Countertop pizza ovens aren’t just for puffy-edged Neapolitan-style pizzas. Detroit pizza, best known for its thick dough and cheese-encrusted edges, also benefits from the high heat of a blazing oven. You’ll get all the good parts of a pan pizza (fluffy dough, crispy crust, no need to use a rolling pin) without heating up your whole kitchen. Be aware that using a pizza oven is more similar to cooking than baking: You’ll need to be vigilant and adjust the heat and pan position as necessary. For the full method and accompanying tips, please refer to our YouTube video, and to bake in a conventional oven, see the “tips” below.
Prevent your screen from going dark as you follow along.
To make the dough: Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and yeast until well combined. Add the water and 2 tablespoons (25g) of the oil. Mix until thoroughly combined and homogenous.
Cover the dough and place it in a warm spot (about 70°F to 75°F) for 15 minutes, then give it a bowl fold: Use a wet hand to grab a section of dough from one side, lift it up, then press it down into the middle. Give the bowl a quarter-turn (90°) and repeat three to six times, until you’ve circled the dough and it’s become resistant to stretching.
Cover the dough, set it aside for another 15 minutes, then perform the bowl fold again.
After the second fold, cover the dough and allow it to rest for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until it’s slightly puffy but not necessarily doubled in size.
To shape the dough: Coat the inside of a Fabulous Focaccia Pan with the remaining 2 tablespoons (25g) olive oil, being sure to oil up the sides of the pan. Transfer the dough to the pan and turn it once to coat in oil.
Gently press and stretch the dough, using your fingertips to dimple the surface and encourage it to cover the entire pan. (If your dough resists, cover it, let it rest for 30 minutes, then try again.)
Cover the dough and let it rest for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until the dough is visibly puffy and has filled the pan.
In the last 30 minutes of the rise time, preheat a high-heat countertop pizza oven to a medium-high temperature zone, 600°F to 700°F. Before baking, confirm the temperature of the oven using either the oven’s built-in thermometer, an infrared thermometer, or both.
To bake the pizza: Use a baker's peel to load the pizza into the oven, placing the pan as far from the heat source as possible. Immediately turn the heat to its lowest setting; if the lowest setting is still a powerful flame, turn the oven off completely. Bake for 4 to 5 minutes, rotating after 2 minutes. Bake until the dough is set and lightly golden in spots.
Remove the pan from the oven and gently loosen the dough from the sides and bottom using a metal spatula (an offset spatula works well here). Gently lift and check the bottom crust for browning: It should be golden and crispy.
Sprinkle about two-thirds of the mozzarella around the edges of the dough where it meets the pan. Use the remaining mozzarella to cover the center of the dough with a light layer of cheese. (Concentrating the cheese on the pan’s edges gives you the maximum amount of crispy frico, the cheesy crust.) Add the pizza sauce in dollops on top of the cheese.
Return the pizza to the oven and bake on a low or turned-off setting for 4 to 6 minutes, rotating as necessary, until the cheese is crispy and golden brown at the edges and melted and bubbling in the center. It may be necessary to relight the oven or increase the heat towards the end of the bake in order to brown the top nicely.
Remove the pizza from the oven and transfer it to a wire rack. Immediately run a thin knife or offset spatula around the edges of the pan in order to prevent the cheese from cooling and sticking to the sides. Let the pizza cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then carefully transfer it to a wire rack to cool for at least 5 minutes. Grate Parmesan cheese over the top of the pizza, then slice and serve.
Storage instructions: The Detroit pizza is best enjoyed the day it’s baked. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days; to reheat, wrap in foil and place in a low-temperature oven until warm.
Tips from our Bakers
This recipe calls for our Fabulous Focaccia Pan, rated up to 700°F. If using another pan, carefully check the manufacturers’ guidelines.
To bake this Detroit pizza in a conventional oven: Prepare the recipe as directed, through pressing the dough into the pan (step seven). In the last 45 minutes of the rise time (step eight), preheat the oven to 500°F with a baking stone or steel on the bottom rack. Bake the pizza for 6 to 8 minutes, until it turns very lightly golden on top, then remove it from the oven and add the toppings (step nine). Return the pizza to the oven for 8 to 12 minutes, until the cheese is crispy and golden brown at the edges and melted and bubbling in the center. Remove the pizza from the oven, immediately run a thin knife or offset spatula around the pan’s edges, then let the pizza cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes before garnishing with Parmesan cheese and slicing and serving.
