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This mini Detroit-style pizza features a thick, airy crust, crisp cheese edges, and rich tomato sauce, all baked in a small pan. It’s a personal-sized pizza that delivers classic Detroit-style flavor at home.
Featured Comment
“This is hands down one of my favorite recipes! It is so easy and so delicious. I make it in cast iron, as recommended and it turns out perfectly. My go to for Friday night pizza.”
– Kim
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Perfectly Portioned: This mini Detroit-style pizza makes two hearty slices, giving you a satisfying meal without leftovers.
- Personal-Sized Pizza: Designed as a small, personal-sized pizza that delivers all the flavor of a classic Detroit-style pie.
- Crispy, Buttery Crust: Olive oil in the pan creates crisp edges and a tender interior, just like traditional Detroit-style pizza.
- Easy to Customize: Add your favorite toppings, from pepperoni to vegetables, to make it your own.
- Flexible Bakeware: Bakes beautifully in a 5×7-inch baking dish or a 6.5-inch cast iron skillet.
Detroit-style pizza has always stood out to me for its thick, airy crust and the crisp edges that form as the cheese bakes against the pan. I wanted a smaller version that kept everything I love about it, from the texture to the balance of sauce and cheese, while fitting naturally into cooking for one or two.
Once it comes out of the oven, this pizza is hard to resist. The edges are deeply golden, the center stays soft and tender, and each slice has just the right amount of sauce and cheese. It’s filling without feeling heavy and satisfying in a way that makes you slow down and enjoy every bite.
If you’re in the mood for more perfectly portioned pizza recipes, try our personal pepperoni pizza, pizza bowl, crustless pizza quiche, and pepperoni pizza monkey bread.
Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this mini Detroit pizza recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
Detroit Style Pizza Crust
- Bread Flour: Bread flour gives this mini Detroit-style pizza its signature thick, airy crust with crisp edges. The higher protein content helps the dough rise well and develop structure. All-purpose flour can be used if needed, but the crust will be softer and slightly less chewy.
- Yeast: Use instant or fast-rising yeast. It mixes directly into the dry ingredients and helps the dough rise reliably without extra steps.
- Kosher Salt: Salt adds flavor and strengthens the dough. I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt for its lighter texture and even seasoning.
- Olive Oil: Olive oil adds flavor and helps create a tender interior while encouraging crisp edges as the pizza bakes in the pan. Extra-virgin olive oil works well, but a lighter olive oil is fine.
- Warm Water: Warm water activates the yeast and helps the dough come together smoothly. The water should feel warm to the touch, not hot. About 30 seconds in the microwave is usually enough.
Pizza Toppings
- Pizza Sauce: A store-bought pizza sauce works well here, or you can use homemade pizza sauce or tomato sauce.
- Cheese: Brick cheese is traditional for Detroit-style pizza because it melts smoothly and caramelizes along the edges. For this mini version, mozzarella is used for accessibility and flavor. For the best melt and browning, shred the cheese yourself instead of using pre-shredded cheese.
- Pepperoni: Pepperoni is a classic Detroit-style topping and pairs well with the thick crust and baked cheese edges. If you have extra slices, they can be used in a muffuletta or in a crustless pizza bowl.
Recipe Variations
This mini Detroit-style pizza is easy to customize with popular, well-loved toppings.
- Vegetarian Pizza: Skip the pepperoni and top with sautéed mushrooms, olives, and bell peppers. Cooking the vegetables first helps keep the crust crisp.
- BBQ Chicken Pizza: Use BBQ sauce instead of pizza sauce and add cooked chicken and thinly sliced red onions.
- Hawaiian Pizza: Top with diced ham and pineapple for a sweet and savory option that works well with a thick, airy crust.
- Spicy Pepperoni Pizza: Add sliced jalapeños and extra pepperoni or cooked sausage for more heat.
- Three Cheese Pizza: Use a blend of mozzarella, provolone, and a small amount of parmesan for richer flavor and better browning.
How To Make A Mini Detroit Style Pizza
The photos and steps below walk you through making a personal sized Detroit-style pizza. You’ll find exact ingredient amounts and the full recipe in the recipe card.
Bakeware Note: Detroit-style pizza is traditionally baked in a rectangular pan. For this mini version, I’ve found that a 5×7-inch baking dish works beautifully and keeps the classic shape. A 6.5-inch cast iron skillet is also a great option and produces crisp edges and well-browned cheese.
Make the Pizza Dough
- In a medium bowl, stir together the bread flour, salt, instant yeast, warm water, and olive oil until a sticky dough forms. Instant yeast does not need to be dissolved first, and no kneading is required.
- Lightly oil a clean bowl, transfer the dough to the bowl, and cover with plastic wrap or a towel. Let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
- Coat a 5×7-inch baking dish or a 6.5-inch cast iron skillet with olive oil. Transfer the dough to the pan. Lightly oil your fingers and gently press the dough toward the edges.
- Cover the pan and let the dough rise again for 1 hour.
Assemble and Bake the Pizza
- Spoon the pizza sauce evenly over the dough.
- Arrange the pepperoni over the sauce.
- Add the mozzarella, using a mix of cubed and shredded cheese. Spoon a few small dollops of sauce over the cheese, if desired.
- Place the pan on the bottom rack of a preheated oven and bake for about 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the edges are crisp.
Expert Tips
- Yeast Choice: This recipe uses instant yeast, which can be mixed directly into the dry ingredients. If using active dry yeast, dissolve it in warm water before adding it to the dough.
- Handling Sticky Dough: Lightly oil your fingers with olive oil when pressing the dough into the pan to prevent sticking.
- Encouraging the Rise: If the dough is slow to rise, the room may be too cool or the yeast may be inactive. Preheat the oven for 1 minute, turn it off, and place the covered dough inside. Sometimes the oven light alone provides enough warmth.
- Oven Temperature: A very hot oven creates the crisp edges Detroit-style pizza is known for. Preheat to 500°F or the highest temperature your bakeware allows.
Frequently Asked Questions
Detroit-style pizza has a thick, airy crust, is baked in a pan, and is known for its crisp, cheese-lined edges. The sauce is often spooned over the cheese instead of spread directly on the dough.
Yes. While it’s traditionally baked in a rectangular pan, a 5×7-inch baking dish keeps the classic shape, and a 6.5-inch cast iron skillet works well for a small, personal-sized pizza with crisp edges.
Brick cheese is traditional, but mozzarella works well for this mini version. For the best melt and browning, shred the cheese yourself instead of using pre-shredded cheese.
Yes. After the first rise, the dough can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours. Bring it to room temperature before pressing it into the pan.
This recipe makes one small, personal-sized pizza that yields two hearty slices.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
If you’ve tried this small Detroit-style pizza recipe or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
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Get a Quick Recipe Overview
Mini Detroit Style Pizza
Watch How To Make This
Equipment
- 6.5-inch cast iron skillet or 5×7-inch baking dish
Ingredients
For the Pizza Dough
- ½ cup bread flour
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon instant yeast
- ¼ cup warm water
- ½ teaspoon olive oil plus more for the bowl and baking pan
For the Pizza
- ⅓ cup pizza sauce or tomato sauce, plus more for topping
- 1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese or 4-ounces of cubed cheese
- 6-8 slices pepperoni
Instructions
Make the Pizza Dough
- In a medium bowl, stir together the bread flour, salt, instant yeast, warm water, and olive oil until a sticky dough forms. Instant yeast does not need to be dissolved first, and no kneading is required.
- Lightly oil a clean bowl, transfer the dough to the bowl, and cover with plastic wrap or a towel. Let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
- Coat a 5×7-inch baking dish or a 6.5-inch cast iron skillet with olive oil. Transfer the dough to the pan. Lightly oil your fingers and gently press the dough toward the edges.
- Cover the pan and let the dough rise again for 1 hour.
Assemble and Bake
- Position a rack on the lowest level and preheat the oven to 500°F (260°C). If your baking dish can’t handle this heat, use the highest temperature it allows.
- Spoon the pizza sauce evenly over the dough.
- Arrange the pepperoni over the sauce.
- Add the mozzarella. Spoon a few small dollops of sauce over the cheese, if desired.
- Place the pan on the bottom rack of a preheated oven and bake for about 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the edges are crisp.
- Remove the pizza from the oven, run a spatula or knife around the edges to loosen it, then transfer to a cutting board. Slice and enjoy!
Notes
- Yeast Choice: This recipe uses instant yeast, which can be mixed directly into the dry ingredients. If using active dry yeast, dissolve it in warm water before adding it to the dough.
- Handling Sticky Dough: Lightly oil your fingers with olive oil when pressing the dough into the pan to prevent sticking.
- Encouraging the Rise: If the dough is slow to rise, the room may be too cool or the yeast may be inactive. Preheat the oven for 1 minute, turn it off, and place the covered dough inside. Sometimes the oven light alone provides enough warmth.
- Oven Temperature: A very hot oven creates the crisp edges Detroit-style pizza is known for. Preheat to 500°F or the highest temperature your bakeware allows.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
This is not Detroit style. The pan is just as important as the hydration of the dough in a Detroit style pizza. Cast iron nor a ceramic baking dish are not applicable as they do not “fry” the bottom and sides of the dough like a steel pan. This is just a deep dish casserole pizza.
Thank you for your comment! I understand that the pan plays an important role in authentic Detroit-style pizza. Since this is a scaled-down recipe, we used smaller baking dishes that are more accessible for single serving portions, like a ceramic baking dish or a cast iron skillet. While it may not be fully authentic, the goal was to create a small, manageable version with great flavor and texture for one or two people. I appreciate your feedback and hope the recipe still works well for you!
Had fun making this in the 5×7 baking dish from your store. The crust was crisp and delicious but it stuck to the bottom just a little bit. A sign I should use more olive oil in the baking dish first? (I’m absolutely terrible in the kitchen!)
I’m so glad you enjoyed the pizza! Yes, adding a little more olive oil to the baking dish should help prevent sticking. Just be sure to coat the bottom and sides well. You’re doing great in the kitchen—keep it up!
This is hands down one of my favorite recipes! It is so easy and so delicious. I make it in cast iron, as recommended and it turns out perfectly. My go to for Friday night pizza.
It was great! The only change I would make is to do it in case iron…I used a lot of oil but it still stuck to the Staub. Ate in pieces but it was great. And I will most definitely make again! Thank you
I made this tonight and it was delicious!!! I baked mine in a 6.5″ cast iron skillet. I did use less mozzarella, and I put my pepperoni on top. The crust came out so nice and crispy. What a wonderful pan pizza recipe! I cut it into 4 slices, of which 3 would have been plenty for me but ate all of it since 1 leftover slice wouldn’t make much of a meal. This recipe is a keeper and I am sure I will use it often.
HELP!!! I have made the dough 3 times and everytime the dough is dry. I dont know what else I can do.i love your recipes. Keep them coming.
Thanks
Linda T
Hi Linda, it sounds like there might be too much flour in the dough. How are you measuring the dough? I recommend weighing your ingredients. Kitchen scales are relatively inexpensive and you can find the one we use and recommend on our store page. You can find the amount of flour in grams in the recipe box by clicking on “Metric”. If you don’t have a scale, you can still measure flour successfully. Here’s what you do:
Use a spoon to stir the flour inside the container. You want to loosen it up in case it’s packed tightly inside.
Use a spoon to scoop the flour into a dry measuring cup. Please keep me posted.
I LOVE this recipe! It’s easy to make, the crust is light and crispy, and it’s the perfect size for one and possibly two, depending on the appetites!
Like others have mentioned, I also like its versatility. I have varied the toppings, sometimes just salami, other times ‘fully loaded’, and sometimes with bbq sauce as the base, seasoned cooked chicken, caramelized onions, and a mixture of Swiss and mozzarella cheeses.
Sure beats frozen, store bought pizza….by a LONG shot!
Thanks Joanie! 🤗😋
This recipe is as awesome as it is flexible. I’ve varied the toppings several different ways. Tonight I topped my pizza dough with browned, crumbled Italian sausage, marinara sauce, chopped red pepper, dollops of ricotta, shredded mozzarella. I also added a tablespoon of Italian seasoning to the dough with the dry ingredients.
Left over pizza sauce goes into a silicone ice cube tray and frozen. Once frozen, the 1″ cubes are popped into a Ziplock bag and the bag thrown into the freezer. I’ve found that for a personal pizza, one cube is plenty. I microwave the cube for 30 seconds or until soft enough to spread on top of the dough.
Oops! There’s the timer. Gotta go rescue my Sporky…and add caramelized onions on top.
Buon appetito!
Chris, I’m so glad you love the pizza recipe. Your version sounds so incredibly delicious! Thank you for your feedback and your tips on storing extra sauce.
ABSOLUTELY STELLAR!
It is easy to make and taste great. A Lot better than one from the store.