Detroit-Style Sourdough Pizza Recipe

Despite my dad’s side of the family living in Michigan, I hadn’t heard of Detroit-style pizza until I stumbled across an America’s Test Kitchen recipe.

It looked unique and a lot easier than traditional pizza, so I gave it a go. The whole family loved it, and it quickly became a staple recipe in our house. Then, I got into sourdough, and well… dough made with commercial yeast became a thing of the past.

I longed to make Detroit-style pizza again, but I needed to create a sourdough version. Thankfully, I nailed it on the first try, and I’m so excited to share the recipe with you!

The dough is just like focaccia, and the entire process is much easier than typical pizza. We’re also big sauce fans over here, and our homemade pizza sauce pairs perfectly with this!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Super easy: If sourdough pizza feels intimidating, this one’s a great starting point. You don’t need a fancy pizza oven or special pizza tossing skills—just a bowl, a baking pan, and a little bit of time.
• Recipe tester-approved: I’m so thankful to get great feedback and ideas to make the recipe instructions even clearer. And of course, I’m blown away by the great testimonial!

“This turned out soooo fluffy and amazing – a lot better than other focaccia recipes I’ve tried! My granddaughter was excited to try it and it’s definitely kid-approved. Overall, I love this recipe – it’s now my new favorite focaccia recipe.” —Amy G., Recipe Tester from Washington

• Absolutely delicious: Crispy edges, fluffy center, cheesy goodness in every bite. The olive oil in the pan gives you that golden, crunchy edge, and when the cheese hits the sides? Game. Over. It’s honestly my favorite part.
• Super forgiving dough: You don’t need to be afraid of overproofing this dough. Even if you miss a round of stretch and folds or let it proof a little too long, it still bakes up beautifully.
• Family-friendly and customizable: My kids love this pizza just the way it is, but it’s also easy to change up the cheese, skip the sauce on top, or go all-in with your favorite toppings. You really can’t mess it up.

What Is Detroit-Style Pizza Anyway?

Detroit-style pizza has been a Motor City staple for over 78 years, distinguished by four key features:

1. Square or rectangular shape
2. Thick, twice-stretched dough
3. Crispy, caramelized cheese edges
4. Unique layering: pepperoni first, followed by Wisconsin brick cheese, with sauce on top

The origin traces to 1946 when Gus Guerra, owner of Buddy’s Rendezvous Pizzeria, created the first Detroit square pizza using borrowed forged-steel automotive pans and his Sicilian mother-in-law’s dough recipe.

While Buddy’s wasn’t the first to create square pizza globally, their distinctive version defined this now-iconic American style that has gained popularity nationwide.

Baker’s Timeline

DAY 1
8:00 AM	Feed your starter
8:45 PM	Mix the dough
9:15 PM	Stretch & fold #1
9:45 PM	(Optional) Stretch & fold #2
DAY 2
8:00 AM	Turn out the dough into an oiled baking pan
8:15 AM	Stretch dough to corners of pan
8:30 AM–1:30 PM	Second proof (5–7 hrs)
2:00 PM	Preheat oven to 500°F & make the sauce
2:30 PM	Add toppings & bake
3:00 PM	Cool, slice & serve

Please note that after the second proof, you can “hold” the dough in the fridge until dinnertime.

Simply bring it out and continue with preheating the oven, making the sauce, and topping your dough whenever you’re ready!

Ingredients

You can check out the full ingredient list in the recipe card below, but here’s a quick look at a few important ones:

• Bread flour: Bread flour gives the best texture and chewiness. I haven’t tried this with all-purpose flour, but my best advice would be to use a touch less water in the dough.
• Dried oregano: Used in both the dough and sauce for that classic pizza flavor.
• Italian seasoning: Layers in extra flavor alongside the oregano in both the dough and sauce.
• Olive oil: For coating the pan to create that crispy, golden crust Detroit-style is known for.
• Freshly shredded cheese: Monterey Jack, cheddar, mozzarella, or Wisconsin brick cheese all work—see the substitutions section for more on each.
• Homemade pizza sauce: a rich, thick sauce makes all the difference – and it only takes 2 minutes to whip up!

How to Make Detroit-Style Sourdough Pizza (Step by Step)

Step 1: Feed Your Starter

In the morning, mix 10 g of starter with 50 g of water and 50 g of bread flour. 

Stir it well until it’s smooth and loosely cover the jar with a lid or cloth. Let it sit at room temperature for about 10 to 12 hours until it peaks. 

This will give you 10 extra grams of starter that you can either feed for future use or toss in your discard jar for other recipes.

Step 2: Mix the Dough

By evening, your starter should be fully peaked and ready for baking.

Related: Is My Sourdough Starter Ready to Bake With? How I Can Tell

Grab a large mixing bowl and mix 375 g of cold water with 100 g of your starter until mostly dissolved.

Then, add 500 g bread flour, 10 g sea salt, 2 tablespoons dried oregano, and 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning.

Mix it all together—hands or Danish dough whisk, whatever works—until there’s no dry flour left. The dough will be wet and shaggy, which is perfect for Detroit-style pizza.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes.

Step 3: Stretch and Folds

After your dough has rested, wet your hands so they don’t stick. Then, reach in and grab one edge of the dough, stretch it up, and fold it over onto itself. 

Rotate the bowl 90° and do the same on all four sides.

Cover and let sit for another 30 minutes. If you have the energy, doing another round or two of stretch and folds will help further strengthen the dough.

But I’m often quite lazy with this recipe, and even one set of stretch and folds before bed will get the job done!

Step 4: Overnight Fermentation

After the stretch and folds, cover and let rest on the counter overnight (8–12 hours).

By morning, the dough should be puffy and bubbly. If it looks really puffy and a little overproofed, that’s fine—it’s super forgiving like focaccia.

Step 5:  Shape & Proof the Dough

In the morning, pour 60 g (1/4 cup) of olive oil into a 9×13-inch pan and tilt to coat the bottom.

Gently pour your dough into the pan without deflating it—try to keep those bubbles! Cover and let it rest for 15 minutes so it can relax.

Then, lightly oil your fingertips and, starting from the center, gently press and stretch the dough toward the edges. If it resists, don’t fight it—cover and rest another 10 minutes; then, try again.

It might take a few rounds of gentle stretching and resting, but it’ll get there without tearing.

Once it’s stretched to the corners, cover the pan and let it proof at room temp for 5–7 hours. 

It’s ready when the dough has doubled, fills the corners, and has a jiggly, bubbly surface. Give the pan a little shake—if it wobbles like crazy, you’re good to go.

At this point, you can either bake it right away or stick it in the fridge until you’re ready to bake.

The dough can hold in the fridge for up to 24 hours. You can go longer, but you risk losing some height.

Step 6: Preheat & Prepare Sauce

About 30 minutes before baking, move your oven rack to the middle position and preheat your oven to 500°F (260°C).

While the oven is heating up, make the pizza sauce (only takes 2 minutes!).

You can make the sauce up to 3 days ahead and store it in the fridge in an airtight container.

Step 7: Add Toppings

Traditionally, Detroit-style pizza is topped in this order: pepperoni, crumbled Wisconsin brick cheese, and then sauce.

So, if you want to add pepperoni, lay it right on the dough. Or skip it and go straight to the cheese.

Sprinkle 10 oz of freshly shredded cheese over the dough, all the way to the edges—this is what gives you those signature crispy, cheesy corners Detroit-style pizza is known for.

Then, spoon three 1-inch-wide strips of sauce across the top, lengthwise.

Step 8: Bake & Enjoy

Bake at 500°F for about 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbling, just starting to brown, and the edges are dark and crispy.

If you’re not sure it’s done, carefully lift a corner with a spatula and check that the bottom is golden and crisp.

Let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes so the crust sets up. Then, carefully lift it out, transfer to a cutting board, slice into 12 squares, and enjoy!

FAQs

Conclusion

Crispy edges, fluffy dough, bold flavor—this sourdough Detroit-style pizza is cheesy perfection.

Once you try it, there’s no going back to boring pizza nights! If you try this recipe, let me know what you think in the comments section below.

Other overnight sourdough recipes:

• Overnight Sourdough Hot Dog Buns (Super Soft & Easy)
• Overnight Sourdough Artisan Bread Recipe
• Easy, Overnight Sourdough Bagel Recipe