Detroit-Style Pepperoni Pizza With Crispy Cheese Edges

Name: Detroit-Style Pepperoni Pizza With Crispy Cheese Edges
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 16 min
Total time: 3 h 6 min
Yield: 6 servings; one 9 x 13-inch pizza, cut into 12 squares
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 2 3/4 cups bread flour or all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled; 360g; 1 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast; 4g; 1 1/4 teaspoons fine sea salt; 7g; 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water at 100°F; 270g; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 14g; 2 tablespoons olive oil for the pan; 28g; 5 ounces sliced pepperoni; 140g; 12 ounces Wisconsin brick cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes; 340g; 4 ounces whole-milk low-moisture mozzarella, shredded or cut into 1/2-inch cubes; 115g; 1 cup crushed tomatoes or tomato puree; 245g; 1 tablespoon tomato paste; 16g; 1 small garlic clove, finely grated or minced; about 5g; 1 teaspoon olive oil; 5g; 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar; 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes; 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil for finishing, optional

Imperial June 2, 2026June 2, 2026

Quick Recipe Version (TL;DR)

Yield: 6 servings; one 9 x 13-inch pizza, cut into 12 squares
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 16 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours 6 minutes, including rising and resting

Quick Ingredients

Dough: 2 3/4 cups bread flour, 1 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast, 1 1/4 teaspoons fine sea salt, 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water at 100°F, 1 tablespoon olive oil
Pan: 2 tablespoons olive oil for a 9 x 13-inch dark metal pan
Toppings: 5 ounces sliced pepperoni, 12 ounces Wisconsin brick cheese, 4 ounces whole-milk low-moisture mozzarella
Sauce: 1 cup crushed tomatoes, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 1 small garlic clove, 1 teaspoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon sugar, 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Do This

1. Mix flour, yeast, salt, warm water, and 1 tablespoon oil into a sticky dough, then knead in the bowl for 4 minutes.
2. Cover and let the dough rise in a warm spot for 1 hour 30 minutes.
3. Stir together the sauce ingredients and let the sauce sit while the dough rises.
4. Oil a 9 x 13-inch dark metal pan, stretch the dough into it, and let it proof for 45 minutes.
5. Heat the oven to 500°F for 30 minutes. Top the dough with pepperoni, then cheese, pushing cheese all the way to the pan edges.
6. Bake for 12 minutes, add 3 thick tomato sauce stripes on top, then bake 4 minutes more.
7. Rest for 5 minutes, loosen the crispy edges, lift out, and cut into 12 squares.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

That classic Detroit edge: Cheese is pushed right against the pan so it caramelizes into a crisp, savory border.
Soft, airy middle: A high-hydration dough bakes up thick and fluffy, almost like a pizza-meets-focaccia crust.
Pepperoni under the cheese: The pepperoni stays tucked in, seasoning the dough and cheese from underneath.
Bold sauce stripes: The tomato sauce goes on top near the end, giving the pizza its signature red “racing stripe” look.

Grocery List

Produce: 1 small garlic clove; fresh basil is optional for finishing
Dairy: Wisconsin brick cheese and whole-milk low-moisture mozzarella
Meat/Deli: Sliced pepperoni, preferably small cup-and-char style
Pantry: Bread flour, instant yeast, fine sea salt, kosher salt, olive oil, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, dried oregano, sugar, crushed red pepper flakes

Full Ingredients

For the Dough

2 3/4 cups bread flour or all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled; 360g
1 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast; 4g
1 1/4 teaspoons fine sea salt; 7g
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water at 100°F; 270g
1 tablespoon olive oil; 14g

For the Pan and Toppings

2 tablespoons olive oil for the pan; 28g
5 ounces sliced pepperoni; 140g
12 ounces Wisconsin brick cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes; 340g
4 ounces whole-milk low-moisture mozzarella, shredded or cut into 1/2-inch cubes; 115g

For the Tomato Sauce Stripes

1 cup crushed tomatoes or tomato puree; 245g
1 tablespoon tomato paste; 16g
1 small garlic clove, finely grated or minced; about 5g
1 teaspoon olive oil; 5g
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil for finishing, optional

Detroit-Style Pepperoni Pizza With Crispy Cheese Edges – Closeup

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Mix the dough

In a large mixing bowl, stir together 2 3/4 cups bread flour, 1 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast, and 1 1/4 teaspoons fine sea salt. Pour in 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water at 100°F and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Stir with a sturdy spoon until no dry flour remains and the dough looks sticky, rough, and shaggy.

With lightly oiled hands, knead the dough directly in the bowl for 4 minutes. It will be softer and stickier than a typical pizza dough, which is exactly what helps create the airy Detroit-style texture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, gather the dough into a rough ball, and cover the bowl tightly.

Step 2: Let the dough rise

Let the covered dough rise in a warm 75°F spot for 1 hour 30 minutes. It should look puffy, slightly bubbly, and about doubled in size. If your kitchen is cool, place the bowl in an unheated oven with the oven light on, but do not turn the oven on.

Step 3: Make the tomato sauce

While the dough rises, stir together 1 cup crushed tomatoes, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 1 small grated garlic clove, 1 teaspoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes. Cover and let the sauce sit at room temperature while the dough rises so the garlic and oregano can soften into the tomatoes.

This sauce is intentionally thick and simple. You will use it in stripes rather than spreading it across the dough, which keeps the crust light and helps the cheese stay the star.

Step 4: Oil the pan and stretch the dough

Pour 2 tablespoons olive oil into a 9 x 13-inch dark metal baking pan and spread it across the bottom and up the sides. A dark metal pan helps create the best crisp bottom and caramelized cheese edges. Do not use a glass baking dish at 500°F.

Transfer the risen dough into the oiled pan. Flip it once so both sides get a light coating of oil, then gently press and stretch it toward the corners. If it springs back, let it rest for 5 minutes, then continue pressing it outward. Cover the pan and let the dough proof for 45 minutes, until it looks puffy and relaxed.

Step 5: Preheat the oven and top the pizza

During the final 30 minutes of the pan proof, place an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 500°F. A very hot oven is important for the crisp bottom and deeply browned cheese edge.

After the dough has proofed, gently dimple it with oiled fingertips, being careful not to flatten all the air out. Lay the pepperoni slices directly on the dough in an even layer. Sprinkle the cubed brick cheese and mozzarella over the pepperoni, making sure to push plenty of cheese all the way to the edges where the dough meets the pan. This edge cheese is what melts down and forms the crunchy caramelized border.

Step 6: Bake, stripe with sauce, and finish baking

Bake the pizza at 500°F for 12 minutes. Carefully remove the pan from the oven and spoon the tomato sauce over the top in 3 long stripes running the length of the pizza. Use about 1/3 cup sauce per stripe, leaving some cheese visible between the stripes.

Return the pan to the oven and bake for 4 minutes more, for a total pizza bake time of 16 minutes. The cheese edges should be dark golden brown, the sauce should look set, and the center of the crust should register 205°F if checked with an instant-read thermometer.

Step 7: Rest, release, and slice

Let the pizza rest in the pan for 5 minutes. Run a thin spatula or butter knife carefully around the sides to loosen the caramelized cheese edge. Slide a wide spatula underneath the pizza, lift it onto a cutting board, and cut it into 12 squares. Finish with 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil if you like, then serve hot while the edges are crisp and the center is fluffy.

Pro Tips

Use the right pan: A 9 x 13-inch dark metal pan gives the best browning. A traditional 10 x 14-inch Detroit pizza pan also works, though the crust will be slightly thinner.
Do not hold back on the edge cheese: Cheese touching the pan is the secret to that signature crisp, deeply browned Detroit-style border.
Keep the sauce on top: Adding the sauce after the first 12 minutes keeps the crust from getting heavy and makes the red stripes bold and visible.
Cut the cheese into cubes: Cubes of brick cheese melt into pockets and create a better edge than very finely shredded cheese.
Let it rest before removing: The 5-minute rest helps the cheese edge firm up so it releases cleanly instead of tearing.

Variations

Spicy Detroit pepperoni: Add 1/2 teaspoon Calabrian chili paste to the sauce and drizzle the finished pizza with 1 tablespoon hot honey.
Sausage and pepperoni: Replace 2 ounces of the pepperoni with 4 ounces cooked, crumbled Italian sausage. Make sure the sausage is fully cooked and cooled before topping.
No brick cheese option: Use 8 ounces whole-milk low-moisture mozzarella plus 8 ounces mild white cheddar, both cut into small cubes. The flavor will be a little different, but the edges will still caramelize nicely.

Storage & Make-Ahead

Store leftover pizza in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat slices on a baking sheet at 375°F for 8 minutes, or in a covered skillet over medium-low heat for 5 minutes to re-crisp the bottom. To freeze, wrap cooled slices tightly and freeze for up to 2 months; reheat from frozen at 400°F for 12 minutes.

For make-ahead dough, mix the dough, cover the bowl, and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours instead of letting it rise at room temperature. The next day, let it sit at room temperature for 60 minutes, then transfer it to the oiled pan and proof for 60 minutes before topping and baking. The sauce can be mixed and refrigerated up to 3 days ahead.

Nutrition (per serving)