Why This Recipe Works

Our challenge in creating a recipe for Detroit pizza—a crispy, buttery pizza from the Motor City—was figuring out how to mimic the tender crumb, the mild and melty cheese (which can be found only in Michigan), and the vibrant tomato sauce that covers the pizza. The stand mixer did most of the kneading for us; the rich, hydrated dough required a 15-minute rest and a 2-hour rise to produce the tender, buttery crust we were after. We topped the pizza with handfuls of Monterey Jack cheese, which we found to be the only acceptable substitute for the brick cheese typically used on Detroit pizzas. A combination of dried herbs, sugar, and canned crushed tomatoes gave our sauce authentic flavor and texture.

Before You Begin

When kneading the dough on medium speed, the mixer can wobble and move on the counter. Place a towel or shelf liner under the mixer to keep it in place, and watch it closely. If you’d like, you can add pepperoni on top of the cheese and sauce or add cooked sausage by pressing it into the dough before adding the cheese.

Instructions

for the pizza

Spray 13 by 9-inch nonstick baking pan with vegetable oil spray, then brush bottom and sides of pan with 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil.

Using stand mixer fitted with dough hook, mix 2¼ cups all-purpose flour, 1½ teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast, and 1½ teaspoons sugar on low speed until combined, about 10 seconds.

With mixer running, slowly add 1 cup room-temperature water and mix until dough forms and no dry flour remains, about 2 minutes, scraping down bowl as needed. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand for 10 minutes.

Add ¾ teaspoon table salt to bowl and knead on medium speed until dough forms satiny, sticky ball that clears sides of bowl, 6 to 8 minutes.

Turn dough onto lightly floured counter and knead until smooth, about 1 minute.

Transfer dough to prepared pan, cover with plastic, and let rest for 15 minutes.

Using your well-oiled hands, press dough into corners of pan. (If dough resists stretching, let it rest for another 10 minutes before trying again to stretch.)

Cover with plastic and let dough rise at room temperature until nearly tripled in volume and large bubbles form, 2 to 3 hours.

for the sauce

Combine 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes, 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil, 1 minced garlic clove, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried basil, ½ teaspoon sugar, ½ teaspoon pepper, and ¼ teaspoon salt in bowl. (Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours.)

Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 500 degrees.

Sprinkle 10 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese evenly over dough to edges of pan.

Spoon three 1-inch-wide strips of sauce, using ⅓ cup sauce for each, over cheese evenly down length of pan.

Bake until cheese is bubbly and browned, about 15 minutes. Let pizza cool in pan on wire rack for 5 minutes.

Run knife around edge of pan to loosen pizza. Using spatula, slide pizza onto cutting board. Cut into 8 pieces and serve.