Detroit-style Pizza
With its distinctive brick shape, thick, fluffy base, crispy crust and stunning cheesy edges – aka the “frico” or the caramelised cheese crown – Detroit-style pizza is distinctive in look and flavour. Since its invention sometime in the 1940s, it’s become one of the most popular pizza styles around. In 1946, Buddy’s Rendezvous, a bar owned by Gus Guerra, was struggling to make money. Gus decided to add new items to his menu and just happened to have a few unused blue steel industrial utility trays, which he thought would make a good Sicilian-style pizza. The trays helped the dough keep its soft and airy crust while also allowing the exterior to be soaked through with oil. Who exactly came up with the dough recipe is under debate (maybe Guerra’s wife, Anna, or an “old Sicilian dude named Dominic”) but what’s fact is that its roots are, indeed, Sicilian.
On top of the dough, Gus often included pepperoni, followed by a generous portion of brick cheese from Wisconsin all the way to the edges of the pan, followed by more toppings, and the final touch: streaks of red sauce, honouring the history of the automotive roots of the Motor City.
Soft on the inside and crunchy on the surface, in our version, we use mozzarella, cheddar and lots of pepperoni for a hit of salt and spice. Comforting, filling and highly addictive, this nod to the original Detroit-style pizza is hard to beat.
Equipment
Summix mixer with dough hook (optional)
Ooni Detroit-style Pizza Pan (Medium - 10 by 13-inch / 24 by 32-centimetre)
Ooni Pizza Oven
Ooni Infrared Thermometer
Ooni Pizza Oven Gloves
Ooni Pan Pizza Spatula or metal spatula
Ooni Pizza Cutter Wheel
Ingredients
For the dough:
260 grams water
3 grams instant dried yeast or 4.5 grams active dried yeast or 9 grams fresh yeast
20 grams extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for coating the metal pan
350 grams strong bread flour
10 gram fine sea salt
For the toppings:
80 grams cheddar, shredded
100 grams mozzarella, shredded (recommend fior di latte )
100 grams pepperoni slices
120 grams pizza sauce
Method
Note
If using Ooni’s Detroit-style Pizza Pan, do not exceed 370 °C (700 °F).
For the dough:
- Add the water, yeast, and olive oil to the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the flour and salt, then mix the dough on a low to medium speed for 5 minutes, or until all the ingredients are thoroughly combined and you have a smooth, silky dough with good elasticity.
Tip: If you don't have a stand mixer, mix the ingredients with a wooden spoon or your hands, then knead by hand until a smooth dough forms, about 15 minutes.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and leave it to proof at room temperature for about 3 to 4 hours or until the dough has doubled in size.
Tip: If you prefer to cold proof the dough, at this point you should put it in the fridge for 72 hours, then take it out 2 to 3 hours before cooking. Allow the dough to return to room temperature before continuing the following steps.
- Generously drizzle the bottom and sides of your baking pan with olive oil. This will help the pizza develop a nice crust and ensure your base is crunchy.
- Transfer the dough to the pan and ‘dimple’ it with your fingers; using the pads of your fingers, gently press the surface of the dough, shaping and pushing the dough into the corners. Cover the dough and leave it to rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
- Once the dough has relaxed and become more pliable, dimple it again using your fingers, pushing it towards the corners of the pan.
- Fire up your oven and allow it to preheat for 15 to 20 minutes. Aim for 340 °C on your pizza stone. You can check this quickly, accurately and from a safe distance with an infrared thermometer.
For the toppings:
- Once the oven is preheated, add the cheese, making sure to pay particular attention to the edges – this will create the “frico” or cheesy, crusty crown. Add the pepperoni, followed by 2 stripes of sauce on top.
- Check that the oven is up to 340 °C, then turn the flame down to its lowest setting. Place the pan at the front of your oven so it’s not too close to the flame. If your oven has a door, leave it on while it’s cooking. At the start of the bake, use your pizza oven gloves to rotate the pan every 2 minutes so the bottom bakes evenly as it draws heat from the stone. Bake the pizza for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the crust's thickness and the pan's size.
Tip: If the flame is colouring your pizza too fast, turn the flame off for 3 to 5 minutes.
- When finished, remove the pizza from the pan using a spatula and let it rest on a cooling rack for 2 minutes. Slice into 4 pieces, serve and enjoy!