Detroit Style Pizza — The Crispy-Cheese-Edge Pizza That Conquered TikTok
Detroit-style pizza had its TikTok moment and the platform has never been the same. The defining feature — cheese pushed all the way to the edges of the pan where it melts, caramelizes, and creates an impossibly crispy cheese crown — is the most satisfying pizza content on the internet. Every bite has that cheese-crisp crunch.
Why This Went Viral
The cheese edge. Pulling a slice from the pan and hearing that crispy cheese crack, seeing the golden-brown caramelized cheese border — that’s the shot. Add the racing-stripe sauce on top (not under the cheese) and you’ve got a pizza that looks unlike anything most people have seen.
The Secret to Perfect Detroit Style Pizza
Push the cheese to the edges. This is the whole point. Take shredded cheese and intentionally press it against the sides of the pan. As it bakes, the cheese melts down and fries against the hot metal, creating that legendary crispy cheese skirt.
Use a well-oiled pan. Detroit pizza is traditionally baked in a blue steel automotive parts tray (seriously). The oiled pan creates a fried bottom crust that’s crispy and golden, almost like focaccia.
Cost Breakdown
Detroit-style pizza at a specialty shop costs $18-25. Making it at home costs about $8-10 for a full pan that serves 6. Better crust, more cheese, and those edges that restaurants can’t always guarantee.
Pro Tips From the Comments Section
- Let the dough proof in the oiled pan for 1-2 hours until it fills the pan completely
- Brick cheese is traditional, but a mix of low-moisture mozzarella and Muenster is a great substitute
- Sauce goes on top in two or three horizontal stripes — this is the Detroit way
- Bake at the highest temp your oven can reach — 500-550°F for best results
