Mini Detroit Style Pizza

4.74 from 15 votes

This Mini Detroit-Style Pizza features a thick, chewy crust with crispy edges, topped with rich tomato sauce, melty mozzarella, and classic pepperoni. Baked in a small dish or cast iron skillet, it delivers the signature flavors of Detroit-style pizza in a perfectly portioned size.

Prep Time3

Cook Time15

Total Time3 15

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: American, Italian

Keyword: deep dish pizza, detroit pizza, Detroit style pizza, pizza

Servings: servings

Author: Joanie Zisk

Equipment

6.5-inch cast iron skillet or 5x7-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 use 4-ounces of cubed cheese
6-8 slices pepperoni

US - Metric

Instructions

Make the Pizza Dough

Make the Dough: In a bowl, mix the bread flour, salt, instant yeast, water, and olive oil. No kneading is needed—just stir with a spoon until combined.
First Rise: Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a dish towel and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
Prepare the Pan: Coat a baking dish or cast iron skillet with olive oil. Transfer the dough to the pan. If it's sticky, lightly oil your fingers to help spread it evenly.
Second Rise: Cover the pan with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for another hour.

Assemble and Bake

Preheat the Oven: 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.
Add Sauce: Spread pizza sauce evenly over the dough.
Add Pepperoni: Layer slices of pepperoni over the sauce.
Add Cheese: Cover with mozzarella. Add a few spoonfuls of sauce on top.
Bake: Place the pan on the bottom oven rack and bake for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Finish and Serve: 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!

Video

Notes

Yeast Options: This recipe uses instant yeast, which can be mixed directly into the dough. If using active dry yeast, dissolve it in warm water first before adding it to the other ingredients.

Weighing Ingredients: For the most accurate results, use a kitchen scale. It ensures precise measurements for a consistent, well-textured dough.

Handling Sticky Dough: Lightly grease your fingers with olive oil to prevent the dough from sticking while spreading it in the pan.

Helping Dough Rise: If the dough isn’t rising, the yeast may be inactive, the water temperature could be off, or the environment might be too cold. To create a warm spot, preheat the oven for a minute, turn it off, and place the dough inside. The oven light alone may provide enough warmth.

Baking Temperature: Preheat the oven to 500°F (or the highest setting available) for a crisp, golden crust. Make sure your baking dish can handle high heat—if not, bake at the highest safe temperature for your dish.

Note on Ceramic Baking Dishes: Our One Dish Kitchen baking dish and the Le Creuset 5×7 dish are both oven-safe up to 500°F, making them great options for this recipe. Many other ceramic dishes have a 450°F limit—if yours does, bake at 450°F and extend the baking time slightly to achieve a crispy crust.

Nutrition

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