Recipe: Detroit-Style Pizza with EVOO Crust

BY: PATTERSON WATKINS

photo credits : Olive Oil Times

Detroit-Style Pizza with EVOO Crust
4–6 servings

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dry-active yeast
• 1 table spoon salt
• 1cup warm water
• 1 table spoon medium to robust intensity extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

Pizza Toppings:

• 4oz monterey jack cheese, cut into small cubes
• 4oz muenster cheese, cut into small cubes
• 4oz full-fat mozzarella, cut into small cubes
• 2 1/2 cups pizza sauce
• 5oz pepperoni, sliced

Garnish:

• Italian seasoning
• crushed red pepper flaked
• fresh basil leaves

1. Place flour, yeast, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, and stir to combine. Add water and olive oil, and stir on low until the dough is semi-formed and a little shaggy.

2. Increase the mixer’s speed to medium-low and continue to knead the dough until smooth, a little sticky, and shiny (about 10 minutes). Remove the bowl and dough hook from the mixer and form the dough into a ball. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside to rise for 2 hours, or until the dough has doubled in size.

3. Drizzle the bottom of a Detroit-Style pizza pan or rectangular cake pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Once the dough has rested and risen, transfer to the oiled pan, and press the dough towards the edges of the pan (no worries, the dough at this stage will spring back from the edges). Cover the pan with plastic wrap and set aside for 1 hour.

4. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 500°F, placing an oven rack right in the center of the oven.

5. After this second resting phase, press the dough into the edges of the pan (this time it will go more willingly, if not, set the dough aside for 30 minutes and try again). Top the pizza with half of the pepperoni slices and cheese cubes (no need to leave a crust border with Detroit-style pizza). Spoon pizza sauce in horizontal 3 lines, about 3/4 cup of sauce per line, across the top of the pizza, leaving a little room between each line of sauce.

6. Top the pizza with the remaining pepperoni slices and place in the oven. Bake pizza for 15 – 20 minutes or until the edges are a little black and bubbly and the cheese has melted and starting to brown in places. Remove from the oven and set aside to rest for 2 minutes.

7. Run a thin metal spatula around the edge of the pan to loosen the pizza and carefully transfer to a cutting board. Cut the pizza into square slices and sprinkle with Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper flakes (optional), and fresh basil leaves before serving.