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Detroit-Style Pizza
You may have heard of Chicago-style Pizza. And Neapolitan Pizza. And thin-crust pizza. But chances are you haven’t heard of Detroit-style Pizza. That is, until now.
Alright so here’s the deal. I may or may not have a slight love affair with Detroit. Alex and I lived there for 2 years, and I completely fell in love with the city, its people, and the food. Oh, the food.
From late night Coney Dogs to Mexicantown tacos to Cider Mill donuts, Detroit has got darn good food. And possibly the best Detroit food of all is the pizza.
So what is Detroit-style Pizza?
Detroit-style Pizza is made of a thick, focaccia-like dough with a crispy exterior, baked in a pan and topped with cheese on the bottom and tomato sauce on top.
It is, in a word, uhMAYzing.
So let’s back up. Why are we talking about pizza today? Because my good friends at Tillamook (remember when we co-hosted that weekend in- where else- Detroit?) are finally in stores in Boston!
I’ve been a fan of Tillamook for years. Their ice cream is creamy dreamy, and their cheese is just… well I mean doesn’t this cheese pull just say it all? —
And with Tillamook now available in Boston, they are teaming up with Bow Market in Somerville for a delicious event and vendor menu promotions. And guess what? One of those menu items is a delicious pizza made with Tillamook’s Farmstyle Thick Cut Shredded Mexican 4 Cheese Blend.
I was able to check out the event this weekend, and it was so much fun. We ate pizza, drank boozy ice cream floats, and generally stuffed our faces with melty goodness.
Can’t make it to Melty Fest? No problem, because you can still make a delectable [Detroit-style aka the best] pizza at home, friends. We tested this recipe multiple times to ensure it was the best homemade Detroit-style pizza possible. And if I do say so myself, it holds up to the best of ‘em.

- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 45mins
- Yield: 16 servings
- Category: pizza
- Method: baked
- Cuisine: american
Detroit-Style Pizza
Crispy on the outside, chewy in the middle, Detroit-Style Pizza topped with two pounds of the meltiest cheese, sauce, and your choice of topping. Um, can you say drool?
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 45mins
- Yield: 16 servings
- Category: pizza
- Method: baked
- Cuisine: american
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1 1/2 cups water, lukewarm
- 2 1/4 teaspoons dry yeast
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3 1/4 cups bread flour*
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 3 tablespoons pizza seasoning (optional)
For the Toppings
- 16 ounces Tillamook Farmstyle Thick Cut Shredded Mexican 4 Cheese Blend
- Thinly slice pepperoni
- 3/4 cup marinara sauce
- Red pepper flakes
Instructions
- In a large bowl sprinkle the yeast and sugar over the lukewarm water and stir once or twice to combine. Allow to sit for about 5 minutes to test that the yeast is still active. The yeast should bloom and small bubbles should form.
- Add the flour, salt, and pizza seasoning to the yeast mixture. Use your hands to fold everything together until the dough starts to come together and form a ball. This is a relatively wet dough, so don’t be alarmed if it’s sticky! Sprinkle a work surface with bread flour and transfer the dough to your work surface. Knead the pizza dough until the surface is smooth and you can stretch a piece of dough pretty thin, about 10 minutes. If your dough feels super wet add 1 tablespoon of flour at a time to thicken it. If it feels dry, do the same with a tablespoon of water.
- Form the dough into a smooth ball and transfer to a greased bowl. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and place in a warm place to rise for 1 hour.
- While the dough is rising, place oven rack at the lowest position and turn your oven to broil for 45 minutes–this will get your oven to the hottest point possible. Otherwise just turn your oven to the hottest setting.
- Lightly grease a detroit style pizza pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Turn your dough into the pan and use your fingertips to press the dough out to the edges.
- First, sprinkle the dough with your cheese, spreading it right to the edge. Next, drizzle your pizza or marinara sauce over the cheese, making sure to leave areas of cheese exposed. Top with pepperoni, or whatever toppings you desire. Place on the bottom rack and bake for about 15 minutes or until the edges of the pizza are crispy and nearly burnt.
- Remove from oven, and allow to cool for 10 minutes before slicing. Enjoy!
Instructions
This post is sponsored by Tillamook. All text and opinions are 100% my own. Thank you for continuing to support the brands who help make Broma possible!
Can someone tell me which pepperoni to buy if you want it to curl up?
TIA
Hi Tina! We bought traditional boars head pepperoni (it comes in a stick) and sliced it thinly, but any other high quality pepperoni (presliced or sliced thinly yourself) should curl up!
At what temp do you bake it at? The pizza looks amazing!
Hey Carole! We used a technique where you set your oven to broil for 45 minutes to get it as hot as possible, but you can also just use your oven’s highest temperature setting! Enjoy your pizza:)
What size is a Detroit style pizza pan?
It’s 9 x 13!