Sourdough Detroit-Style Pizza: Crispy Edges, Square Shape

Short answer: make a 75% hydration sourdough, press into a heavily oiled rectangular pan, top with cheese all the way to the edges, sauce in stripes after baking. The cheese caramelizes against the pan for the iconic crust.

What Detroit pizza is

Detroit pizza:

• Square or rectangular shape
• Thick, focaccia-like crust
• Cheese (Wisconsin brick or low-moisture mozzarella) all the way to the edges
• Cheese caramelizes against the pan for the famous crust
• Sauce on top after baking ("racing stripes")
• Pepperoni often under the cheese (curls up)

It's a totally different pizza experience than Neapolitan or NY-style.

The recipe

For one 9x13 Detroit pizza:

• 400g bread flour
• 300g water (75%)
• 80g active starter
• 8g salt
• 60g olive oil (divided: 20g in dough, 40g in pan)

For topping:

• 300g brick cheese or low-moisture mozzarella, shredded
• 1 cup pizza sauce (cooked or raw, your preference)
• 100g pepperoni (optional, placed under cheese)
• Italian seasoning

Method

Mix

Combine flour, water, starter, salt, 20g oil. Mix shaggy. Autolyse 30 min.

Bulk

4 sets of folds in 90 min. Bulk 4–5 hours at 75°F.

Cold retard

Cold retard 12–24 hours.

Pan prep

Pour 40g olive oil into a 9x13 metal pan (NOT glass). Spread to coat bottom and sides.

Shape

Tip dough into pan. Press gently to fit.

Cover with plastic. Let warm 1–2 hours, until dough relaxes and fills the pan.

Final proof

30 min uncovered.

Top

Distribute cheese evenly to all edges (the cheese should touch the pan sides).

If using pepperoni: place between cheese and dough.

Bake

Preheat oven to 500°F.

Bake 18–22 min until cheese is brown and bubbly, edges are deep brown.

Sauce

Once out of oven, dollop sauce in 2–3 stripes across the top.

Let cool 5 min. Cut into squares.

Why a metal pan

Metal:

• Conducts heat aggressively
• Caramelizes cheese against the side
• Creates the Detroit crust

Glass or ceramic:

• Heats unevenly
• No crust caramelization
• Not Detroit pizza

Use a 9x13 metal pan or a Lloyd Pans Detroit pizza pan ($25).

Why oil is generous

Lots of oil in the pan:

• Fries the bottom of the dough
• Crisps the underside
• Helps cheese release
• Creates the Detroit experience

Don't skimp. 40g (3 tbsp) minimum.

Why brick cheese

Wisconsin brick cheese:

• Higher fat than mozzarella
• Lower moisture
• Caramelizes perfectly
• Authentic Detroit choice

Substitute: low-moisture mozzarella. Avoid fresh mozzarella (too wet).

Why sauce on top

Sauce on top after baking:

• Doesn't cook (preserves bright tomato flavor)
• Iconic Detroit "racing stripes"
• Doesn't sog the cheese
• Easy to portion

Different from American or Italian pizza tradition.

Variations

Pepperoni Detroit

Add pepperoni under the cheese (it crisps and curls).

Sausage and onion

Add cooked sausage + raw onion under cheese.

Veggie

Roasted peppers + mushrooms + olives under cheese.

Plain (just cheese)

Skip pepperoni. Pure cheese-and-crust experience.

White (no sauce)

Skip the sauce. Top with cracked pepper and oregano.

Buffalo chicken

Buffalo chicken + blue cheese + cheddar.

Storage

Detroit pizza keeps:

• Refrigerated: 3 days
• Reheat in 350°F oven for 8 min
• Don't microwave (loses crispy edges)

The leftovers are almost as good as fresh.

What makes the cheese crust

When cheese touches a hot pan:

• Fat renders
• Proteins caramelize
• Result: crispy, lacy, addictive cheese edge

This is the defining Detroit pizza feature. Don't skip it.

Why it's hard to mess up

Detroit pizza:

• Forgives over-fermentation
• Forgives shaping (just press it in the pan)
• Topping is forgiving
• Bakes evenly

If you've had pizza failures, Detroit-style is much more forgiving.

A weekend project

Saturday: mix dough, bulk Saturday night: cold retard Sunday: shape, top, bake, eat

Total active time: 30 minutes. Total result: pizza for a family.

A pan size note

Standard 9x13 baking pan: produces a 9x13 pizza, about 1.5 inches thick. Serves 4.

8x10 cake pan: produces a thicker pizza, about 2 inches. Serves 3.

Don't go larger than 9x13 — the pizza loses the iconic "thick edge" look.

Cost analysis

Detroit pizza at home:

• Dough ingredients: $1
• Cheese: $4
• Sauce, toppings: $2
• Total: $7 for a 4-person pizza

Detroit pizza at a restaurant: $25+.

Why home Detroit beats most restaurants

Detroit pizza is having a moment in restaurants. But:

• Restaurants charge $25+ for what costs $7 to make
• Restaurant versions sometimes overcook
• Restaurant versions sometimes skimp on cheese

Home version:

• Quality ingredients you control
• Cheese to the edges always
• Fresh sauce
• Better value

A weeknight option

If you want pizza without 24h ferment:

• Same recipe
• Bulk 4 hours
• Shape and bake immediately
• Result: 90% as good

Detroit pizza is forgiving of timing.

A pepperoni cup secret

For "cup and char" pepperoni:

• Use natural casing pepperoni (cup-and-char style)
• Place under the cheese
• The cheese melts; the pepperoni curls and crisps

This style of pepperoni (Ezzo, Battistoni) is increasingly available. Worth seeking out.

A final tip

Detroit pizza is a different category. It's not better than Neapolitan; it's its own thing.

Embrace the:

• Thick crust
• Generous cheese
• Crispy edges
• Sauce on top

Don't try to make Detroit "more like New York." Lean into the Detroit-ness.

Bake one. Cut into squares. Pass around. Watch it disappear.

You'll order Detroit pizza less and bake it more.