Born in blue steel automotive parts pans. Wet dough proofed in the pan, brick cheese pushed all the way to the walls so it fries against the metal into a crisp lace edge, and sauce ladled on top in stripes after the bake starts.
Method
- Mix to a wet, sticky dough. No serious kneading: three sets of folds in the bowl do the work.
- Bulk two hours, then refrigerate overnight if you have the time.
- Oil the pan properly, tip the dough in, and press it toward the corners with oiled fingers.
- It will not reach. Rest 20 minutes and press again. Repeat until the corners are filled.
- Proof until puffed and wobbly.
- Cube brick cheese and lay it edge to edge, pressing it against the pan walls. That contact is the whole style.
- Bake, then ladle two or three stripes of sauce down the length. Sauce goes on last, never underneath.
Fermentation
| Stage | Time | Temperature | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bulk | 2 h | 22°C / 72°F | |
| Cold ferment | 24 h | 4°C / 39°F | Optional but recommended. |
| Pan proof | 3 h | 23°C / 73°F | Until it fills the pan and jiggles. |
Times are a guide. How to read the dough instead of the clock →
The bake
Oven275°C527°F
Time12-16 minutes
Surface. Anodised steel Detroit pan, lower rack
Run the pan hot enough to fry the cheese at the wall. When it is right, a knife run around the edge releases a solid caramelised crust of cheese with the pizza.
On top
- Sauce
- Cooked, thick, a little sweet, spooned over the top.
- Cheese
- Wisconsin brick. Whole milk mozzarella with a bit of mild cheddar is the workable substitute.
- Toppings
- Pepperoni under the cheese so it steams rather than burns.
You got it right when A dark, crunchy, cheese-fried rim you can hear, and a light open crumb underneath.