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American Regional Pizzas
Recipe
3 hr 30 min

Detroit-Style Pizza

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428 Comments
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Detroit-Style Pizza
Author: Ashley Moore

Recipe By Ashley Moore

Published on August 27, 2026

We hit the streets and then hit the kitchen to uncover the secrets of this topsy-turvy Michigan favorite.

Time

3 hr 30 min

Yield

Serves 4

Why This Recipe Works

Our challenge in creating a recipe for Detroit pizza—a crispy, buttery pizza from the Motor City—was figuring out how to mimic the tender crumb, the mild and melty cheese (which can be found only in Michigan), and the vibrant tomato sauce that covers the pizza. The stand mixer did most of the kneading for us; the rich, hydrated dough required a 15-minute rest and a 2-hour rise to produce the tender, buttery crust we were after. We topped the pizza with handfuls of Monterey Jack cheese, which we found to be the only acceptable substitute for the brick cheese typically used on Detroit pizzas. A combination of dried herbs, sugar, and canned crushed tomatoes gave our sauce authentic flavor and texture.

Ingredients

Pizza

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 ¼ cups (11 ¼ ounces/319 grams) all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast
1 ½ teaspoons sugar
1 cup water, room temperature
¾ teaspoon salt
10 ounces (283 grams) Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (2 ½ cups)

Sauce

1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

Cook along with these step-by-step instructions

step 1 imagestep 2 imagestep 3 imagestep 4 image

    PIZZA

  1. Spray 13 by 9-inch nonstick baking pan with vegetable oil spray, then brush bottom and sides of pan with oil. Using stand mixer fitted with dough hook, mix flour, yeast, and sugar on low speed until combined, about 10 seconds. With mixer running, slowly add room-temperature water and mix until dough forms and no dry flour remains, about 2 minutes, scraping down bowl as needed. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand for 10 minutes.
  2. Add salt to bowl and knead on medium speed until dough forms satiny, sticky ball that clears sides of bowl, 6 to 8 minutes. Turn dough onto lightly floured counter and knead until smooth, about 1 minute.
  3. Transfer dough to prepared pan, cover with plastic, and let rest for 15 minutes. Using your well-oiled hands, press dough into corners of pan. (If dough resists stretching, let it rest for another 10 minutes before trying again to stretch.) Cover with plastic and let dough rise at room temperature until nearly tripled in volume and large bubbles form, 2 to 3 hours.

    4. SAUCE

  4. Combine all ingredients in bowl. (Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours.)
  5. Sprinkle Monterey Jack evenly over dough to edges of pan. Spoon three 1-inch-wide strips of sauce, using 1/3 cup sauce for each, over cheese evenly down length of pan.
  6. Bake until cheese is bubbly and browned, about 15 minutes. Let pizza cool in pan on wire rack for 5 minutes. Run knife around edge of pan to loosen pizza. Using spatula, slide pizza onto cutting board. Cut into 8 pieces and serve.

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Detroit-Style Pizza

Recipe By Ashley Moore

Published on August 27, 2026

Time

3 hr 30 min

Yield

Serves 4

Detroit-Style Pizza

Ingredients

Pizza

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil2 ¼ cups (11 ¼ ounces/319 grams) all-purpose flour1 ½ teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast1 ½ teaspoons sugar1 cup water, room temperature¾ teaspoon salt10 ounces (283 grams) Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (2 ½ cups)

Sauce

1 cup canned crushed tomatoes1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil1 garlic clove, minced1 teaspoon dried oregano1 teaspoon dried basil½ teaspoon sugar½ teaspoon pepper¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

    PIZZA

  1. Spray 13 by 9-inch nonstick baking pan with vegetable oil spray, then brush bottom and sides of pan with oil. Using stand mixer fitted with dough hook, mix flour, yeast, and sugar on low speed until combined, about 10 seconds. With mixer running, slowly add room-temperature water and mix until dough forms and no dry flour remains, about 2 minutes, scraping down bowl as needed. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand for 10 minutes.
  2. Add salt to bowl and knead on medium speed until dough forms satiny, sticky ball that clears sides of bowl, 6 to 8 minutes. Turn dough onto lightly floured counter and knead until smooth, about 1 minute.
  3. Transfer dough to prepared pan, cover with plastic, and let rest for 15 minutes. Using your well-oiled hands, press dough into corners of pan. (If dough resists stretching, let it rest for another 10 minutes before trying again to stretch.) Cover with plastic and let dough rise at room temperature until nearly tripled in volume and large bubbles form, 2 to 3 hours.

    4. SAUCE

  4. Combine all ingredients in bowl. (Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours.)
  5. Sprinkle Monterey Jack evenly over dough to edges of pan. Spoon three 1-inch-wide strips of sauce, using 1/3 cup sauce for each, over cheese evenly down length of pan.
  6. Bake until cheese is bubbly and browned, about 15 minutes. Let pizza cool in pan on wire rack for 5 minutes. Run knife around edge of pan to loosen pizza. Using spatula, slide pizza onto cutting board. Cut into 8 pieces and serve.
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