Detroit-style pizza
Photo: Filmgod · Public domain

History

Gus Guerra pressed the first Detroit-style pizza into a forge-blue steel pan at Buddy's Rendezvous on Six Mile and Conant in 1946. The pans were borrowed from local auto-parts factories where they held machine parts during shifts. Guerra later moved his recipe to Cloverleaf in Eastpointe in 1953; Loui's Pizza in Hazel Park (1977) and Niki's in Greektown (1980) followed. By 2020 the style was on national chain menus, but Detroit pans the original square: thick layer of Wisconsin brick cheese pushed to the edges to crisp on the pan walls, with stripes of tomato sauce on top after baking.

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Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy

Make it at home

Yield 4Hands-on 30 minTotal 3 hrDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 500g bread flour
  • 300ml water at 75F
  • 10g salt
  • 8g instant yeast
  • 30ml olive oil
  • 300g Wisconsin brick cheese, cubed (or low-moisture mozzarella plus a bit of Monterey Jack)
  • 150g tomato sauce, seasoned with garlic and oregano
  • Pepperoni, 80g (optional)
  • Neutral oil for the pan

Method

  1. Mix flour, water, salt and yeast in a bowl until a shaggy dough forms. Knead for 8 minutes until smooth.
  2. Rest the dough at room temperature for 90 minutes until doubled in size.
  3. Oil a 10 by 14 inch blue-steel rectangular pan heavily. Press the dough into the corners; let it relax 15 minutes if it springs back.
  4. Cover and rest the dough in the pan for 60 minutes; it should reach the rim.
  5. Heat oven to 500F. Push cheese cubes right to the edges of the pan, covering the entire surface.
  6. If using pepperoni, lay it under the cheese; bake 12 to 15 minutes until the cheese on the pan walls is dark brown and crisp.
  7. Pour stripes of seasoned tomato sauce across the top. Slice into squares.
  8. Let cool 3 minutes before eating; the cheese edge crust is the point.

Tip from the editors. Wisconsin brick cheese is the right cheese; substitute low-moisture mozzarella plus 20 percent Monterey Jack for the chew. Don't skip the cool, the cheese edge needs to set or it tears.

Where to eat detroit-style pizza

Detroit-style pizza in Detroit

Buddy's Pizza ★ 4.5

$$ Detroit-style PizzaHamtramck

Buddy's Pizza on Six Mile and Conant is the birthplace of Detroit-style square pizza in Detroit, baked since 1946 by Gus Guerra in forge-blue steel pans.

OrderOriginal Detroit-style square with pepperoni and the antipasto salad.

TipConant location is the original; expect a wait Friday and Saturday evenings. Beer and wine only.

Directions Book

Cloverleaf Pizza ★ 4.4

$$ Detroit-style PizzaFerndale

Cloverleaf Pizza on Gratiot Avenue in Eastpointe is the other original Detroit-style pizza in metro Detroit, baked since Gus Guerra moved his recipe here.

OrderOriginal Detroit-style square with double pepperoni and burnt cheese edges.

TipThe bar room is the original 1946 building. Takeout and dine-in; cash and cards both fine.

Directions Book

Loui's Pizza ★ 4.5

$$ Detroit-style PizzaFerndale

Loui's Pizza on Dequindre Road in Hazel Park has baked Detroit-style square pizza in metro Detroit since 1977. Kitchen leans detroit-style pizza.

OrderOriginal square with pepperoni and a trip to the salad bar with house dressing.

TipNo reservations; weekend dinners run a 30-minute wait. Cash discount.

Directions Book

Niki's Pizza ★ 4.0

$$ PizzeriaGreektownUntil 03:00 Sat, midnight Wed-Fri, 22:00 Sun-Tue

Niki's Pizza on Beaubien in Greektown serves deep-dish pizza in Detroit through 03:00 Saturday since 1980. The Greektown late-night counter.

TryDeep-dish pizza, Greek salad

TipCloses 22:00 Sun-Tue, midnight Wed-Fri, 03:00 Saturday. Walk-in only on weekend evenings.

Directions

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