Rustic Detroit-Style Square Pepperoni Pizza

By AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-05-13 · Updated 2026-05-13

How this recipe was made — this recipe was drafted by AislePrompt's AI-assisted pipeline from technique templates and USDA-sourced nutrition data, and published by AislePrompt Editorial — see how AislePrompt recipes are developed and reviewed.

Thick-crust Detroit-style pizza baked in a rectangular pan with layers of cheese and pepperoni that caramelize along the edges for a crispy, cheesy bite. This American-inspired pizza recipe, ready in about 38 minutes, pairs bread flour, active dry yeast, warm water for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 380 calories and feeds 6, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Prep: 20 min Cook: 18 min Serves 6 American cuisine 380 cal/serving

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Ingredients

3 1/2 cups (420 g) bread flour
2 1/4 tsp (1 packet) active dry yeast
1 1/4 cups (300 ml) warm water
1 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp plus 2 tbsp for the pan olive oil
3 cups (12 oz), low-moisture, shredded mozzarella cheese
1 1/2 cups (about 40 slices) pepperoni slices
1 cup, chunky tomato sauce with herbs Detroit-style pizza sauce

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Instructions

Step 1: In a large bowl, combine 3 1/2 cups bread flour, 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast, 1 tsp sugar, and 1 1/2 tsp salt. Gradually add 1 1/4 cups warm water and 2 tbsp olive oil, stirring until a sticky dough forms.
Step 2: Knead dough on a lightly floured surface for 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
Step 3: Preheat oven to 500°F (260°C). Coat a 9x13-inch rectangular baking pan with 2 tbsp olive oil.
Step 4: Punch down the dough and press it evenly into the pan, pushing the dough to the edges to form a thick, even base.
Step 5: Spread 1 cup Detroit-style pizza sauce evenly over the dough. Sprinkle 3 cups shredded low-moisture mozzarella cheese evenly over the sauce.
Step 6: Arrange 1 1/2 cups pepperoni slices evenly on top of the cheese, slightly overlapping.
Step 7: Bake pizza in the preheated oven for 15-18 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and edges are golden and caramelized.
Step 8: Remove from oven, let cool for 5 minutes, then cut into squares and serve.