Detroit Style

Name: Detroit Style Pizza Dough Formula
Prep time: 1680 min
Cook time: 14 min
Yield: 1787g dough (1 large pizza or 3-4 small)
Cuisine: Detroit, Michigan, USA
Ingredients: 1000g bread flour (12.5% protein); 700g water (70% hydration); 20g salt (2% baker's); 40g olive oil (4% baker's); 20g sugar (2% baker's); 7.00g instant-dry yeast (0.7% baker's)

Origin: Detroit, Michigan, USA · Category: Pan / Deep Dish

Rectangular pan pizza. Crispy lacy cheese-edge ('frico'), open airy crumb, racing-stripes of sauce on top of cheese. Higher hydration than NY. Wisconsin brick cheese spread to pan edges produces signature crust.

Baker's percentages

Hydration: 70%; (68–75%)
Salt: 2%
Oil: 4%
Sugar: 2%
Yeast type: instant dry
Yeast %: 0.7%
Flour: bread flour
Protein target: 12.5%

Example: 1000g flour scaled out

Flour: 1000g (bread flour)
Water: 700g
Salt: 20g
Olive oil: 40g
Sugar: 20g
instant dry yeast: 7.00g
Total dough: 1787g

Fermentation + bake

Bulk (room temp): 2h
Cold ferment: 24h
Ball rest: 2h
Bake temp: 500°F
Bake time: 12–16 min
Vessel: blue-steel rectangular pan (10x14 in / Lloyd Pans)

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Technique

Press dough into oiled blue-steel pan (4 tbsp oil per pan). Cold-ferment 24-72h optional. Top with brick cheese to all four edges (frico crust forms). Sauce in stripes on top of cheese after bake.

Source

King Arthur Baking — Detroit Style Pizza

For full step-by-step recipe with photos and shaping technique, follow the source link above. This page provides the formula for use with the hydration calculator.

Related references on this site

Flour spec: bread flour (12.5% protein) — protein, ash, absorption multiplier from publisher specs
Hydration page: 70% — crumb structure, technique notes, typical bread styles at this hydration
Baker's percentage explained — the math underlying every formula on this page
Temperature ranges — how kitchen temp shifts ferment timing (relevant for the 2h room-temp bulk above)

The gear that makes the math work

A short, honest baking kit. The scale matters most — every weight on this page is in grams. The Dutch oven is what turns a good crumb into a great crust.

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Digital kitchen scale (0.1 g)
Baker's percentage is by weight, not volume — a 0.1 g scale is what makes the math on this page accurate.
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Dutch oven / combo cooker
Traps steam for the first bake phase — the single biggest factor in oven spring and a blistered, glossy crust.
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Banneton proofing basket
Wicks moisture and holds shape during the final proof, so high-hydration dough doesn't spread flat.
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Bread lame
A sharp lame scores clean ears — the cut that decides whether the loaf opens up or bursts at the side.
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Bench scraper
Steel scraper handles wet, sticky high-hydration dough without tearing the gluten you just built.
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High-protein bread flour
The math assumes ~12–14% protein. Real bread flour absorbs the hydration you calculate — all-purpose won't.
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Danish dough whisk
Mixes shaggy, high-hydration dough in seconds without the gluey mess of a spoon or your hands.
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Or learn the craft by ear

The numbers here are the what; a good baking book is the why. An Audible trial gets you any title free — Michael Pollan’s Cooked(the “Air” chapter is the best story ever told about why bread rises) is a perfect first listen.

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Gear guides — what actually matters

Common questions

What hydration is Detroit Style pizza dough?

Detroit Style uses 70% hydration (range 68–75%). For 1000g flour: 700g water, 20g salt (2%), 40g olive oil (4%), 20g sugar (2%), 7.00g instant-dry yeast (0.7%). Source: King Arthur Baking — Detroit Style Pizza.

What temperature do you bake Detroit Style?

Detroit Style bakes 12–16 minutes at 500°F in a blue-steel rectangular pan (10x14 in / Lloyd Pans). Press dough into oiled blue-steel pan (4 tbsp oil per pan). Cold-ferment 24-72h optional. Top with brick cheese to all four edges (frico crust forms). Sauce in stripes on top of cheese after bake.

How long do you ferment Detroit Style dough?

Bulk ferment 2 hours at room temperature, then 24 hours cold-ferment in the refrigerator. After dividing and balling, rest 2 hours at room temperature before stretching.

What flour is best for Detroit Style?

Detroit Style traditionally uses bread flour flour with 12.5% protein content. Higher protein flours strengthen gluten for 70% hydration handling.