Detroit-Style Pan Pizza with Pepperoni

Detroit-Style Pan Pizza

Detroit-style pan pizza has a thick, airy crust, a crisp bottom, and a browned cheese border. For this same-day pepperoni version, let the sticky dough rise until puffy, then press it into a well-oiled rectangular pan in stages. Resting the dough when it springs back helps it reach the corners without tearing.

Brick cheese is carried right to the pan walls, where it browns against the metal. Pepperoni and a few stripes of thick sauce go on top. Use a dark pan if possible, and judge the bake by the bubbling center, crisp bottom, and deeply golden edges rather than the timer alone.

Ingredients for Detroit-Style Pan Pizza

For the dough

• 3 cups bread flour (375g)
• 1¼ cups warm water (295g)
• 1 teaspoon instant yeast
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

For the pan and toppings

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, for the pan
• 12 ounces Wisconsin brick cheese, shredded or cut into small pieces (340g)
• 4 ounces pepperoni (115g)
• ¾ cup thick pizza sauce (180g)
• 2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan
• Optional: a small pinch of dried oregano or red pepper flakes

How to Make Detroit-Style Pan Pizza

1. Mix the dough: Combine the flour, warm water, yeast, salt, and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large bowl. Mix for 5 to 8 minutes, until no dry flour remains and the dough is cohesive and sticky.
2. Let it rise: Cover the bowl and leave it at room temperature for about 1½ to 2 hours, until the dough is visibly puffy and roughly doubled. A cool room may require more time.
3. Oil the pan and stretch the dough: Fully preheat the oven to 500°F (260°C). Coat a dark 9-by-13-inch metal pan with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the dough and gently press it outward with lightly oiled fingers. If it springs back, cover it, rest it for 10 to 15 minutes, and try again rather than forcing it into the corners.
4. Rest in the pan: Cover the pan and let the dough rest for 20 to 30 minutes, until relaxed and slightly puffy. Gently press any areas that have not reached the corners.
5. Add the toppings: Scatter the brick cheese over the dough and right up to the pan walls. Arrange the pepperoni over the cheese, then spoon the sauce into a few stripes. Keep the sauce in stripes rather than spreading it into a heavy layer across the whole pizza.
6. Bake: Bake uncovered and begin checking at 15 minutes. Rotate the pan once if it is browning unevenly. The pizza usually takes about 15 to 20 minutes, but continue baking as needed until the cheese is bubbling, the center looks set, and the cheese at the edges is sizzling and deeply golden.
7. Finish and slice: Sprinkle with Parmesan and, if using, oregano or red pepper flakes. Rest the pizza in the pan for about 5 minutes. Loosen the edges with a thin spatula, then remove the pizza and cut it into rectangular or square pieces.

Choosing Cheese and a Pan

Wisconsin brick cheese is the traditional choice for the browned edge. If it is unavailable, use low-moisture mozzarella or a mozzarella and Monterey Jack blend; the flavor and browning will differ. Thin regular pepperoni can replace natural-casing pepperoni.

A dark metal pan helps the bottom and cheese edges brown. A regular metal 9-by-13-inch pan also works. If its bottom is slow to crisp, set the pan on a baking steel or pizza stone preheated with the oven.

How to Tell When the Pizza Is Done

Look for bubbling cheese with golden spots, a set rather than wet center, and a deeply browned cheese border. Carefully lift an edge to check the bottom: it should be crisp and browned. If it is pale or soft, keep baking and check again in a short interval.

If the center turns out gummy, the dough may have needed a fuller rise or the pizza more oven time. Too much wet sauce can also weigh it down. Let the dough become puffy before shaping and keep the sauce to a few stripes.

Make-Ahead and Storage

For an overnight option, refrigerate the dough during its first rise instead of following the same-day rise time. Let the chilled dough come toward room temperature and become puffy before pressing it into the pan; allow extra time for this schedule.

Refrigerate leftover pizza promptly in a covered container. Prepared dough can be frozen tightly wrapped in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator, then bring it toward room temperature and allow it to rise before shaping.

Serve the pizza warm, with a green salad or Caesar salad if desired.

Nutrition

Approximate nutrition per serving, based on 1 of 8 portions: 450 calories, 18g protein, 24g fat, and 39g carbohydrates. Approximate nutrition per 100g: 300 calories, 12g protein, 16g fat, and 26g carbohydrates. Values vary with the cheese, sauce, pepperoni, and amount of oil used.