Detroit Style Pizza with Hot Honey and Cup-and-Char Pepperoni
This Detroit style pizza with hot honey and cup-and-char pepperoni features a thick, airy crust with crispy, caramelized cheese edges from layers of Galbani® Mozzarella, topped with rich tomato sauce. The cup-and-char pepperoni crisps as it bakes, adding a savory bite with slightly charred edges, while the hot honey brings a sweet heat that runs through each slice. The combination of textures and flavors makes it a great option for game day or pizza night.
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Dough & Pan
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16 ounces pizza dough (store-bought or homemade)
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2 tablespoons neutral oil, for the pan
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Cheese & Pepperoni
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16 ounces (1 block) Galbani Whole Milk Low-Moisture Block Mozzarella, divided: 14 ounces cut into ½-inch cubes, 2 ounces shredded for the cheese collar
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5 ounces cup-and-char pepperoni, one standard package (about half goes under the cheese, half on top)
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Sauce
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½ cup crushed tomatoes
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1 tablespoon olive oil
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½ teaspoon salt
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1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
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½ teaspoon garlic powder
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¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (adjust to taste)
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Pinch of sugar, optional (to balance acidity, depending on your crushed tomatoes)
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Finishing
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2 tablespoons hot honey, or more, to taste
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Fresh basil leaves, torn, optional
Pull the pizza dough from the fridge and let it sit, covered, at room temperature for 30–60 minutes before you begin. Cold dough resists stretching; room-temperature dough relaxes and presses to the corners far more easily.
Stir together the crushed tomatoes, olive oil, salt, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Taste and add a pinch of sugar if needed to balance the acidity. Set aside at room temperature. The sauce gets striped on after baking.
Generously oil the 10×14 pan with the 2 tablespoons neutral oil, working it up the sides as well as the bottom. Be generous here, because this is what gives you the crispy, caramelized edge. The bottom should look slick, not just coated.
Place the dough in the pan and gently press it toward the corners. If the dough resists, cover loosely and let it rest for 10 minutes, then press again. You may need 2–3 stages of pressing and resting to fully reach the corners.
Once the dough fills the pan, cover loosely and let it proof until puffy and relaxed, about 30–45 minutes. About halfway through, preheat the oven (see next step) and set the covered pan on the stovetop, where the gentle warmth speeds the proof along. It’s ready when the surface looks slightly domed and a gentle finger-poke leaves a dent that springs back slowly. Don’t let it over-proof; if a poke leaves a dent that doesn’t spring back at all, bake it right away.
Preheat the oven to 500°F, with the rack in the lower position. If your oven has a convection setting, use 480°F instead. Convection circulates heat more evenly and helps the cheese collar caramelize.
Sprinkle the 2 ounces of shredded mozzarella around the perimeter of the dough, pressing it gently against the pan edges to create the classic Detroit-style cheese collar (the caramelized frico edge).
Lay about half of the pepperoni directly on the dough.
Scatter the cubed mozzarella evenly across the pizza, edge to edge. Don’t leave bare spots near the perimeter; the cubed cheese should connect with the cheese collar.
Top with the remaining pepperoni.
Bake for 14–18 minutes, until the cheese is fully melted, the pepperoni cups have curled and crisped, and the edges of the cheese collar are deeply caramelized.
Let the pizza rest in the pan for 5 minutes. Run an offset spatula or knife around the edges to release the cheese collar.
Spoon the prepared sauce in three or four parallel stripes across the interior of the pizza, leaving a ½” buffer from the caramelized edge so the sauce doesn’t soften it. Drizzle hot honey over the top and scatter torn fresh basil, if using. Slice and serve directly from the pan, or transfer to a board for cleaner slices.
Sauce is striped on after baking: Detroit-style traditionally finishes the sauce on top, after the bake. It keeps the cheese edge crispy and gives the pizza a fresh, bright tomato note rather than a baked-in one. Hot honey goes on at the same time. If you prefer, the sauce can be added before baking instead.
Pepperoni layered over and under: Half the pepperoni goes directly on the dough, under the cheese; half goes on top. The under-layer renders into the crust for a deep savory base, and the top layer crisps and curls into little cups.
Cheese collar (2 ounces shredded around the edge): A thin ring of shredded mozzarella pressed against the pan edge gives you the caramelized, crispy frico crust that defines Detroit-style. The remaining 14 ounces is cubed for the body of the pizza so it melts in soft pillows rather than a flat sheet.
Oven temp (500°F conventional or 480°F convection): Both produce the same caramelized cheese edge and crisp bottom crust. Convection circulates heat more evenly, but the recipe works either way. The lower rack ensures the bottom crust crisps fully before the top is done.
Reheating: Store leftover slices in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3–4 days. For best texture, reheat slices on a sheet pan in a 400°F oven for 5–8 minutes, until the cheese re-melts and the bottom re-crisps. Avoid the microwave if possible, as it softens the caramelized frico edge
-
Dough & Pan
-
16 ounces pizza dough (store-bought or homemade)
-
2 tablespoons neutral oil, for the pan
-
Cheese & Pepperoni
-
16 ounces (1 block) Galbani Whole Milk Low-Moisture Block Mozzarella, divided: 14 ounces cut into ½-inch cubes, 2 ounces shredded for the cheese collar
-
5 ounces cup-and-char pepperoni, one standard package (about half goes under the cheese, half on top)
-
Sauce
-
½ cup crushed tomatoes
-
1 tablespoon olive oil
-
½ teaspoon salt
-
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
-
½ teaspoon garlic powder
-
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (adjust to taste)
-
Pinch of sugar, optional (to balance acidity, depending on your crushed tomatoes)
-
Finishing
-
2 tablespoons hot honey, or more, to taste
-
Fresh basil leaves, torn, optional
Pull the pizza dough from the fridge and let it sit, covered, at room temperature for 30–60 minutes before you begin. Cold dough resists stretching; room-temperature dough relaxes and presses to the corners far more easily.
Stir together the crushed tomatoes, olive oil, salt, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Taste and add a pinch of sugar if needed to balance the acidity. Set aside at room temperature. The sauce gets striped on after baking.
Generously oil the 10×14 pan with the 2 tablespoons neutral oil, working it up the sides as well as the bottom. Be generous here, because this is what gives you the crispy, caramelized edge. The bottom should look slick, not just coated.
Place the dough in the pan and gently press it toward the corners. If the dough resists, cover loosely and let it rest for 10 minutes, then press again. You may need 2–3 stages of pressing and resting to fully reach the corners.
Once the dough fills the pan, cover loosely and let it proof until puffy and relaxed, about 30–45 minutes. About halfway through, preheat the oven (see next step) and set the covered pan on the stovetop, where the gentle warmth speeds the proof along. It’s ready when the surface looks slightly domed and a gentle finger-poke leaves a dent that springs back slowly. Don’t let it over-proof; if a poke leaves a dent that doesn’t spring back at all, bake it right away.
Preheat the oven to 500°F, with the rack in the lower position. If your oven has a convection setting, use 480°F instead. Convection circulates heat more evenly and helps the cheese collar caramelize.
Sprinkle the 2 ounces of shredded mozzarella around the perimeter of the dough, pressing it gently against the pan edges to create the classic Detroit-style cheese collar (the caramelized frico edge).
Lay about half of the pepperoni directly on the dough.
Scatter the cubed mozzarella evenly across the pizza, edge to edge. Don’t leave bare spots near the perimeter; the cubed cheese should connect with the cheese collar.
Top with the remaining pepperoni.
Bake for 14–18 minutes, until the cheese is fully melted, the pepperoni cups have curled and crisped, and the edges of the cheese collar are deeply caramelized.
Let the pizza rest in the pan for 5 minutes. Run an offset spatula or knife around the edges to release the cheese collar.
Spoon the prepared sauce in three or four parallel stripes across the interior of the pizza, leaving a ½” buffer from the caramelized edge so the sauce doesn’t soften it. Drizzle hot honey over the top and scatter torn fresh basil, if using. Slice and serve directly from the pan, or transfer to a board for cleaner slices.
Sauce is striped on after baking: Detroit-style traditionally finishes the sauce on top, after the bake. It keeps the cheese edge crispy and gives the pizza a fresh, bright tomato note rather than a baked-in one. Hot honey goes on at the same time. If you prefer, the sauce can be added before baking instead.
Pepperoni layered over and under: Half the pepperoni goes directly on the dough, under the cheese; half goes on top. The under-layer renders into the crust for a deep savory base, and the top layer crisps and curls into little cups.
Cheese collar (2 ounces shredded around the edge): A thin ring of shredded mozzarella pressed against the pan edge gives you the caramelized, crispy frico crust that defines Detroit-style. The remaining 14 ounces is cubed for the body of the pizza so it melts in soft pillows rather than a flat sheet.
Oven temp (500°F conventional or 480°F convection): Both produce the same caramelized cheese edge and crisp bottom crust. Convection circulates heat more evenly, but the recipe works either way. The lower rack ensures the bottom crust crisps fully before the top is done.
Reheating: Store leftover slices in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3–4 days. For best texture, reheat slices on a sheet pan in a 400°F oven for 5–8 minutes, until the cheese re-melts and the bottom re-crisps. Avoid the microwave if possible, as it softens the caramelized frico edge