Detroit Pizza Dough

Detroit-style pizza is a thick, rectangular pan pizza with an airy, focaccia-like crumb and the legendary frico — crispy caramelized cheese edges formed where shredded cheese meets the oiled pan walls. The dough is high-hydration, pressed into a well-oiled steel pan, and topped with cheese all the way to the edges. Sauce goes on top, in distinctive racing stripes.

Detroit Pizza: From Auto Parts to Pizza Pans

Detroit pizza was born at Buddy's Rendezvous in 1946 when Gus Guerra adapted his wife's Sicilian family recipe. The iconic blue steel pans were originally industrial parts trays from Detroit's auto factories. The square shape, thick crust, and cheese-to-the-edge style became a Detroit institution. The style remained a local secret until the 2010s when it exploded nationally, with chains like Emmy Squared and Via 313 bringing it to new markets.

High-Hydration Pan Dough

Detroit dough runs 70-75% hydration — significantly wetter than Neapolitan or NY styles. This high water content creates large, irregular air pockets in the crumb, similar to focaccia. The steel pan conducts heat intensely, crisping the bottom and edges while the interior stays light and airy. Bread flour (11-13% protein) provides enough structure to hold the open crumb without being too chewy. Oil in the pan and dough creates the signature crispy exterior.

How to Make Detroit Pizza Dough

1. Mix bread flour, room temperature water (75-80°F), salt, yeast, oil, and sugar until combined.
2. Use the stretch-and-fold technique: every 30 minutes for the first 2 hours, stretch one side of the dough up and fold it over itself. Rotate and repeat. This builds gluten without heavy kneading.
3. Let the dough rise at room temperature for 3-4 hours total, until doubled in size.
4. Generously oil a Detroit-style steel pan (blue steel or Lloyd's pan).
5. Transfer dough to the pan. Press toward the edges. Let rest 30 minutes, then press again to fill corners.
6. Top with Wisconsin brick cheese (or a mix of cheddar and mozzarella) all the way to the pan edges — this creates the frico.
7. Add toppings, then ladle sauce in two or three racing stripes on top.
8. Bake at 230-260°C (450-500°F) for 12-15 minutes until the cheese edges are deeply caramelized and crispy.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• ✗ Not enough oil in the pan — you need a generous amount for the crispy bottom and frico edges.
• ✗ Under-proofing — the dough needs to fully fill the pan. If it springs back, let it rest longer.
• ✗ Using mozzarella only — traditional Detroit uses brick cheese, which melts into a crispy layer. Mix cheddar and mozz as a substitute.
• ✗ Putting sauce under the cheese — Detroit style has sauce on top in racing stripes.
• ✗ Wrong pan — flimsy aluminum won't work. You need a heavy steel pan for proper heat transfer and frico.