Detroit Style Pizza (with Sourdough Crust!)

Make Detroit-style deep dish pizza right at home with an easy sourdough crust! You get all the best parts of a deep dish pizza – that golden cheesy crust along the edges, bubbly toppings, and a perfectly crispy bottom crust.

Plus, you can choose between a quick rise or a slow rise in the fridge, so you can whip this up the same day or prep it ahead.

Seriously, why isn’t everyone making Detroit-style pizza at home? It’s one of the easiest pizzas you can make—and somehow it’s still under the radar! How is this secret so well kept?

What makes it so simple? Well, there’s no fancy shaping to worry about. Just pour the dough right into a pan, let it rise (you can even do this in your fridge), then load it up with toppings and bake. So straightforward!

I first gave this a try when the Lions made the playoffs (yay!), and ever since, I can’t stop making these pizzas.

My kids even say it’s better than Jets pizza. (Okay, full disclosure: I won’t argue that Jets pizza is better. I’m convinced they have a secret magic ingredient that makes theirs unbeatable. But this homemade version comes darn close! Plus, as the family’s dinner chef, getting Jets means someone else made dinner, which for me is like winning the lottery.)

Detroit-Style Pizza

If Detroit-style pizza is new to you, get ready for a game-changer.

This pizza bakes in a rectangular pan, giving it a thick crust but just the right amount of toppings—unlike the overloaded deep dish varieties that sometimes feel a little much.

The magic here is that the pan gets a good coating of oil before the dough goes in, so as it bakes, the edges fry up crispy and cheesy. The result? A crunchy, flavorful crust that’s honestly addicting.

And don’t worry—you don’t have to pick just one favorite pizza style. Love Detroit? Great. Love other styles too? Even better! Life’s big enough for all the pizzas.

The Dough

The crust is really the hero of Detroit-style pizza—so the dough deserves some special attention.

This recipe is super simple using sourdough starter for that perfect rise and tang. It’s a high hydration dough, which means it’s a bit sticky and loose—but don’t worry, wet your hands before handling it to keep things manageable.

You’ll work the dough a bit by kneading and doing a couple rounds of stretch and folds. Both steps help build up the gluten, giving the dough strength and that wonderful chewy texture.

The flour

You can choose between bread flour or all-purpose flour for this dough—I’ve tried both, and even a mix of the two, and they all work beautifully.

Bread flour will give you a slightly chewier bite, while all-purpose flour makes for an airier crust. The combo is a happy medium. Honestly, use whatever you have on hand or whatever your taste buds want that day.

The rise

After those stretch and folds, the dough goes into a well-oiled pan to rise. You’ve got two options here—quick or slow rise.

Quick rise: Yes, quick is relative when it comes to sourdough! Let your dough rise at room temp for about 6-7 hours, then you’re ready to build your pizza.

Slow rise: After the room temp rise, pop the dough into your fridge. It’ll happily chill there for up to 24 hours until you’re ready. This is perfect if your schedule gets busy or you want to prep ahead.

I love having this kind of flexible dough in my fridge. Life happens, and it’s great to be able to just press pause and bake fresh pizza the next day!

The toppings

Load this pizza with whatever toppings you love most. I usually stick with good ol’ pepperoni since it’s a kid favorite and always ready in my freezer.

I’ve found a little pro tip helps a lot: put half of your cheese down before spreading the sauce. Since the dough here is thick and home ovens can’t always crank super high, this cheese barrier prevents that dreaded gummy crust line you sometimes get.

Also, be sure to spread the cheese right up to the edge of the pan. That’s where the magic happens! Those crispy, cheesy crust edges? Totally worth it.

Getting crispy crust

To get that golden, crispy crust we all crave, here are two key tips:

1. Place your pizza on the lowest oven rack possible. The heat from below helps caramelize the crust.
2. Use a metal pan, and the darkest one you can find. Dark pans absorb heat better and give a crispier crust.

I have this pan and love it, but if you want to go for max crunch, a darker pan like this one can really up your crispy game!