Pizza night growing up was always a special time. In our house this meant homemade pizzas made Detroit style. My mom would often replace the pepperoni with thick slices of salami or other hard sausage, switching between these and pepperoni. These square pizzas were always a huge hit for dinner. And, if you didn’t grow up in the Midwest there’s no time like the present to try this regional delicacy.

One of the things that makes Detroit pizza so special is the crust. This is a rising crust that, when formed in a 9″x13″ metal pan comes to the perfect height. This is not a deep dish, though it is much thicker than a thin crust pizza. Once you make the dough you’ll need to let it rise for 2 hours.

Another distinct quality of Detroit pizzas are the lines of sauce on top. Unlike Chicago style which has a whole layer of sauce over the top, Detroit style pizza has three lines of sauce that run over (but don’t completely cover) the cheese and the pepperoni.

So that the dough stays nice and moist, we also added some sauce under the cheese as well, though not as much as for a regular pizza since the main sauce situation is on top of the pizza.

Yet another unique thing about Detroit pizza is that you take the toppings all the way to edges. Combined with the oil in the pan and the high heat, this creates a crispy edge that is irresistible. If you’re used to only making regular round pizzas you might think it looks burnt, but this is the way it’s supposed to be.

Once you’ve assembled your pizza it only takes about 10-15 minutes to bake in a 500˚F oven. This high heat ensures that the pepperoni and the crust get nice and crispy.

If you’ve never had Detroit style pizza then you have to try this regional favorite. Pizza night may never be the same after you make this scrumptious recipe for the family.