Detroit-Style Pizza

Detroit-Style Pizza, made famous by Buddy’s Pizza in Detroit, Michigan, is a deep-dish style pizza with sauce on top and square cut. My favorite part about it is that it doesn’t go easy on the cheese and the cheese gets crispy at the edges. So good!

This recipe is barely adapted from Grain-Free Table. I say barely because the only difference is that I specified a Gluten-Free Flour Blend and the use of two different cheeses. What I love about this recipe is that I very quickly figured out that I could use it to make Focaccia. But first, the pizza…

Ingredient Notes:

Gluten-Free Flour Blend: I used Cup-4-Cup. It’s the easiest for me to find where I am currently living in northern Michigan. I genuinely feel that this recipe would work out well with other flour blends, but I have not tried others. So I can only vouch for this one.

Yeast: I used SAF Instant Yeast, so I don’t bloom the yeast prior to mixing. I just include the yeast in my dry ingredients. If you use Active Dry Yeast, then you will need to bloom the yeast. Instructions for both are included.

Cheese: Traditional Detroit-Style Pizza calls fro “Wisconsin Brick Cheese.” As I do not have that, I use a 1# block of Mozzarella and a 1# block of White Cheddar. I saw this in a different recipe as a good alternative to the Wisconsin Block. I really enjoyed the results, so I include it here. You can also use 2#s of Mozzarella if you so choose. I do feel strongly that 1# of cheese is not enough to get the desired results for a true Detroit Style Pizza.

Sauce: If you have a favorite store-bought, then use that. If you have a favorite homemade sauce, then use that. You’ll need about 2 cups worth. I have also used canned Crushed tomatoes with some fresh oregano mixed in. Also, if you look really close in the picture, you’ll see that half of the pizza has sauce on the bottom like a regular pizza and the other half has sauce on top like Detroit Style. That’s because my mom does not like the sauce on top, so I did half and half. If you don’t want to use the sauce on top, then put the sauce on the bottom. It’s YOUR pizza. You’re the one eating it. Make it the way you like. Also, I do feel if you don’t like tomato sauce, then pesto would be awfully good here, too. Another note, spoon the sauce almost into little rows or splotches. You won’t get it to smooth out and you don’t want it to. You want cheese to come through the top as well.

Toppings: For the pizza in the photo, I used regular store bought sliced pepperoni. I have also tried it using pepperoni sausage that I sliced (thick) myself. The toppings can go all the way on top like the photo. Traditionally, the toppings are between two layers of cheese with the sauce on top in rows or diagonals.

Cold Fermentation (OPTIONAL): While researching recipes for GF Sourdough, I found a blog post on cold fermentation for Gluten Free Doughs. The example was for a GF pizza dough. The recipe below does not include a cold fermentation, but the Focaccia recipe does. That said, I like the results of doing a 5 day cold fermentation. To that end, if it’s presently Sunday and you know you want pizza on Friday, then mix the dough, cover it, and place the dough into the refrigerator for 5 days. Make sure there is room in the bowl for growth as it will rise even in the refrigerator.

On Friday when you’re ready for pizza, pull the dough from the fridge, put the dough into the 13x9 inch cake pan prepped with Olive Oil, proof for about an hour or so in a warm place. With oily hands, dimple the dough and spread it around the pan with your hands as evenly as you can. It doesn’t need to be perfect. Let raise again for 30 minutes, add your toppings and follow the rest of the instructions below.

Enjoy!

Yield: 4

Author: Kari Moore - Begrudgingly Gluten Free

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Detroit Style Pizza

Prep time: 30 MinCook time: 30 MinInactive time: 1 H & 10 MTotal time: 2 H & 10 M

Ingredients

Dough

• 1 ¾ c. Cup-4-Cup Gluten Free Flour Blend (273 grams)
• 3 T. Corn Starch
• 1 t. Salt
• 1 t. Baking Powder
• 2 t. Sugar
• 1 T. Yeast (Rapid Rise/Instant or Active Dry)
• 1 ¼ c. Warm Water
• 2 T. Olive Oil Plus 1/4 c. for the Pan

Toppings

• Pizza Sauce
• 16 oz Mozzarella Cheese (Cut into 1/2 to 3/4 inch Cubes)
• 16 oz White Cheddar Cheese (Cut into 1/2 to 3/4 inch Cubes)
• Pepperoni
• Any other preferred pizza toppings

Instructions

Make the Pizza Dough

1. If using Instant Active Yeast: Bloom the yeast with the warm water and sugar. (No need to bloom yeast if using Instant Yeast. Just combine Instant Yeast and sugar with other dry ingredients in Step 2).
2. Combine Flour, Cornstarch, Salt, and Baking Powder into Stand Mixer.
3. Add Activated Yeast/Warm Water mixture to the dry ingredients along with 2 T. Olive Oil.
4. Turn Mixer on Medium-High and mix for 4-5 minutes. The mixture will start off looking thin and will look like a thick cake batter after the time is up.
5. Place bowl in a warm spot and let rise for about 30 minutes.

Prep Dough for Pizza

1. Add about a quarter cup of Olive Oil to a 13x9 inch cake pan. Swirl the olive oil around the pan to coat.
2. Scoop the risen pizza crust to the center of the baking pan.
3. With oily fingers, gently spread the pizza crust dough out towards the edges of the baking pan.
4. Place the baking pan back into the warm place and let it rise, uncovered, for another 30 minutes.

Make the Pizza

1. Move the racks in your oven. You want one rack on the very bottom of the oven and one rack on the very top of the oven.
2. Once the dough has fully risen, preheat your oven to 400 Degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Add a layer of cheese (Mozz and White Cheddar) to cover the top of the crust, making sure to take it all the way to the edges.
4. You can add pepperoni, other meats, and veggies. Then top with the remaining cheese.
5. Spoon your sauce on top of the cheese, and make sure to keep it away from the edges.
6. Top with pepperoni and other toppings if desired.
7. Place the pan with the pizza on the rack on the very bottom of your oven.
8. Bake for 20-25 minutes. At this point, if your outer edge is looking crispy, transfer it to the top of the oven. If it's not, give it another 2-3 minutes.
9. Once the outer edge looks crispy, transfer it to the top and bake for about 3-5 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and slightly golden.
10. Remove the pizza from the oven and let it rest in the pan for about 5-10 minutes.
11. After it has rested, carefully break the crust around the top edge of the pizza with a flat spatula.
12. Slide the spatula underneath the pizza and carefully remove it from the pan onto a flat cutting surface.
13. Use a large knife to cut the pizza into slices and enjoy.