Homemade Detroit-style Pepperoni Pizza

Name: Homemade Detroit-style Pepperoni Pizza
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 150 min
Ingredients: 4 Tbs. olive oil; 8 oz. pepperoni (stick pepperoni ⅛" thick); 16 oz. mozzarella cheese (brick style cut to ½" squares); pizza sauce (homemade or canned); 2 ¼ cups flour (bread flour (I use King Arthur)); 2 tsp. salt; 1 tsp. yeast (rapid rise); 1 tsp. sugar; 1 Tbs. olive oil; 1 Tbs. olive oil; 2 cloves garlic (minced); 1 Tbs. oregano (or Italian seasoning); ½ tsp. basil (dried); 1 28 oz. can tomatoes (crushed); 2 tsp. sugar; ½ tsp. salt; ½ tsp. black pepper (freshly ground)

Prep 15 min

Ready 2 hr 30 min.

Servings 2-3

Today, February 9th is National Pizza Day. Oh Boy! Mark your calendars – another holiday. I love pizza and have been making homemade pizzas for years. I typically do a traditional style round pizza or deep-dish Chicago-style. I usually use a pizza stone in the oven, but sometimes I use a pizza steel in my outdoor gas grill. I’ve also tried using a pizza steel in the oven and a cast-iron skillet in the oven. I always use homemade sauce and often make my own dough. I recently made Detroit-style pepperoni pizzas. I grew up in the Detroit suburbs so this brings back memories. This style seems to be catching on nationally. The pizzas I remember eating most were from Bushemi’s, Jet’s and Buddy’s. It was often a late-night snack served on tin foil with plenty of napkins on the side. You could buy pizza by the slice or a full pizza. Mostly, I remember by the slices with pepperoni that tamed my late-night munchies. This style of pizza has a unique taste and is always a square cut slice. It is rather greasy in my opinion, but it’s also very tasty. I enjoyed making a different style than what I typically make.

I like to make the pizza sauce and dough at least 24 hours before making the pizzas to let the flavors of the pizza sauce meld together and to let the dough proof to bring out the glutens which give it a lot of flavors.

Ingredients

• 4 Tbs. olive oil

• 8 ounces sliced pepperoni (I used Boars-head stick pepperoni and sliced it 1/8” thick)

• 16 ounces brick mozzarella cheese cut into cubes (1/2” square)

• Pizza sauce (see below)

Pizza Dough:

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (I always use King Arthur bread flour for pizza dough.)

• 2 teaspoons salt

• 1 teaspoon yeast (rapid rise)

• 1 teaspoon sugar

• 1 Tbs. olive oil

Pizza Sauce:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 Tbs. oregano or (Italian seasoning)

• 1/2 tsp. dried basil

• 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes

• 2 tsp. sugar

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Pizza dough

In a stand mixer, mix the flour, yeast, salt, sugar and olive oil on a low setting with the paddle attachment. While it mixes slowly pour in the warm water. (I use a spatula to scrape the sides of the mixer.) After about a minute a ball should form. Remove the dough from the mixer and the paddle and lightly flour a work surface. Knead the dough into a smooth ball. Add 1 Tbs. olive oil to the bowl. Place the dough inside and lightly spin the dough to grease all sides. Cover with a dishtowel and let it rest at least two hours. I typically proof the dough 24 hours before making the pizza.

Pizza sauce

In a medium saute pan, add 1Tbs. olive oil and saute the garlic until fragrant (about two minutes over medium heat). Add the tomato sauce, sugar, salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool. Place the sauce in a plastic or glass bowl and refrigerate. As with the dough, I typically let the sauce rest for 24 hours before making the pizzas.

1. Preheat the oven to 500-550 degrees, and place the baking rack on the second from the bottom position.

2. Using a metal cake pan or metal-sided pan (I used a heavy-duty 10” x 14” steel sided baking pan) pour two Tbs. olive oil into the pan and stretch the dough to fit onto the sides of the pan.

3. Layer 1/2 of the pepperoni evenly on the dough and spread the cheese on top.

4. With a large metal spoon or ladle, spread three evenly spaced lines of sauce over the cheese and add the additional pepperoni on top.

5. Place the pan in the oven and bake until the cheese becomes golden and the edges begin to blacken.

6. Remove the pizza from the oven and remove the pizza with a metal spatula working all sides from the pan. Place it on a wooden cutting board.

7. Let the pizza cool a few minutes and cut the pizza evenly into squares with a pizza cutter.

Serve immediately.

I thought this pizza turned out really well. I love pepperoni pizza, and I especially like thick-cut pepperoni. The pizza is a little greasier than typical pizzas but tastes like what I remember from Detroit. I also have made this with a ceramic 9” x 14” sided pizza pan and feel it creates a little crisper crust. Give this a try. It is very good and was the perfect pizza for National Pizza Day!