This Detroit-Style Pizza Recipe Is Pure Nostalgia

This Detroit-Style Pizza Recipe is a nod to my school days—the iconic Square Pizza. This recipe takes that nostalgic school lunch favorite and elevates it to a whole new level. Buckle up as we recreate the magic in your own kitchen!

How to Make This Detroit-Style Pizza Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 cup warm water
• 0.25 ounces (1 packet) active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2.5 cups bread flour
• 1 block Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 block cheddar cheese
• Pepperoni slices
• Pizza sauce

Instructions:

Begin by combining warm water, active dry yeast, and sugar in a bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook. Let the magic happen as the yeast dissolves.

Introduce olive oil, salt, and bread flour, kneading with the dough hook, until your dough achieves that perfect smooth and elastic texture.

Spread the dough into a generously oiled 9×13 pan and let it rise for an hour. It should puff up quite a bit!

While the dough rises, prep your cheese into cubes—Monterey Jack and cheddar, a combo made in pizza heaven.

Once the dough is ready, top it with pepperoni.

Next add cheese cubes, and carefully placed pizza sauce strips for that perfect saucy experience.

Then top those strips with more pepperoni!

Bake it at a sizzling 525 degrees for 15 minutes, witnessing the transformation into a bubbly and golden masterpiece.

Let the pizza cool for a few minutes, remove it from the pan on to a cutting board and slice it into squares. This is the nostalgic part!

Voila! You’ve just recreated the Detroit-style square pizza that’s sure to transport you back to those school lunch memories. It’s not just about the taste; it’s about reliving those cherished moments with a culinary twist.

Feel free to get creative with toppings, but one bite of this Detroit-style square pizza, and you’ll be hooked. So, gather your ingredients, set the nostalgic vibes, and embark on a journey down memory lane, one delicious square at a time!

What to Serve with this Detroit-Style Pizza Recipe

We definitely need to serve this with some veggies!! We had ours with a simple garden salad or you can give one of these recipes a try!

• Lemon roasted asparagus
• Air Fryer Frozen Brussels Sprouts
• Slow Cooker Bacon Green Beans

Make it Healthier:

I’m always looking for new ways to add veggies to my dishes. Here are some ideas to add more nutrients to this dish or make it lighter:

• Pepperoni is not a must, feel free to add any veggie toppings you like! (spinach, broccoli, mushrooms, peppers, onions, or olives!)
• You could switch out the pepperoni for a healthier protein like chicken.
• Use light cheese or skip the cheese and use a little bit of parmesan instead.

MAKE IT KID FRIENDLY:

I always recommend you adjust recipes based on what your family likes. If your kids or even other family members are weary of this dish here are some swap recommendations to get them trying new things without serving a completely different dish:

• The toppings are key here so you just have to go with what your kids like! Cheese is just fine, and it’s great to sneak some veggies in there too!
• Don’t put the sauce in lines, instead just make it like a regular pizza with sauce all over the bottom.
• Just use mozzarella instead of Monterey Jack or Cheddar.
• Offer ranch dressing as an addition, if your kids love ranch!
• Cut the pizza into fun shapes depending on what your kids like!
• Cut the pizza and allow your kids to eat it with a fork.

SWAP IDEAS:

• You can use any protein you like, or none at all!
• You can use shredded cheese instead of cubed cheese, if that’s what you have or like!
• Experiment with different cheeses such as traditional mozzarella, or anything you like/have in your fridge, even feta cheese is fun!
• If you don’t have pizza sauce, use any pasta sauce you have, it’s very similar and still delicious.
• If red sauce isn’t your thing, try just oil with garlic powder and salt and pepper, or bbq or buffalo sauce.

SHOPPING TIPS:

• I find the sliced pepperoni from the deli section at the store is cheaper than the packaged pepperoni.
• Stock up on proteins such as boneless chicken breast or thighs when they are on sale, freeze them, and then defrost them for a dish like this!
• If you want to add bacon, the real bacon bits are a cheaper option than buying and cooking bacon or you could even use the ones in a shaker from Dollar Tree!
• Block cheese is often cheaper per lb than shredded cheese and it melts a lot better. Always check your unit price!
• Cheese freezes well, so, if it’s on sale, shredded or not, grab a few and freeze them for when you need them!

As always, please share your own recommendations on how to make this dish healthier, more kid friendly, swap ideas, and budget shopping tips in the comments!

FOR MORE INEXPENSIVE DINNER RECIPES CHECK OUT THESE VIDEOS:

• 3 New Slow Cooker Recipes
• Inexpensive and Easy in the Slow Cooker
• All New Recipes for Slow Cooker Season

MORE INEXPENSIVE RECIPES TO TRY:

• Crock Pot Italian Sausage – So easy, my mother in law taught me this!
• Mississippi Pot Roast (A family Fav!)
• Money Saving Poor Man’s Stew

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