Detroit-Style Pizza

Detroit-style pizza is a work of art and I’ve been determined to get my recipe better and better every year! It’s thick, almost focaccia-like in height, but lighter and airier than it looks. The bottom crisps deeply, the edges caramelize with cheese, and the interior stays soft and structured instead of dense. Finished with stracciatella and a drizzle of hot honey, it hits creamy, crispy, savory, and sweet all at once. Let’s get into the technique!

Why Detroit-Style Pizza Is Different

Unlike New York style pizza or Neapolitan, Detroit-style is a thicker dough with a super crispy undercarriage. It’s more similar to focaccia than some pizzas as it’s also rectangular shaped instead of circular. It also traditionally uses brick cheese and the sauce goes on top of the cheese.

To sum it up, this is what sets it apart:

• Thicker dough — taller than traditional pizza, almost like focaccia but with more chew
• Rectangular pan baking — straight-sided metal pan encourages edge caramelization
• Cheese to the edges — that crispy, lacy cheese crust is intentional
• Brick cheese tradition — traditionally melted into the corners
• Flexible sauce placement — underneath or striped on top

The texture contrast is the entire experience: crispy bottom, airy interior, crunchy cheese edges. It’s engineered texture.

The Equipment That Actually Matters

You don’t need specialty tools, but a few things make a noticeable difference.

Detroit-style pan: This is the most important piece. A straight-sided metal pan (commonly 8×10 or 10×14 inches) allows the cheese to melt down the sides and crisp against the metal. The size controls thickness — a smaller pan gives you a taller, thicker pizza. A heavy pan conducts heat more evenly and promotes better browning. I recommend LloydPans for consistent caramelized edges and easy release.

Pizza steel (optional but powerful): A pizza steel stores heat more efficiently than a stone. When your pan sits on it, you get:

• Stronger oven spring
• A crispier bottom crust
• More aggressive heat transfer

If you want a restaurant-style bottom, this helps. If you don’t have one, baking directly on the bottom rack still works beautifully.

Wire rack: This is non-negotiable. Once the pizza comes out of the oven, steam forms underneath. If it stays in the pan, the bottom softens. A wire rack preserves the crisp.

Stand mixer (optional): Convenient, but not necessary. This dough doesn’t rely on kneading.

The Dough: Simple Ingredients, Smart Timing

The dough is flour, yeast, sugar, water, salt, and optional, diastatic malt powder.

Mix everything except the salt until just combined. No kneading required. The dough should be slightly sticky but manageable. Start with 1 cup of water and add more one tablespoon at a time if needed.

Cover and let it rest for 20 to 30 minutes. This rest hydrates the flour and begins gluten formation naturally. It improves extensibility and structure without effort. After resting, sprinkle in the salt.

Here’s the science:

• Salt strengthens gluten
• Salt inhibits fermentation
• Salt tightens the dough structure

Adding salt later allows gluten strands to begin forming before tightening the network.

That said, you can absolutely add everything at once if you’re short on time. The pizza will still turn out great. That’s the beauty of dough — there’s the optimized method and the practical method. Both work.

Stretch and Folds Instead of Kneading

Instead of kneading, perform 3 to 4 sets of stretch and folds every 30 minutes. Lightly brush your hands with neutral oil so the dough doesn’t stick.

Each set:

• Grab one side of the dough
• Gently stretch upward without tearing
• Fold it over itself
• Rotate the bowl
• Repeat on all four sides

Each round takes about 30 seconds. Cover and return the dough to a warm spot between sets. I like putting it in the oven turned off with just the light on.

This gradual strengthening builds a stable gluten network and creates:

• Larger air pockets
• A lighter interior
• Structure without density

Into the Pan and the Long Proof

After the final stretch and fold, transfer the dough directly into your oiled Detroit pan. Press gently toward the edges. If it springs back, let it rest 10 to 15 minutes and try again. Forcing it can tear the gluten you just built.

Let it proof in the pan for 1 to 2 hours, until doubled and visibly airy.

About halfway through this pan proof, preheat your oven to 500°F. If using a pizza steel, place it on the bottom rack so it has at least 30 minutes to fully heat. This longer pan proof is what gives you that tall, almost focaccia-like structure.

Garlic Butter and Sauce Strategy

Brush garlic butter over the dough before adding sauce. It builds flavor directly into the crust and helps with browning.

For the sauce, I mix marinara with a little heavy cream for smoothness.

You have two authentic options:

• Spread sauce first, then cheese and toppings
• Or add cheese first and stripe the sauce on top for the traditional Detroit look

There’s no wrong choice. Just different layering.

The Cheese Technique

Traditional Detroit-style pizza uses brick cheese.

We substitute with:

• Low-moisture mozzarella for stretch and browning
• Monterey Jack for smooth melt and creaminess

Cut the cheese into tiny cubes instead of shredding. Cubes create pockets of melt instead of a flat blanket.

Place cheese evenly across the surface and make sure to add some along the edges of the pan. That contact with metal creates the crispy caramelized cheese crust.

Baking and Reading the Pizza

Bake at 500°F for about 14 minutes. Place the pan directly on the bottom rack or on your preheated pizza steel if using.

You’re looking for:

• Deep golden cheese
• Crispy, caramelized edges
• A firm bottom crust

If the edges brown too quickly, next time add some of the edge cheese halfway through baking instead of at the beginning.

Finishing It Properly

As soon as it comes out of the oven, remove the pizza from the pan and transfer it to a wire rack. Let it cool slightly so the structure sets and the bottom stays crisp. Slice. Top each piece with a spoonful of stracciatella and a drizzle of hot honey.

Adding stracciatella after baking keeps it cool and creamy instead of melting away in the oven. The hot honey hits the salty cheese and balances everything.

Final Notes and Adjustments

• You can use all-purpose flour. Bread flour just gives more chew and stronger structure.
• Want it thicker? Use a smaller pan.
• Want deeper browning? Add diastatic malt powder. It enhances oven spring and crust color.

Craving More Bread? Try These Recipes Out!

• Cheddar Jalapeño Bagels
• Cheese Fatayer
• Lahmajeen Meat Pies
• Garlic Naan
• Maple Beaver Tails

If you make this recipe, make sure to leave a comment below and let me know how it turns out — I love hearing from you! And if you snap a photo, don’t forget to tag me over on Instagram or TikTok so I can see your creations too.

You can also find this recipe and so many more on my Pinterest — perfect for saving to your board for later. And if you’re more of a visual learner, check out my YouTube channel, where I walk you through recipes step-by-step just like this one.