Outdoor Cooking & Charcoal Oven Recipes / American

Detroit style deep dish pepperoni pizza cut into squares

Cooked in the Charlie Charcoal Oven

Detroit Deep-Dish Pepperoni Pizza

Detroit pizza gives you a thick, soft base, crisp edges and plenty of melted cheese. Pepperoni adds a salty bite to each square. Baked in a pan in Charlie, it is a pizza for people who consider the crust part of the pleasure.

David WrightBaker and author, Pump Street Bakery
Bake
Prep30 minutes
Cook20 minutes
Serves4 to 6
DifficultyEasy
Oven temperature220°C (430°F)
RackRectangular pan on the Charlie Oven Cooking Rack on the middle level
CharcoalAbout half a football of lumpwood charcoal, in the centre of the grates

Charlie Oven — https://charlieoven.com/blogs/charcoal-recipes/detroit-deep-dish-pepperoni-pizza

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Ingredients

For the dough

For the topping

For the pan and to finish

Equipment

Everything used in this recipe. Already have Charlie? Add the accessories in one go.

  • Charlie Charcoal Oven£5,950.00Choose your oven
  • Stag British Premium Lumpwood Charcoal£96.50
  • Charlie Oven Cooking Rack£280.00
Stag British Premium Lumpwood Charcoal and Charlie Oven Cooking Rack £376.50 together

Method

Setting up Charlie
  1. Light Charlie once the dough is resting in the pan
  2. Fit the Charlie Oven Cooking Rack on the middle level
  3. Build a small pyramid of about half a football of lumpwood charcoal in the centre of the grates and light with one or two natural firelighters
  4. Open both vents fully and close the door. When Charlie is about 10°C short of 220°C (430°F), set both vents to about a knuckle open (2.5cm or 1in) to hold the heat

  1. Make the dough

    Mix the lukewarm water, yeast and sugar in a large bowl and leave for 5 minutes, until frothy. Add the flour, salt and 30ml olive oil, then knead for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Cover with a damp cloth and leave somewhere warm for about 1 hour, until doubled.

  2. Stretch into the pan

    Oil a rectangular pan of about 30 x 20cm (12 x 8in) well, ideally cast iron or steel. Tip in the dough and stretch it gently to the corners. If it springs back, leave it for 10 minutes and try again. Cover and rest for 30 minutes to 1 hour, until bubbles form along the edges.

  3. Light Charlie

    As soon as the dough is in the pan, fit the Charlie Oven Cooking Rack on the middle level. Build a small pyramid of about half a football of lumpwood charcoal in the centre of the grates and light it with one or two natural firelighters. Open both vents fully and close the door. When Charlie is about 10°C short of 220°C (430°F), set both vents to about a knuckle open to hold the heat.

  4. Top the pizza

    Spread the tomato sauce over the dough. Scatter over the cubed mozzarella, pushing some right to the edges of the pan, where it melts down the sides into crisp, caramelised corners. Finish with the pepperoni.

  5. Bake

    Set the pan on the Cooking Rack on the middle level and close the door. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling, the pepperoni is crisp at the edges and the crust is golden. If the base needs more colour, move the pan down a level for the last few minutes.

  6. Finish and serve

    Lift the pan out with heatproof gloves. Drizzle with the extra virgin olive oil, scatter over the basil and leave for a few minutes before cutting into squares.

Tips

  • Push the cheese right to the edges of the pan for the crisp, caramelised corners
  • A well oiled cast iron or steel pan gives the crispest base
  • Don't rush the rest in the pan: it creates the airy bubbles
  • Brick cheese is traditional, but mozzarella works brilliantly in Charlie
  • No wood is needed for this recipe

More recipes

The cook

David Wright

Baker and author, Pump Street Bakery

David Wright, known as The Breaducator, is a third generation Suffolk baker who was named Baker of the Year at the 2017 Baking Industry Awards. He coordinates the baking workshops at Pump Street Bakery and co-wrote DJ BBQ's Backyard Baking, a book of recipes for baking over live fire.

More recipes by David Wright

Frequently asked questions

  • How do I get crispy edges on Detroit pizza?

    Push the cheese right to the edges of the pan. The cubed mozzarella melts down the sides and caramelises into the crispy corners Detroit pizza is known for. A well oiled cast iron or steel pan helps crisp the base too.

  • What temperature should Charlie be for Detroit pizza?

    Hold Charlie at a steady 220°C (430°F) using about half a football of lumpwood charcoal and the vents. Bake the pan on the Charlie Oven Cooking Rack on the middle level for 15 to 20 minutes, until the cheese bubbles and the edges are golden.

  • What pan is best for Detroit-style pizza?

    Use a well oiled rectangular steel or cast iron pan. The heavy metal helps fry and crisp the base as the pizza bakes.

  • Can I use mozzarella instead of brick cheese?

    Yes. Brick cheese is traditional for Detroit pizza, but mozzarella works well in Charlie. This recipe uses 300g of cubed mozzarella, or a mix of mozzarella and brick cheese if you can find it.

  • Why does the dough rest in the pan for Detroit pizza?

    The second rest in the oiled pan creates the airy bubbles. After the first rise of about 1 hour, stretch the dough into the pan and leave it for a further 30 minutes to 1 hour, until bubbles form along the edges.