Ultimate Homemade Supreme Detroit-Style Pizza: Crispy Crust Perfection

Unleash your inner pizzaiolo and discover how to craft an authentic Detroit-style pizza right in your own kitchen! This recipe is a game-changer, focusing on the distinct crust that makes this pizza style legendary. By utilizing bread flour, we achieve a crust that boasts an incredibly crispy, golden exterior while remaining wonderfully soft and chewy on the inside. Load it up with classic supreme toppings like savory pepperoni, vibrant bell peppers, briny black olives, and an abundance of melty mozzarella cheese for an unforgettable experience!

Get ready for a new addition to your homemade pizza repertoire – and perhaps your new favorite! This Detroit-style pizza recipe is not only incredibly delicious but also surprisingly simple to prepare. We often hear that making homemade pizza dough is easy, and while that holds true for many recipes, this one takes simplicity to an entirely new level. The secret? Your trusty stand mixer handles almost all the heavy lifting, eliminating the need for extensive kneading or intricate shaping. Imagine, all you have to do is mix the dough, allow it to rest, transfer it to a baking pan, gently spread it, add your favorite toppings, and then bake it to golden perfection. It truly doesn’t get much easier than that!

This distinct square-cut, thick-crust pizza has quickly become a beloved staple in our home. For me, the appeal lies in the minimal effort required, yet it delivers maximum flavor and satisfaction. My husband, a self-proclaimed pizza enthusiast who adores pizza in every imaginable form, is equally enamored. In fact, his love for this particular pie runs so deep that I received explicit instructions not to make it when he was out of town. He insisted on enjoying it hot and fresh, straight from the oven, on the day it was made. That’s how good it is!

When it comes to pizza, I consider myself an equal opportunity appreciator. However, if forced to choose, I often find myself gravitating towards the indulgent depths of Chicago-style pizza. There’s something undeniably captivating about a deep-dish pie, generously layered with so much cheese that each slice promises epic, gravity-defying cheese pulls. Eating it without a fork and knife feels almost sacrilegious, and that’s precisely how you know it’s an authentic Chicago masterpiece. Crowned with a thick, robust, and vibrantly flavorful tomato sauce, it’s a culinary experience that leaves me eagerly anticipating my next slice.

Yet, when I discovered that Detroit-style pizza shared some of these deeply satisfying qualities – particularly its thick, crispy, and incredibly buttery crust, generously loaded with toppings and cheese, then elegantly finished with hearty ladles of sauce striped across the top – I knew it would take no more than a single bite to convert me. And now, I might even be compelled to admit that Detroit-style pizza boasts the finest crust I have ever encountered. This is a significant declaration, as I take my pizza crusts very seriously indeed!

Typically, I’m not one for an abundance of meat toppings on my pizza. My topping preferences usually mirror those for my omelets: a simple handful of onions and peppers, perhaps some mushrooms and spinach. On a particularly adventurous day, I might opt for a white sauce. But rarely more than two toppings – anything beyond that feels like too much, overwhelming the delicate balance of the rich tomatoey sauce and luscious cheese. After all, who doesn’t want to savor every nuanced flavor of the cheese on their pizza? Certainly no one I know!

The Magic of the Detroit-Style Crust: What You Need to Know

The true heart and soul of a phenomenal Detroit-style pizza lies almost entirely in its unique crust. This isn’t just any pizza crust; it’s a thick, substantial base that becomes incredibly crispy and almost fried-like on the bottom, with signature caramelized cheese edges that are simply irresistible. Its distinctive square or rectangular shape is a hallmark, a direct result of being traditionally baked in a specific type of heavy-duty, blue steel pan, originally used in automotive factories for holding small parts (more on these special pans in a moment).

Let’s delve into the simple yet crucial ingredients for this extraordinary crust: you’ll need bread flour, water, yeast, and salt. That’s it! Just four fundamental ingredients. This may not seem like much, but the alchemy that occurs transforms them into a crust that evokes nostalgic memories of classic 90s Pizza Hut pan pizza – the kind many of our childhoods were made of. The bread flour is the MVP here.

I anticipate the question: “Can I just use regular all-purpose flour?” The technical answer is yes, you could. It would work. However, using all-purpose flour simply won’t yield the same coveted results that bread flour guarantees. For all my fellow food science enthusiasts, here’s why: the higher protein content in bread flour encourages superior gluten development. This robust gluten network creates the ideal structure for that supreme, crispy-crunchy outer crust, while simultaneously preserving that wonderfully soft, airy, and chewy interior we all adore. While I’m not here to tell you what to do, I strongly advise making the slight splurge on a bag of bread flour. Trust me, once you experience this crust, you’ll undoubtedly be making this pizza again and again, making the investment well worth it.

Another defining characteristic of Detroit-style pizza is the unique layering of toppings. Historically, the toppings go directly onto the crust, followed by a generous layer of cheese that extends all the way to the pan’s edges, and *then* the sauce is drizzled on top. There’s often a lively debate about the precise placement of the sauce, but the consensus among traditionalists and enthusiasts alike is that it belongs on top. When in doubt, I tend to default to the wisdom I’ve gathered from both Detroit and Chicago-style traditions – and for this recipe, sauce on top it is!

I feel compelled to emphasize this in bold: If your heart tells you otherwise, please feel free to place the sauce where you deem fit. My goal is not to dictate your pizza experience but merely to offer a few helpful guidelines for achieving an authentic Detroit-style pie! For those trying this for the first time, rest assured that sauce on top is a truly delicious approach.

Now, let’s talk about that exquisite crust. Do you see all that golden crispness? We achieve that phenomenal texture by liberally brushing our baking pan with a touch of olive oil before carefully spreading out the pizza dough. As mentioned, authentic Detroit-style pizza is traditionally baked in a specific blue steel pan (affiliate link). The dough itself has a delightful texture, often reminding me of a rich, airy homemade focaccia bread. My personal secret to elevating the crust even further? A generous sprinkle of dried oregano directly onto the dough before we pile on the toppings. Trust me, this simple addition imparts that quintessential, irresistible pizza parlor flavor!

For us home cooks, there’s no need to rush out and purchase a specialized pan unless you genuinely desire one. I successfully used my everyday 9×13 inch baking pan (affiliate link) – the very same one I typically use for baking delicious treats like these sopapilla cheesecake bars – and it yielded fantastic results. A crucial tip: if your pan is darker (think dark gray or black), your pizza’s crust will crisp up and cook slightly faster than in a lighter-colored pan. So, keep a vigilant eye on it! The thickness of your pan also plays a significant role. The first time I experimented with Detroit-style pizza, I used a super thin, dark pan I’d bought for a dollar at a thrift store (primarily for food photography props), and the pizza was perfectly cooked in a mere 10 minutes. So, remember, pan thickness truly MATTERS for that ideal crust.

Here’s a close-up of that irresistible crust in 3… 2… 1…

Crafting Your Supreme Detroit-Style Masterpiece

When it comes to toppings, Detroit-style pizza is incredibly versatile, allowing you to customize it to your heart’s content! Today’s recipe emphasizes the foundational excellence of the crust, but for our “supreme” variation, I opted for a combination that delights meat lovers and vegetable enthusiasts alike. For my husband, the devoted meat-eater, I included classic pepperoni slices. Alongside, we added beautifully chopped bell peppers for a burst of fresh flavor and vibrant color, and briny black olives to round out the traditional “supreme” profile. This combination is a timeless classic – truly, you can’t go wrong with it!

We’re aiming for a slightly lighter touch with the sauce in this recipe, about 1 ¼ cups in total, to ensure it doesn’t spill over the sides during baking. You have the flexibility to use your favorite homemade pizza sauce (I’ll link to mine in the recipe card below) or a high-quality store-bought option. Regardless of your choice, the key is to use a truly good quality mozzarella cheese. This is the ingredient that elevates the pizza from good to absolutely irresistible, delivering those iconic, bubbly, melty cheese edges. I typically purchase a fresh block of mozzarella from the cheese department and cube it myself. While shredding large quantities sometimes leads to small kitchen mishaps for me, cubing works perfectly and melts beautifully. For an extra layer of flavor and texture, you can also swap some of the mozzarella for cheddar cheese. My last batch featured a 50/50 split, and to my surprise, it was SOOO GOOD, adding a delightful tang and even more richness.

The result? A magnificent pizza featuring a gloriously burnt-cheesy, crispy, bubbly, golden-brown crust. And of course, all the melty, gooey, stretchy cheese pulls that make any pizza lover’s heart sing. This is a pizza experience that promises pure delight in every square.

Here’s to a cheesy and absolutely delicious culinary adventure!

Yield: 12 squares

Supreme Detroit-Style Pizza

Prep Time
25 minutes

Cook Time
15 minutes

Additional Time
2 hours 30 minutes

Total Time
3 hours 10 minutes

Learn how to make a supreme Detroit-style pizza with simple ingredients! The key to making Detroit-style pizza is all in the crust. Using bread flour yields a crust that’s crispy on the outside and chewy in the center. Top it with pepperoni, black olives, bell peppers and tons of mozzarella cheese!

Ingredients

Pizza Dough:

• 2 ½ cups bread flour (see notes)
• 1 ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 ¼ teaspoon instant yeast
• 1 cup warm water (105º-110ºF)

Toppings:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 ¼ cups pizza sauce (homemade or store-bought)
• 2½ cups shredded or diced mozzarella cheese
• black olives, bell peppers, pepperoni slices (or any toppings you like)

Instructions

1. Detroit-Style Dough: Add the flour, yeast, and salt to a stand mixer and combine on the stir setting. With the stand mixer on medium-low (speed 4) add the warm water and let mix for 7 minutes. Stop the mixer and let the dough rest for 10 minutes (exactly) before proceeding. Turn the mixer back on to medium-low (speed 4) and continue to mix the dough for an additional 10 minutes. While the dough mixes, grab a large bowl, spray with cooking spray and set aside. When the dough is mixed, use a dough scraper to aid in dumping the dough into the oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap (spray with cooking spray so it doesn’t stick) and set aside in a warm place for at least 2 hours.
2. Shape the dough: When the dough has doubled in size, drizzle the olive oil in a 9×13 inch pan and using a brush or your fingers, cover the bottom and sides with the oil evenly. Dump the dough directly into the baking dish (it’s super sticky.) Grab a tablespoon of bread flour between your fingers and use it to spread the dough so it doesn’t stick to your fingers. Spread the dough as much as you can without tearing it. If the dough doesn’t reach the edges, let it relax (covered with plastic wrap) for another 30-40 minutes before trying to spread it again to the edges. Depending on how much you needed to stretch it the second time, you may want to let it rest for 10-15 minutes again (that’s if you stretched it a whole lot the second time too.)
3. Bake: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 550ºF (or as high as your oven will go.) Sprinkle the dough with dried oregano followed by your favorite toppings. Next top with cheese and finally drizzle the sauce in three straight lines. Bake the pizza uncovered for 12-16 minutes or until the crust is golden-brown and crispy. Let cool for a minute or two before using a sharp knife to loosen the pizza. Place the pizza carefully on a cutting board and slice into 12 pieces. Serve immediately!

Notes

• I suggest using the spoon and level method to measure out the flour for this recipe.
• You can also replace some of the mozzarella with cheddar cheese, comes out great that way too!

Have you made this recipe?

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