Detroit-style pizza
Encyclopedia
Detroit-style pizza is a style of pizza
Pizza
Pizza is an oven-baked, flat, disc-shaped bread typically topped with a tomato sauce, cheese and various toppings.Originating in Italy, from the Neapolitan cuisine, the dish has become popular in many parts of the world. An establishment that makes and sells pizzas is called a "pizzeria"...
, developed in Detroit. It is a square pizza similar to Sicilian-style pizza that has a thick deep-dish crust that is crisp in texture, cooked toppings such as pepperoni and olives, and is served with the marinara pizza sauce on the top of the pizza. The square shaped pizza is the result of being baked, not in a pizza pan, but an industrial parts tray.
The crust of a Detroit-style pizza is noteworthy because in addition to occasionally being twice-baked, it is usually baked in a well-oiled pan to a chewy medium-well-done state that gives the bottom and edges of the crust a fried/crunchy texture. Some parlors will apply melted butter with a soft brush prior to baking.
Southeast Michigan is also known as the headquarters of some of the largest pizza chains in the United States including Domino's Pizza
Domino's Pizza
Domino's Pizza, Inc. is an international pizza delivery corporation headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America. Founded in 1960, Domino's is the second-largest pizza chain in the United States and has over 9,000 corporate and franchised stores in 60 countries and all 50 U.S....
(Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...
), Little Caesars
Little Caesars
Little Caesars is a pizza chain, estimated to be the 4th largest in the United States. The Little Caesars headquarters is located in the Fox Theatre building in Downtown Detroit, Michigan.-History:...
(Detroit) and Hungry Howie's (Madison Heights
Madison Heights, Michigan
Madison Heights is a city in Oakland County of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a suburb of Detroit. As of the 2010 census, its population was 29,694.- History :...
). Although none of those chains specializes in Detroit-style pizza, Little Caesars does sell a square deep dish pizza and offers sauce with it that can be applied on top of the pizza by the customer for the traditional Detroit-style. The Detroit area contains many notable pizzerias.
History
Buddy's Pizza
Buddy's Pizza is a pizza restaurant chain based in Detroit, Michigan. Founded in 1946, the chain has an annual revenue of US$20 million. The chain's nine restaurants have a total of 400 employees. Buddy's has been called one of the five best pizzerias in the United States by the Food Network...
, which is one of the Detroit chains that serves Detroit-style pizza. Over the next several decades owners changed and cooks moved on and some of each opened their own pizzerias, including The Cloverleaf, Shield's and Loui's. All are still thriving, each with their own loyal fan base and champions. In 2009, Buddy's Detroit-style square pizza was singled out as one of the 25 best pizzas in America by GQ magazine food critic, Alan Richman. In February, 2009 a Cloverleaf Meat Supreme Pizza won first place at the North American Pizza and Ice Cream Show in Columbus, Ohio On a whim, he entered the pizza-making competition at the North American Pizza and Ice Cream Show in Columbus, Ohio, and took first place. His Cloverleaf Meat Supreme Pizza -- the only pie of its type in the contest -- beat out 58 competitors from all over the United States and Canada. Other restaurants that serve a Detroit-style and specialty pizza's include Guido's Premium Pizza, Benito's Pizza, Jet's Pizza, Pizza Papalis, Cottage Inn, Shield's Pizza and Pizza One. Pizza Papalis in the Greektown, Dearborn
Dearborn, Michigan
-Economy:Ford Motor Company has its world headquarters in Dearborn. In addition its Dearborn campus contains many research, testing, finance and some production facilities. Ford Land controls the numerous properties owned by Ford including sales and leasing to unrelated businesses such as the...
, and Troy
Troy, Michigan
Troy is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan, and is a suburb of Detroit. The population was 80,980 at the 2010 census, making it the 11th-largest city in Michigan by population, and the largest city in Oakland County...
are among Detroit's unique specialty pizzaris offering deep dish pizza. Niki's in Detroit, Tower Inn in Ypsilanti and the Gathering Place, and Marinelli's, both in Troy, Michigan, also serve Detroit-style pizza. The pizza at these restaurants is square or rectangular, with a thick crust, having edges made crisp by caramelized cheese.