bottom and cheesy edges.