Detroit Style Pizza – Italian Sausage and Salami
Well, there is food and then there is pizza! If you don’t know much about me, there is one thing that you should definitely know to start off. And that is simply that I LOVE pizza. Pizza to me is the perfect meal. Started on a foundation of dough, with a slightly acidic sauce that is nestled with the gooey deliciousness of the mozzarella and finally completed off with the orchestra of toppings that you so chose.
Where does the best pizza come from? Well, that is a fight that I am not going to start! But I can tell you that Pizza comes from a wide variety of locations, each offering a slightly different shape and style take on this Italian classic. Over the years, I have come to appreciate the wide varieties of pizza, from the classic Neapolitan Pizza originating from Napoli, to the Roman style pizza – to the thin slices from New York – to the thick crusts of Chicago or the pan sheets from New Haven. There was one style that I was not as familiar with, until recently, and that is Detroit style. So what constitutes a Detroit style pizza? Well, it is cooked in a pan with edges, a quick good solution is a 9 x 13 pan. The dough is almost more of a focaccia style dough with a nice fluff to it. The toppings, well go on the top (unlike a more proper Chicago style, where it goes below the sauce). I have mainly seen Detroit style pies with the sauce in a line across the top. And probably most importantly, the cheese goes all the way to the edges! Why is this most importantly? Well, in a proper Detroit style steel pan, this causes the cheese to golden up and caramelize, creating one delectable bite! This adds up to make one amazing pies, that puts up a strong fight against the other variants. No matter what, you can’t loose by adding a Detroit Style pizza into your rotation!
Probably much to my wife’s dismay, when I get into pizza, I get into it. After just making a Detroit style pizza once or twice, I was hooked and went out and bought a pan specifically for it and I have not looked back! You can get a great pie out of a 9 by 13, but there is just something special about where the mozz and the pan meet with this pan and the corners, well, just don’t get near my corner!
For this recipe, I made an Italian Sausage casing removed and added salami onto my side (my wife is not into Salami or Pepperoni – I know, but we have made it work thus far!) But I have also just made this with only Italian Sausage and I have also made a Pepperoni version. So far, all have been amazing!
Pictures of this Italian Sausage and Salami wonder can be seen below.
Here is the recipe that I used to put this pie together, it is a combination of a few different recipes that I have found online.
Detroit Style Pizza – Italian Sausage and Salami
Equipment
- 1 Stand Mixer
- 1 Steel Detroit Style Pizza Pan Available at (https://detroitstylepizza.com/products/10-x-14-steel-dsp-pan)
- 1 Thermometer For measuring the water temperature
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil or EVOO Detroit Steel Pan doesn't allow EVOO
- 3/4 cup warm water 110 degree Fahrenheit
- 1 tbsp active dry yeast
- 2 1/4 cups All-Purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 16 ounces Low Moisture Mozzarella
- 1 cup Italian Sausage Casing Removed Available at (http://littlechefblog.com/italian-sausage-casing-removed/)
Pizza Sauce (As Needed)
- 1 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 15 ounces tomato sauce
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp basil leaves (dried) or a few leaves (fresh)
- 1 tsp dried oregano
Instructions
Making the Pizza Dough
- If using a Detroit style pan, pour the 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil onto the pan and coat the pan evenly. If using a standard 9×13-inch pan, use the darkest pan that you have, to give the best crust possible and coat with extra virgin olive oil.
- Measure out 110 degrees Fahrenheit and add to the bowl of the stand mixer. Add in the yeast and gently mix to bloom the yeast. Let bloom for 10 minutes or until you have a nice bubbly water-yeast mixture.
- Add in the flour and salt and knead with a dough hook for about a minute. Once combined, add in an extra tablespoon of oil and continue to knead for about 3 minutes.
- After the dough has been kneaded, move the dough over to the baking pan. Dimple your fingers gently into the dough to spread the dough across as much of the pan that you can, without forcing the dough. This will be repeated every 15 minutes to spread the dough until it hits the edges, working gently, but making sure to not rip or tear the dough. Cover with plastic wrap between spreads.
- Once the dough has been spread across the pan, cover the dough with plastic wrap and allow to rise for about an hour.
Making the Pizza Sauce
- While the dough rests, turn the stove on to medium heat and place about a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil into a small pot. Add in the garlic and heat until fragrant, stirring occasionally to prevent the garlic from burning.
- Add in the tomato sauce, basil, oregano, and salt and simmer for about 15 minutes.
- Set aside and allow to cool until you are ready to do the final assembly. Store the leftover pizza sauce for your next pizza. You can freeze it in a ziplock bag for up to 3 months.
Assembly and Baking
- Preheat the oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Uncover the dough and add the Mozzarella cheese on top of the dough, ensuring that the cheese goes all the way to the edges of the pizza (and touching the pan).
- Add the toppings generously and distribute as uniformly as you can. If someone has peculiarities with any of the toppings, you can always just top half the pizza with those toppings.
- Pour two streaks of the pasta sauce along the top of the pizza.
- Bake the pizza for about 15 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and the cheese is nicely melted. You can cook the pizza directly on the bottom of your oven to try and give the bottom of the pizza a better crust.
- Allow to cool for about 5 minutes before transferring the pizza to a cutting board to slice and serve.
