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Detroit Style (ish) Tomato Herb Pepperoni Pizza. Thick crust pizza dough topped with pepperoni, tomato sauce, sweet cherry tomatoes, fresh herbs, garlic, tons of melted cheese, and more pepperoni. The key to a good Detroit-style pizza is crispy cheesy edges. As soon as the pizza comes out of the oven top it with fresh basil, slice, eat, and enjoy. Trust me, every last bite of this pizza is delicious and will leave you wanting more.
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I love pizza day. I’m talking about an old-school-style pizza day. They were my favorite when I was in school! Pizza day was always more chill for some reason. I don’t know if the teachers planned it that way or what, but pizza day was the best.
My school served up the classic cheese and pepperoni pizzas…with the best chocolate chip cookies for dessert. It was always a day to look forward to. Anytime I’m making pizza, it’s a good memory.
But Detroit-style pizza is extra special. I’m from Cleveland, which means Detroit was not far away. We heard about Detroit pizza all the time. Unfortunately, we never tried it. But I’ve always been curious about it so I wanted to recreate it.
Detroit-style pizza is rectangular with a thicker, deep-dish crust. It’s usually made with sauce, pepperoni, and tons of cheese that goes all the way out to the edge of the pan. Often the pepperonis are pressed into the dough. And it’s baked in a metal rectangular pan. Yes, it even has its own pan that’s specific to just this pizza!
Back when the pizza was first introduced in 1946, at a former speakeasy called Buddy’s Rendezvous, automotive drip trays were used. There just weren’t any pans high enough to accommodate this thick-crusted pizza. These specially sized pan helps to create the classic crispy cheesy crust.
If you don’t have a Detroit pizza pan, as I do, a metal rectangle cake pan works great too.
Details
Either make your own pizza dough or use store-bought. Either way, make sure the dough is at room temperature. Add a couple tablespoons of olive oil to your pizza pan, then push the dough into the bottom of the pan.
Cover the pan and let it sit for a bit. The dough will rise slightly.
Make sure to preheat the oven to the highest setting possible. Cooking the pizza in the bottom half of the oven at a super high temperature creates that crispy, chewy crust that everyone loves so much.
Meanwhile, I mix some garlic, fresh basil, oregano, and chili flakes. This blend is really going to season the pizza and make the flavor delicious.
When the dough is ready, layer on the toppings! The traditional layering process is pepperoni, then vertical lines of pizza sauce, then cubes of cheese.
We love our pepperonis to be crispy, so I did a slightly different order.
Start with pepperoncini, a sprinkling of the herb mix from above, then smooth on the sauce, and add the cheese. It’s traditional to use cubed brick cheese, which is similar to a dry whole milk mozzarella. Many places will also add cheddar to the mix.
I do inch cubes of mozzarella, provolone, and cheddar. The cubes melt wonderfully over the dough. Make sure to arrange the cheese all the way out to the edge of the dough. What happens is the cheese melts down along the sides of the pan and creates the crispy cheese crust that’s essential to this pizza.
After the cheese, I add a handful of fresh in-season cherry tomatoes, more herbs, and then lots of very thinly sliced pepperonis.
Bake the pizza in the bottom half of the oven until the cheese is bubbling and becomes crispy around the edges.
As soon as the pizza comes out of the oven, use a spatula to lift it out onto a cutting board. Slice it, top with basil, and eat. This one is meant to be eaten hot, so enjoy every last bite!
Family and friends will LOVE this pizza with its crispy cheesy crust, tomatoes, pepperonis, and herbs. The cheese in the middle is super melty too! Oh, and don’t skip out on the honey on top (it’s mine and Asher’s favorite). It makes every bite real good!
Looking for other pizzas? Here are a few of my go-to’s.
Cauliflower “Pepperoni” Cheese Pizza
Pull Apart Roasted Garlic Pizza Dip Sliders
Sheet Pan Buffalo Chicken Pizza
Peach Burrata Pizza with Honey Balsamic
Lastly, if you make this Detroit Style Tomato Herb Pepperoni Pizza, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Detroit Style Tomato Herb Pepperoni Pizza
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound pizza dough, homemade or store-bought
- 4 cloves garlic, grated
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh oregano, chopped
- 1 teaspoon crushed fennel seed
- chili flakes
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 2 tablespoons pepperoncini, chopped
- 2 cups marinara sauce
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1 1/2 cups cubed brick cheese or whole milk mozzarella
- 1/2 cup cubed provolone cheese
- 1/2 cup cubed cheddar cheese
- 8 ounces pepperoni, sliced
- honey, for serving
Instructions
- 1. Position an oven rack in the bottom half of the oven. Preheat the oven to 500° F.2. Drizzle the olive oil in 9×13 metal cake pan (or a Detroit-style pizza pan). Put the pizza dough in the pan and gently stretch it out to fit so the dough almost reaches the corners. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit 30 minutes. 3. Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the garlic, basil, oregano, fennel, and a pinch each of chili flakes, salt, and pepper.5. To assemble. Gently press the dough until it covers the entire pan. Layer on half of the pepperoni slices, then the pepperoncini. Spoon on the tomato sauce. Sprinkle over half of the herbs. Top with cheese, then tomatoes, then the remaining herbs, and more pepperoni.6. Bake until bubbly and a crispy cheese crust has formed, 10 to 15 minutes. Using a spatula, loosen the edges and slide on to a cutting board. Slice into squares and serve with fresh basil and honey.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
I’ve made this twice already and am making it again tonight. So freaking delicious. I dont have a pizza pan so I just use my big 12” Staub cast iron braised and it worked perfectly. I cut the amount of garlic by half because my husband doesnt like that much garlic. I think it’s the amount of herbs that makes this recipe so good. Thank you!
Hey Stephy,
Happy Sunday! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe and sharing your feedback! I love to hear that it was enjoyed! ☀️
I’m having a hard time finding a metal pan that’s oven safe to 500 degrees. Any suggestions? Trying to find something that’s multi purpose rather than buying the pizza pan that you linked.
Hi Krista,
I would try a USA pan:) Let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Oh my gosh! This is so freaking good! I used store bought pizza dough and sauce bc I’m all about easy dinners. The combo of herbs was so tasty with the cheeses and the pepperoncini was the perfect addition! Will definitely make this again.
Hi Danielle,
Awesome!! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe:) I am so glad it was enjoyed! Hope you’re off to a great Monday! xxT
Seriously the best pizza I have ever had. I didn’t even know I liked pizza until this. 😀 If this is not “authentic” – (whatever that means) then I don’t want authentic.
Keep up the twists on the classics – it just keeps getting better.
Hey there,
Happy Sunday!! Thanks for your comment and making this recipe:) I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! Thanks for your kind message:) xx
This pizza was a big hit with the family. My husband feels meh about the homemade pizza I usually make so I tried this recipe. He loved it! Thanks so much for a wonderful recipe. I will be making this pizza regularly.
Hi Ann Marie,
Happy Friday! Thanks for giving this recipe a go, I love to hear that it was a winner! ? xx
Holy cow my family loved this! There was a lot of oil in the pan so I was worried but it baked into the crust and was so delicious! Thank you!!
Hi Liz,
Happy Wednesday! Thanks a lot for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, I love to hear that it was enjoyed:) xx
Wow, I’ve always love Detroit style pizza and this recipe gave me the courage to try making it (thanks Tieghan). It’s so impressive and the best homemade pizza I’ve ever had!
I ended up using one cup of marinara (instead of 2), and substituted mushrooms for pepperoni- it was perfect!
Thanks for the recipe – I will be making this quite a bit now. 🙂
Hey Murray,
Happy Monday!! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a go, I am so glad it was a winner:) Have the best week! xx
This was a huge hit with my family. Added to many other of your recipes. I used purchased pizza dough a nd cheated a little with the herbs, I used a mix from a vendor at our farmers market. Didn’t matter still delicious and I have made it 3 times so far always works.
Hey Dawn,
Fantastic!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks for trying it out! I hope you had a great holiday weekend!?
This recipe is excellent- far better than any pizza you can buy, even when using store-bought marinara. I made it exactly as described. Thank you Tieghan!
Hey Jane,
Perfect!! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for trying it out! Have a great holiday weekend!?? xxT
This was amazing!
Hey Daisy,
Happy Friday!! Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe and sharing your review. I love that it was enjoyed!! Happy 4th of July weekend!??
I make pizza a lot, but every time I make one of your pizza recipes it always beats anything that I make of my own invention. You know how to layer the flavor better than anyone else. I would not have put fresh herbs on a pizza, because I would have thought that it would just dry out in the oven, but no. It makes the whole pizza POP, and my kitchen smell like a glorious Italian restaurant. I would not have put that much cheese on one pizza, but with all of the layers going on, it was a perfect, gooey amount. Everything about this recipe was SO perfect. I can humbly say that what I had for dinner today was more delicious than anything I could have gotten at the finest restaurant in town. You are seriously talented, and I’m so glad to have found your website. It always brings me joy!
Hi Courtney,
Awesome!! Love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks for making it and sharing your feedback!! Thanks so much for your kind message!! 🙂
Do you have a link to purchase the “automotive pan”? Understand can use metal rectangle, but would like to use the Buddy’s/Jet’s/Loui’s (there are a bunch of same, although going to original Buddy’s, watching the older neighborhood gentlemen play bocci ball, while we drank pitcher beer & waited for our pizza. Usually after a softball game. Ahh, the ’70’s….
Hi Donna,
Here is the link for the pan:
https://shopstyle.it/l/bHDc9
Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Turned out perfectly! Friends asked how I got my dough to rise so high! This recipe is a keeper!
Hey Melissa,
Awesome!! So glad you enjoyed the pizza, thanks for sharing your feedback!! Hope you’re off to a great Monday! xTieghan
Delicious pizza. Used olive oil dough from WAPO. I had gouda, mozzarella and cheddar cheese so that’s what I used. The her mixture was delicious and a nice addition. Made it in my Detroit made deep dish pizza pan and cooked it on the grill as it was in the high 80’s yesterday. Thanks Tieghan for another great recipe.
Hey Sandie,
Happy Monday!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a go! xxT
I plan to make it this weekend and cook on the grill (green egg) any tips?
Hi Carmen,
Sorry, I’ve never tried this pizza on a grill:) Let me know how it turns out! I hope you love the recipe!! xx
Hi Carmen!
I was going to do mine on the grill too but in my cast iron pan. Wondering if yours turned out on the grill?
So good! I used store bought crust AND sauce (not like me!) and it still exceeded expectations! Grate, easy week night recipe. I will be serving this again.
Hey Britni,
LOL thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback!! I am so glad it was enjoyed:) xx