Detroit-Style pizza, a Motor City specialty, will rev up your tastebuds and take you on a flavor-filled adventure! Ready for an appetizing road trip to discover Detroit-style pizza and its rich history, unique features, and mouthwatering toppings?
You’ll get to know what makes this pizza distinct from others. Brands such as Buddy’s Pizza and Shield’s Pizza, renowned for their authentic Detroit-style pies, will make an appearance in this delicious quest.
So, buckle up and prepare to uncover the legendary Detroit pizza!
What is the History of Detroit Pizza
The Motor City, Detroit, is the proud birthplace of its unique pizza style. It all started back in 1946 when Gus Guerra was looking to add something to his menu at Buddy’s Rendezvous.
It’s a spin-off of the Sicilian pizza, characterized by a square-shaped, thick crust that’s crispy on the outside, yet soft on the inside.
You might be surprised to know that this pizza owes its characteristic shape to rectangular blue steel pans initially used in the auto factories to hold small parts. Thus, the industrial spirit of Detroit even influenced its pizza, resulting in a crispy and distinctive crust.
Throughout the years, this pizza style didn’t just win over the locals but also became a symbol of Detroit’s culinary tradition. Brands like Buddy’s Pizza, known for their Detroit-style pizza, have played a significant role in this.
Buddy’s turned its inspiration from the blue steel pans used in automotive factories into a pizza-making revolution, resulting in a deliciously distinctive rectangular pizza with crispy edges. Today, Lloyds pans are the standard for a Detroit pie.
As time rolled on, other notable Detroit pizzerias like Loui’s and Shields stepped into the square pizza game, adding their own twists to this Detroit special. In today’s culinary world, the Detroit-style pizza stands tall as a gastronomic symbol of the city, widely recognized for its crispy crust, irresistible toppings, and that special touch of Motor City magic.
What Makes Detroit Pizza Unique
Pizza lovers, Detroit-style pizza, and its unique qualities form a magical culinary trifecta. What really sets the Detroit pizza apart from the rest, you ask? Well, it’s all in the deep-dish style – a signature trait of this Motor City delicacy. You might be familiar with New York or Chicago-style pizzas, but Detroit takes it up a notch with its distinct rectangular shape.
Imagine biting into a crust that’s thick yet crispy on the outside, and surprisingly light and airy on the inside. That’s the Detroit difference! The preparation process is also quite unique. The dough is lovingly spread to the very edges of a generously oiled pan, resulting in a caramelized crust that strikes the perfect balance between chewy and crispy.
Wisconsin brick cheese is used for a Detroit-style pizza instead of mozzarella cheese.
Brick cheese is a semi-soft cheese with a creamy texture and a mild, slightly tangy flavor. It is made from cow’s milk. When melted, Wisconsin brick cheese becomes gooey and stretchy, making it an excellent choice for this style of Motor City pizza.
This cheese melts beautifully and forms a deliciously melty layer on top of the pizza, creating a slightly crispy and caramelized crust around the edges. As it melts, the cheese develops a golden-brown color with pockets of bubbling, melted goodness.
Detroit pizza is famed for its reverse assembly. The cheese is lavishly spread directly on top of the dough, followed by a smattering of toppings, and a hearty pour of sauce. This method creates a gooey, cheesy layer that seeps into the crust, ensuring a burst of flavor with every bite.
A traditional Detroit-style pan pizza has the layer of dough, topped with the Wisconsin brick, pepperoni, and stripes of pizza sauce (known as racing stripes
How is Detroit-Style Pizza Made at Home
You can recreate the perfect Detroit pizza dough at home with four simple ingredients: Flour, warm water, instant yeast, and salt. Others like to add sugar and olive oil. It’s up to you. I like Occident flour, an all-purpose flour made by Ardent Mills.
Lloyds plans are traditional these days. A friend from church gave me pans from Little Caesar’s Pizza, so I use them to make mine. However, you can use a cast-iron skillet to make this pizza.
While I have a video for making a Detroit-style pizza on my Playing with Pizza YouTube Channel, I used the dough Jesse of Patio Pizza fame made. It is a great dough. Please watch my video, too, but check out this Detroit-style pizza recipe to create one at home. It might not be the original recipe, but it is very good, and it will make pizza night in your home a special one.
Additional Detroit-Style Pizza Tips
Delicious pizza is not that hard to achieve. Stick with it. If you want to rank among the top Detroit-style pizza makers, here is some advice:
- Let the dough for your pizza rest. Do not rush its bulk fermentation.
- When you portion your dough into balls, Dave McShane advises you do not want a rough ball, but rather a tight ball of dough.
- When the dough is rising, I often use plastic wrap to cover it and keep it from drying out. However, more experienced pizzaiolos recommend using a warm, damp towel to help the dough retain its moisture.
- When you prepare your pan, use a tablespoon of olive oil to thoroughly coat the pan. This will help fry the crust in the oven. You will end up with a crispy and chewy crust.
- Use brick cheese if you can. If not, you can substitute a whole milk, low-moisture mozzarella.
- When preparing your cheese, some like using cubed cheese. Because a true Detroit-style pizza take longer to bake, preparing the cheese into small cubes will make it melt slower than shredded cheese.
- To achieve the crispy cheese crust, aka the frico, along the edge of your pizza, add a little extra cheese along the sides of the pan. It will create that iconic caramelized cheese crust that Detroit pies are famous for.
- When you take the pizza out of the oven, take it out of the pan and onto a rack to cool a little. If not, your crust will start steaming and become soft.
- This is not an actual tip, but you might want to make sure you have leftover pizza for the next day.
Tantalizing Toppings and Flavor Combinations
Detroit-style pizza, with its thick, crispy crust, becomes a canvas for a myriad of tantalizing toppings and flavor combinations. Not just your average pizza, it’s a culinary masterpiece that Buddy’s Pizza, a well-known brand in the field, has been perfecting since 1946.
From the traditional layer of pepperoni and cheese to the unexpected delight of grilled chicken, bacon, and jalapeno, the vast array of choices is sure to ignite your taste buds.
Have you considered a vegetarian feast? Spinach, mushrooms, and feta cheese make a savory blend, or you could level up your meat game with bacon, sausage, and ham.
And let’s not forget about the sauces! Whether you’re a fan of the classic sweet and tangy pizza sauce, or you’re ready to spice things up with a spicy sauce, al Fredo sauce, or rich garlic butter sauce, you can create a Detroit pizza of your choosing.
Where to Find the Best Detroit Pizza
Detroit, the home of authentic pizza, offers you a variety of mouthwatering options. You’re never far from a slice of the best Detroit pizza.
Buddy’s Pizza, a Detroit gem, has been dishing out their signature square pizzas since 1946.
Now, if you fancy a slice of community tradition, Loui’s Pizza is your go-to. They’ve been a staple in the Detroit pizza scene for over 45 years.
Craving a unique twist on the classic Detroit pizza? Look no further than Supino Pizzeria. Their thin-crust pizzas are loaded with creative toppings and cooked to perfection.
And we can’t forget Cloverleaf Bar and Restaurant, aka Cloverleaf Pizza, – their deep-dish pizzas are renowned, loaded with cheese and toppings, and just waiting to be devoured.
p.s. Here is my video:
Bobby Warren has been making pizzas since he was in high school. He first started cooking pizzas at Lovece’s Pizza Palace in Ormond-by-the-Sea, Fla., in 1980. Since then, he has been on a quest to learn and teach others how to make the best pizza at home. His favorite style of pizza is New York, but New Haven appiza and Detroit-style pizza are becoming favorites, too. When he is not making pizzas, he is working as an SEO specialist for publishers and digital marketing agencies around the United States.
p.s. Here is my video:
Bobby Warren has been making pizzas since he was in high school. He first started cooking pizzas at Lovece’s Pizza Palace in 1980. Since then, he has been on a quest to learn and teach others how to make the best pizza at home. When he is not making pizzas, he is working as an SEO specialist for publishers and digital marketing agencies around the United States.