So you want to make pizza, but it’s your first time. This Detroit-style pizza from Bryan Ford, which uses a half-batch of his Master Bread Dough, is perfect for beginners because you don’t have to shape the dough or wrangle a hot pizza stone. If you don’t have a Detroit pizza pan (its deep sides and black anodized aluminum help achieve a crust that’s fluffy on the inside but crisp all around), that’s okay: Use a 13x9" baking pan or two 8x8" baking pans.
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What you’ll need
Metal Baking Pan
$26 At Amazon
Cutting Board
$10 At IKEA
Chef's Knife
$34.53 At Amazon
Ingredients
Makes 1 large or 2 small
½
8
¾
4
½
½
Preparation
Step 1
To make this recipe, start by preparing a half-batch of the Master Bread Dough.
Step 2
Lightly brush Detroit-style pizza pan, 13x9" baking pan, or two 8x8" pans with extra-virgin olive oil. Lightly flour work surface with bread flour and turn ½ batch (360 g) Master Bread Dough out onto surface. If using a Detroit-style pizza pan or a 13x9" pan, pull edges of dough into the center, then turn over and hold opposite sides of the dough with your hands so the sides of your pinkies are touching the surface and rotate dough, gently working it into a round as you go. If using two 8x8" pans, divide dough in half and form using the same method as above. Gently transfer dough to prepared pan. Rub dough with oil and cover with a kitchen towel. Let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until dough expands a bit and is smooth and more pliable, about 1 hour.
Step 3
Meanwhile, cut 8 oz. low-moisture mozzarella or brick cheese into small cubes. You should have 2 heaping cups.
Step 4
Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 450°. Dimple dough with your fingers, gently pushing out to edges of pan. Scatter cheese evenly over dough all the way to the edges. Spoon ¾ cup store-bought marinara sauce over pizza in three even rows. Next, distribute 4 oz. pepperoni, sliced, evenly over sauce. Sprinkle with ½ tsp. dried oregano.
Step 5
Bake pizza until crust is deep golden brown, 35–40 minutes. (You can also check doneness with an instant-read thermometer. It should register 190° when inserted into a thick part of the crust.) Remove from oven and top with ½ cup (lightly packed) basil leaves. Let cool in pan 5 minutes before slicing.
Leave a Review
Reviews (42)
Back to Toppurchased dough? bottled marinara? I don't know why this "recipe" made it onto bonappetit.com, it's insulting.
Ward
Canada
9/16/2023
I haven't actually made this yet but it sounds pretty good. It sounds very much like directions I have that came with a "Chicago Style" pizza pan for a Chicago pizza which also puts the cheese on the bottom. If not making homemade sauce, our absolute favorite is Rao's Margherita style pizza sauce, and we have tried many. What I wonder about though is the length of baking time at 450°. I bake my pizza at about 500° and it's done in 11-12 minutes. I'm sort of afraid to cook it for that long but also afraid not to - the dough may be uncooked in the middle.
GG
2/12/2021
Marinara Sauce I find it much easier to make the pizza dough using this wonderful recipe, but I lack of extra spare time to make sauce since I am busy chopping or cutting up other ingredients for toppings, Trader Joes makes a wonderful pizza sauce, not in a can, but in a jar. I purchase it, along with their pesto sauce, both can be used as pizza sauce sub for the "canned Marinara sauce" in this recipe. Any left over, I place the jar in the freezer and thaw the leftovers for the next pizza. You will never know the difference once you have the toppings and cheese on this pizza, it's the crust you are eating it for!!!!
Anonymous
Portland Oregon
2/6/2021
The reason this recipe has such a low rating is just because of the semantics. This was THE BEST pizza I have ever had or made. I will never order pizza again knowing I can freeze some portions of the master dough and put them in my 8x8 once thawed to rise again. Super customizable too. Having a bunch of extra marinara sauce means you can make some pretty sweet dips too. Don't listen to the <4 star reviews. This is actually a fantastic and easy pizza recipe.
Stephen
Toronto
1/31/2021
Why would this be "Detroit Style"? And why would it take 30 minutes for it to cook? I cook a pizza @ 500degrees, in 8 min to perfection.... BTW I grew up in Detroit, and never heard of "Detroit Style"
Anonymous
Origionally from Detroit
12/7/2020
I made this a few weeks ago and it was perfect!
BBBaker
Provo, UT
12/4/2020
Can you please post a recipe that takes advantage of Bryan's skills and uses sourdough. From a Detroiter, if people want a good, easy recipe that uses homemade sauce, just go get the Zingerman's Bakehouse cook book.
Spencer
Detroit, MI
11/17/2020
I just want to say to everyone complaining about the canned marinara sauce and the fact that this is not "Detroit-Style" Pizza. This is called Basically, usually its for recipes with basic ingredients. For the Detroit Team Members, many times I have been to states that say NY cheesecake or NY bagels etc, never have I gone somewhere and had anything that tasted like NY (whatever its suppose to be). Lets all learn to be gracious for the recipe.
NY girl
Virginia via NY
11/12/2020
Might be a tasty pizza. But it's not Detroit Style...
Anonymous
metro Detroit
11/8/2020
I stopped reading the recipe when you listed, as an ingredient, jarred marinara sauce. If bon appetit has a recommendation for a “good” jarred sauce, please let your readers know.
Victor
Atlanta Georgia
11/8/2020
I agree with the other commenters, not a Detroit style pizza, maybe call it weeknight pizza if you're going to phone it in this hard.
Collegecooking
Detroit
11/8/2020
This is fine but it's not really Detroit style. Making it in the pan doesn't make magically transform it. Detroit style is best because the dough is fluffy and light. It rises undisturbed and the sauce goes on after it is done baking.
Anonymous
Detroit
11/3/2020
@Anonymous in Las Vegas You could just use the internet to find a homemade marinara sauce recipe? Seems simple enough!
Anonymous
11/2/2020
I never made this recipe and I probably never will. Why would I go to the trouble of making pizza dough, even if I e made it in advance, and then use canned marinara sauce?
Anonymous
Las Vegas
11/2/2020