Reference
- Hydration
- 74%
- Oil
- 1%
- Load
- 10 h-eq
- Instant dry yeast
- 0.156%
2 h at 21 °C, then 48 h in the fridge (4 °C), then 2 h proofing at 21 °C
Instant dry yeast 0.36 g for a 404 g dough ball
Farine
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gLab sheet
Detroit pizza is a rectangular pizza with an airy crumb, baked in an oiled pan where the base literally fries, with caramelised cheese edges against the walls. Hydration sits within 68–78%.
Every dimension is a window, not a single number: two doughs at 60% and 62% hydration are both Neapolitan. The marker shows the typical value.
The style was born in Detroit, Michigan, in the 1940s. The story goes that it used steel pans meant for the car industry; the blue-steel pan, about 10 by 14 inches, remains the reference. The traditional cheese is Wisconsin brick, a rich cheese that melts well and caramelises on the walls.
Hydration is high (68–78%) for a light crumb. The dough has little oil in the mass (0–2%), because the oil is in the pan. A ball weighs 380–700 g for a pan about 25–36 cm on the side.
Experiment
The calculator below is already set to this style, with a starting schedule. Change hydration, salt, oil or the fermentation schedule: the yeast is recalculated, and the indicator tells you whether you are still inside the style’s window.
Farine
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gEau
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gLevure
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It bakes around 245–300 °C (475–570 °F) for 11–17 min. The base fries in the pan oil, the top rises, and the cheese pressed to the wall forms the caramelised crust that defines the style.
Variants to try
Each variant moves one parameter inside the style’s window. The engine recalculates the yeast so the fermentation load follows the schedule. The button loads the variant into the calculator above.
2 h at 21 °C, then 48 h in the fridge (4 °C), then 2 h proofing at 21 °C
Instant dry yeast 0.36 g for a 404 g dough ball
Bottom of the window: denser crumb, easier handling.
2 h at 21 °C, then 48 h in the fridge (4 °C), then 2 h proofing at 21 °C
Instant dry yeast 0.37 g for a 404 g dough ball
Top of the window: very airy crumb, a sticky dough to handle with oiled hands.
2 h at 21 °C, then 48 h in the fridge (4 °C), then 2 h proofing at 21 °C
Instant dry yeast 0.35 g for a 404 g dough ball
Oil at the top of the window to soften the crumb on top of the fried base.
2 h at 21 °C, then 48 h in the fridge (4 °C), then 2 h proofing at 21 °C
Instant dry yeast 0.35 g for a 404 g dough ball
Yes, a rectangular dark-metal pan works. It must conduct heat: glass and ceramic give a different result.
So it caramelises against the metal and forms the crisp border that marks this style.
A neutral oil or olive oil. The engine counts the oil in the dough, not the pan oil.
Same family, or close in hydration and bake.