Detroit-Style Pizza with Ricotta Cheese

5 from 7 votes

Detroit-Style Pizza with Ricotta Cheese

If you’ve never had Detroit-Style Pizza with Ricotta Cheese, prepare to fall in love. This thick crust pizza not only has a layer of pepperoni and cheese but it's topped with fresh ricotta and basil.

This recipe makes 2 pizzas (using 8-inch square metal pans)

Prep Time3

Cook Time18

Total Time3 18

Course: Main Dish

Keyword: feed a crowd, homemade pizza, kid-friendly recipe, party and entertaining, pizza dough

Servings:

Author: Jess Smith via Inquiring Chef

Cost: $8.00

Equipment

Stand Mixer with Dough Hook
Saucepan
2 8" Baking Pans

Ingredients

For the Dough:

3 cups all-purpose flour (375 grams)
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons instant or "fast-acting" yeast
1 teaspoon sugar

For Assembling Pizzas:

nonstick cooking spray
1/4 cup olive oil, divided
6 ounces shredded low moisture mozzarella cheese
6 ounces shredded white cheddar cheese
1 package pepperoni (preferably cupping pepperoni like Hormel Cup n’ Crisp)
3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
20 leaves fresh basil, thinly sliced

For the Sauce:

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons minced shallots
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/3 cup tomato paste
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Make dough: In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine flour, water, and salt. Mix on low until evenly combined, 3 to 4 minutes.
Let dough rest 10 minutes.
Add yeast and sugar and mix for 2 minutes to evenly combine. Increase speed to high and mix until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl, 4 to 6 minutes more, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. (You may be tempted to add more flour to help the dough come together, but don’t do it. This should be a very wet, floppy dough.)
Prepare two 8-inch square cake pans (see note) by spraying them with nonstick cooking spray and then generously rubbing them each with about 1 Tablespoon of olive oil. (Don’t skip these steps - you’ll want to do everything you can to help minimize sticking.)
Divide dough evenly between pans (it may not reach the edges). Drizzle each pizza with another 1 Tablespoon of olive oil.
Let rise, uncovered, at room temperature until dough reaches the sides of the pan and bubbles form on the surface, about 2 hours.
Make sauce: Heat 2 Tablespoons of olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add shallot and sauté until soft, about 2 minutes. Add red wine vinegar and cook until vinegar reduces, 1 to 2 minutes more. Stir in tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, sugar, and black pepper. Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently. Cook until thick, 2 to 3 minutes more. (If the sauce begins to sputter, reduce heat and add a lid, leaving it slightly ajar.) Set aside to cool.
Combine shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheeses. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Heat oven to 425°F / 220°C.
Assemble pizzas: When pizzas are done rising, scatter half the cheese mixture over top of the pizzas, all the way out to the edges (the cheese around the edges becomes the cheesy crust).
Spread thin lines of sauce over the tops of the pizzas (the sauce shouldn’t fully cover the top, but you want to be sure there’s some sauce in every slice).
Top pizzas with pepperoni and parmesan cheese.
Bake pizzas until the cheese is deep golden brown around the edges and bubbling on top, 18 to 22 minutes. (This may vary slightly depending on the thickness of the pans.)
Remove pizzas from oven and immediately run a flat spatula around the edges to loosen the cheese from the sides (it’s very important to do this right away to prevent sticking).
Let the pizzas rest in the pan for a minute before using a large spatula to transfer them to a wire rack to continue cooling.
Top pizza with generous spoonfuls of ricotta and fresh basil.
Slice into squares and serve!

Video

Notes

Square Pan - For the best results, and most golden, crisp edges use a metal pan. A glass pan won’t allow for as much of a crispy crust to form, so the results will still be delicious, but not as crisp.

Kosher Salt - I test my recipes with Morton’s Kosher Salt. If using table salt, reduce by about half. If using Diamond Kosher Salt, increase by about 25%. Everyone has their own preferences when it comes to the amount of salt they like, so be sure to taste and adjust as you go.

Yeast - Be sure to get yeast labeled as Fast Acting, Instant, Quick-Rise, Bread Machine, or RapidRise - any of these will work. Do not use “Active Dry Yeast” which needs to be dissolved in water before using.

Water - Check the label on the brand of yeast you purchased for the recommended water temperature. Water that is too hot will kill the yeast, water that is too cool will not activate it.

Nutrition