A two-part series on Motor City’s favorite pizza style
Detroit, Michigan. Have you ever been there? If you were to ask 100 pizza makers from across the country, I would bet maybe half have ever actually been to Detroit – and yet the very distinctive pan pizza that comes out of Detroit has been spreading like wildfire across the country for the past few years.
Detroit is known throughout the world as “Motor City,” the birthplace of the automobile boom beginning in the early 20th century. But it boasts a lot more than pick-up trucks and sedans. Detroit is the birthplace of the Motown record label, the hometown of notorious rapper Eminem and as well as the second city after New York to host teams in all four major sports leagues. Those things are cool. But what about the pizza? The Detroit metro area is the home of Little Caesars and Jet’s, two franchises that have blown up since their humble beginnings.
Detroit style is known for being cooked in a rectangular pan with caramelized cheese around the rim and stripes of sauce.
Laura Meyer, owner, Pizzeria da Laura, Berkley, CA
The stripes are up for debate, depending on who you ask, but certain characteristics define the style no matter what. Regardless of which school of thought you follow, Detroit-style pizza has made a dramatic impact on the pizza industry, and chains like Pizza Hut have started making it, which tells me Detroit style is here to stay.
I had the pleasure of visiting Detroit not too long ago, and boy, was it eye opening. Through my own research and product development, I knew what the main characteristics were and what I was looking for, but I had no clue what the original shops were making. Originally, the pizzas were made in blue steel pans that were once used to clean tools but then utilized to make pizza because … why not? Shops like Buddy’s and Cloverleaf still are using the old pans. But blue steel is not made anymore, so what pans remain are highly coveted.
The main cheese used is Brick, native to Wisconsin. It melts nicely like a mozzarella and has a flavor profile that is fairly mild, but as it ages can become more pungent like a cheddar. Some shops like Buddy’s Pizza are putting pepperoni and other ingredients under the cheese while some put them on top. The sauce is not super thick, and I have seen anything from stripes to splotches to everything in between, but I never saw any pizza that was too sauce forward.
In terms of dough process, I managed to speak with someone within Buddy’s Pizza; but unfortunately, I am not privy to specific proprietary information. What I could gather is that they (like a lot of pizzerias in Detroit) are doing it the same way they always have – or as close to the same as possible. They are using fresh yeast, a mid- to low-range protein flour, and there is no browning agent and no fat (or very little fat) in the dough. For water, I suspect a lower hydration not exceeding 60 percent. The dough is made same day and is proofed in the pan for a number of hours before being cooked.
The representative from Buddy’s explained to me that Detroit-style crust “should be light and crunchy.” During my eating tour of Detroit, I noticed the height of each pizza was only about 1-1.5 inches and had a crumb structure that was tighter with many small bubbles. There was a crunch on the bottom, but it was never super distinct. It was the type of crunch that you get from contact with the pan and length of cook time, but not the thicker and more sturdy crunch you get from higher hydration.
The lasting impression I got was this fervent sense of pride in Detroit and its style of pizza, but even the OG spots like Buddy’s are happy to see what Detroit style pizza has become and how far across the world it has spread.
As for the new school of thought, I spoke with a few well-known Detroit style pizza makers, and no process was the same.
The defining characteristics of a caramelized cheese crust made in a rectangular pan were about the only two things that were the same. With technology and as much knowledge about pizza and fermentation out there, it is no surprise that everyone is doing something slightly different – but, in their minds, making it better. Flours range in protein levels from low to high depending on maturation times, and hydrations are upwards of 70 percent. Some are utilizing an autolyse during the mix and some are not. Some are making dough same day and some are waiting days before use. I don’t see many pizzerias outside of Neapolitan utilizing fresh yeast, but I suspect this is more because of consistency and shelf life than because they prefer the flavor over instant and dry active yeast.
Cheese blends vary, but a lot are using cheddar and brick to get caramelization around the edge. How far down the side of the pizza the caramelized cheese goes is a big eye catcher. Some are going the traditional route of only part-way to maybe halfway down, while others are going all the way down to the bottom of the pan, fully encasing the dough.
Baking from raw, proofed dough or using a par-bake seems to be the hot debate these days. The old-school way is baking from raw, while the new is doing both. Par bakes give a different texture and overall mouthfeel to the finished pizza, but it also can be used because of shop conditions. Sometimes a par bake comes in handy because you can prep many pizza crusts in advance, which makes it easy to transport and store them for off-site events.
No matter what techniques you use, it is always better in my mind to know where you come from to better understand the why and where you are heading. Detroit might not be a hot tourist destination these days, but “The Detroit” will forever live on in the pizza industry as one of the tastiest and cheesiest styles worth exploring.
LAURA MEYER is owner of Pizzeria da Laura in Berkeley, CA.
