RECIPE: Detroit-Style Pizza

Place the frozen dough ball in the refrigerator to thaw slowly — this usually takes 12 to 24 hours.
Once it’s fully thawed, leave it in the fridge for another 24 to 48 hours to “cold ferment.” This simply means letting the dough rest and develop flavor while staying cold.
(Cold fermenting is like proofing, but done in the refrigerator instead of at room temperature).
This develops deep flavor and the characteristic open, airy crumb.
Take a thawed, proofed dough ball from the cooler.
Generously grease a 10 x 14 Detroit-style pizza pan (or a ¼ sheet tray).
Don’t skimp on pan oil – a generous coating of oil gives the crust that signature crispy, almost fried bottom.
Press the 14 oz. dough ball to cover the bottom of the pan and into the corners.
Cover the pan with saran wrap and proof the dough in a warm spot for 30 minutes.
At this point, the pans of proofed dough can go back into the cooler to be topped and baked to order.
Or, the proofed dough can be topped immediately and baked.
To build a traditional Detroit-style pizza: first, layer the cheese edge to edge across the top, covering the whole pizza.
Push cheese up the sides of the pan to get that golden-brown frico (crispy cheese) crust- that’s where the real flavor lives.
Use cubed cheese instead of shredded cubes melt more slowly, allowing better caramelization at the pan edges.
Then, distribute your toppings across the cheese.
Bake in a deck or impinger-style oven at 525° F for 7-8 minutes until the top is bubbly and golden.
Add the sauce on top after baking or during the last 3–5 minutes.
This keeps the crust from getting soggy and preserves that Detroit “red stripe” look.
Loosen the pizza from the pan with a knife, then, slice into squares and serve.
Let it rest before slicing — 3–5 minutes.
This keeps cheese from sliding and allows crispy edges to set.