Preparation

(This classic Detroit style deep dish pizza recipe was developed for the Ooni Pro Oven, but it produces a beautiful pizza when cooked in a conventional oven too.)

About 30 minutes before baking, preheat the Ooni Pro oven so that the stone temp is 400°F and the ambient temp is 350°F.

Same-Day Pizza Dough for a Classic Detroit Style Deep Dish Pizza
Place the warm water and kosher salt in a large mixing bowl. Stir the mixture until the salt has completely dissolved, then sprinkle in the dry yeast.

Let the mixture rest for a few minutes so the yeast can activate. Give the mixture a quick stir, then add the bread flour to the bowl.

Gently mix and pinch the dough for about five minutes or until it comes together and it evenly wet. Place a damp cloth over the bowl and let it rest for twenty minutes. This step allows for the flour in the dough to completely hydrate and make it easier to knead.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead it for eight to ten minutes. Try to avoid adding excessive amounts of flour to keep the dough from sticking. A little is ok, too much is not good.

The pizza dough will eventually become smooth and silky in texture. Now, shape it into a ball tucking the dough underneath and inside of itself. Do this until the surface of the dough feels tight, but don’t tear it.

Lightly grease a large mixing bowl with some extra virgin olive oil, then add the pizza dough flat-side down. Dust the top of the dough with some flour, wrap the bowl tightly with some plastic film, then let the dough rest for 4 hours at room temperature. Once the dough doubles in size, it’s ready.

Place the dough in a 10×14 (9×13 works too), rectangular pan. A Detroit style, blue steel pan is customary, but an aluminum non-stick pan will do the trick too. Press the dough out to the edges of the pan. Make sure the entire bottom of it is covered with dough. Cover the pan with a damp cloth and rest the dough rest for one hour.

Making the Pizza Sauce
Prepare my simple, San Marzano tomato sauce recipe (link: https://youtu.be/VaPb8YIi8zE ) and to it, the dried oregano, granulated garlic, and red chili flake. Stir the sauce, then simmer it for 10 minutes. Cool and reserve the sauce until it’s time to finish the pizza.

Finishing the Pizza
After the second rest, the pizza dough should look a little puffy. This is an indication that it’s ready for toppings. Start with a layer of good-quality pepperoni, then follow with the shredded cheese blend. IMPORTANT: Spread the cheese out all the way to the edge of the pan. When the cheese melts, it’ll bake into the edge of the pizza and turn brown and crispy. This is a defining characteristic of a Detroit style deep dish pizza.

Add the pizza sauce in three even rows, lengthwise down the pan, then top the pizza with another layer of pepperoni.

Place the pan pizza in your Ooni oven on top of the stones closest to the front door. If you place the pan too close to the fire the inside edge of the pizza will burn.

Bake the pizza for 12-16 minutes (bake time will depend on how consistent you can keep the Ooni heated). Rotate the pan halfway through the cooking process.

The pizza is finished when the cheese is evenly melted and lightly browned, the dough has pulled away from the sides of the pan a bit and the bottom crust has browned and feels slightly firm.

Pop the pizza out of the pan and cut it into eight evenly sized pieces. Enjoy!