Detroit-style pizza? Really? There's New York and Chicago, but how many Americans have heard of this unique Detroit style? It's a thick, rectangular pizza, distinctive in that it has the sauce on top of the cheese, has particularly crispy edges, and is sometimes twice baked. It was first created after World War II in Buddy’s Rendezvous, which later became Buddy's Pizza and is still open today.
This pizza is intimately related to the Detroit car industry. It's made in distinctive blue steel pans that were used by the automobile industry as containers for hardware on the assembly line. The steel provides superior heat conductivity and caramelization of the crust (the mark of a great Detroit-style pizza). These pans are available from various manufacturers online. Another Midwest-specific quality to this pizza is brick cheese. This is a simple, pragmatic cheese made in the tradition of the washed-rind abbey cheeses of Europe. Many immigrants brought this cheese-making process with them. We buy ours from the Widmer family of Wisconsin. They use large, rectangular, brown heavy bricks from Ohio to weigh down the cheese curd overnight, hence the name of the cheese. The young version is particularly good for melting. If you can’t find brick cheese, substitute mozzarella. If you don’t have an authentic Detroit pizza pan, you can use a 9-by-13-in [23-by-33-cm] pan instead.
Recipe notes
Back to topSee Related Recipes and Cooking Tips
31 Perfect Pizza Recipes
Whether you’re a thin-crust aficionado or a Detroit loyalist, your ideal pizza is about to be delivered.53 Father’s Day Dinner Ideas for a Memorable Celebration
Plan a Father’s Day feast that’s easy and fun.13 Halloween Dinner Ideas for Before the Candy Feast
Trick-or-treating gets cold. These dinners will warm you up.21 Breads That Don't Involve a Sourdough Starter
Everyone you know has a new pet: their sourdough starter. But even if you're not quite ready for all the responsibility, you can still make bread.The 5 Rules to Using Jarred Pasta Sauce
Cooking with a jar of store-bought marinara can be a serious time saver. And by deploying a few easy tricks, you can make it taste great, too.43 Ways to Use a Can of Crushed Tomatoes
Let that can of crushed tomatoes inspire your dinner tonight.Our 61 Best Mozzarella-Packed Recipes
Creamy and delicious, mozzarella is great on just about anything.
