Ooni Detroit Style Pizza
An easy and delicious recipe for authentic Detroit-style pizza made in the Ooni oven!
We have had our Ooni oven for a few years now and while we love making Neapolitan style pizza, lately we've been really into Detroit Style pizza. Detroit style pizza is similar to pan style pizza, and is known for its crispy crust with caramelized cheese on the edges, light and fluffy pizza dough, and tomato sauce on the top!
Not only do we love the crispy crust, but we love that it makes one big pizza for the whole family, oppose to a bunch of smaller pizzas.
Looking at Ooni pizza ovens? We love our Ooni Koda Gas Oven! Check out my Pepperoni Pizza Rolls for another tasty pizza night idea!
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Why You'll Love this Recipe
- Easy Dough Recipe - this pizza crust recipe is so easy to make! It uses instant yeast and just a handful of pantry ingredients.
- Great for a Family - this is the perfect size pizza for our family of 5, with each of our kids having two slices! Served with an Italian Chopped Salad, it's great for pizza night.
Ingredients
Flour - I use all purpose flour in this recipe. You can also use bread flour, which has a higher protein content. Note: I like to measure my flour on a scale in grams because it's more accurate that using a measuring cup.
Water - regular filtered water works in this recipe.
Instant Yeast - I only recommend using instant yeast for this recipe, as it doesn't need to be activated like active dry yeast does.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil - in the dough and also generously used to grease the Detroit Style Pizza pan.
Salt
Shredded Mozzarella Cheese - you can shred your own or buy pre-shredded mozzarella cheese.
Pizza Sauce - my favorite lately has been Rao's pizza sauce.
Pepperoni - obviously you can use whatever toppings you'd like, but I love pepperoni on Detroit Style pizza.
Pickled Jalapeños - my husband and I love this for a hint of spice but, as you can see in the photos, we only put them on half of the pizza.
Variations
Different Toppings - you can really use whatever pizza toppings you like best in this recipe. I think classic ingredients like sausage, hamburger, onion, mushrooms, olives, and peppers work best.
Different Cheese - while I like shredded mozzarella the best, shredded cheddar, Colby jack, and Monterey Jack would work. We also will use cubed cheese sometimes, which many Detroit style pizza recipes call for.
Step by Step Instructions
Photo 1. In a large bowl, add the room temperature water, yeast, salt, and olive oil.
Photo 2. Add the flour and then mix with the dough hook attachment on an electric stand mixer until the dough is well combined, smooth, and stretchy, about 5 minutes.
Photo 3. Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a towel and let it proof on the countertop to rise until it has doubled in size, about 4 hours.
Photo 4. After the proofing phase, drizzle 2-3 tablespoon of olive oil to your Detroit Pizza Pan. You want it liberally greased to get the crust crispy.
Photo 5. Add the dough to the pan and, pressing with your fingers, stretch the dough to reach the edges of the pan. It won't spread out all of the way, and that's okay!
Photo 6. Cover and let it rest for 30 minutes and repeat the process of pressing it out to the edge with your fingers.
Photo 7. Cover and repeat 1-2 more times, until the dough reaches the edges.
Photo 8. Preheat the Ooni oven to 600-650 degrees F. We have an Infrared thermometer to determine the temperature of our Ooni. Let it preheat for about 15 minutes. Once the dough is pressed to the edges and stays there, it's time for the toppings. Start with the cheese, making sure you sprinkle cheese all of the way to the edge. Then add the pepperoni and jalapeños (or your desired toppings)
Photo 9. Last, add 2-3 strips of pizza sauce. Unlike traditional pizza, you don't spread the pizza sauce all over the pizza.
Photo 10. Reduce the flame in the Ooni to low and then add the pizza to the oven, keeping it away from the flame. Rotate the pan every 2-3 minutes to evenly cook, for a total of 12-15 minutes. You want the edges of the pizza golden. Let it rest for a couple of minutes and then cut into squares. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- This is a sticky dough - don't be alarmed! The high hydration content results in an light and airy crust.
- Be sure to grease the pan really well. It might seem like too much oil but the crust will soak it up and make it perfectly crispy Detroit-style pizza.
- Rotate! Be sure to rotate your pan every 2-3 minutes and keep a close eye on the pizza to ensure the pizza closest to the flame isn't burning.
- Detroit Pizza pairs well with Strawberry Frose Margaritas or Peach Wine Slushies!
Recipe FAQs
Detroit pizza is often described as pan pizza, as it is cooked in a rectangle pan. We have a specific Detroit style pizza pan that we use, as the corners are square as opposed to the rounded edges in my baking pans. It also has a very high hydration dough (which makes it sticky) and the toppings are added in a different order than most pizza - cheese first, then toppings, then sauce.
The Ooni can get super hot, which is great for getting a crispy crust. A crispy cheesy crust is idyllic for Detroit style pizza, so the Ooni is perfect for this.
Yes! You can bake it in your oven at 525 degrees for 20-25 minutes, watching it closely to ensure the top isn't burning.
Other Pizza Recipes to Consider...
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, or take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #greensnchocolate.
Ooni Detroit Style Pizza
Ingredients
- 265 grams water 1 cup + 3 tbsp
- 3 grams instant dried yeast ½ tsp
- 20 grams olive oil 1 ½ tbsp
- 10 grams sea salt 2 tsp
- 350 grams all-purpose flour 3 cups
Pizza Toppings
- 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella
- 1 cup pepperoni slices
- ¼ cup pickled jalapeños
- 1 cup pizza sauce
Instructions
Dough:
- In a large mixing bowl, add the water, yeast, olive oil, and salt.
- Add the flour and then, with a dough hook on an electric mixer, mix for 5 minutes. The dough should be smooth and elastic, and it will be pretty sticky.
- Cover with plastic wrap or a towel and let it proof on the countertop for 4 hours, or until doubled in size.
- After the dough has doubled in size, drizzle 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil on the bottom of your Detroit style pizza pan. It might seem like a lot but it's necessary for a crispy crust!
- Add the dough to the pan and, using your fingertips, press the dough out to the edges. It won't stay out at first, and that's okay.
- Cover and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
- Repeat the process of pressing the dough out to the edges 2 more times, letting the dough rest 30 minutes in between each session.
- Preheat your Ooni and let it heat up for 15 minutes.
- Once the dough has been pressed towards the edges and is ready, sprinkle it with the cheese, being sure to get the cheese all the way to the edge of the pizza. This is traditional Detroit style!
- Top with pepperoni and jalapeños and then spoon 2-3 strips of pizza sauce along the pizza.
- Add the the preheated Ooni and cook for 12-15 minutes, rotating the pan every 3 minutes to ensure it isn't burning.
- Let it rest for a couple of minutes and then remove it from the pan. Cut into squares. Enjoy!
Notes
- This is a sticky dough - don't be alarmed! The high hydration content results in an light and airy crust.
- Be sure to grease the pan really well. It might seem like too much oil but the crust will soak it up and make it perfectly crispy Detroit-style pizza.
- Rotate! Be sure to rotate your pan every 2-3 minutes and keep a close eye on the pizza to ensure the pizza closest to the flame isn't burning.
