Dairy-Free Almost Detroit-Style Pizza

Read on to see why this is pizza is definitely dairy-free, definitely delicious, but only ALMOST Detroit Style. 

Introduction

Being allergic to dairy for my whole life, I am really not the expert on any style of pizza. Please keep in mind, initially the only dairy-free cheese I had available was not exactly meltable. Fortunately, the world has come a long way. What I have learned about Detroit style pizza is:

-Originally from Buddy's Pizza, now with locations in Southeast Michigan

-The style has been taken up by other local pizza restaurants and chains

-It is distinguished by a few features:

• The foccacia-like dough

• The rectangle pan and slices

• Cheese all the way to the edge, creating a nice crisp 

• The sauce is poured over the cheese in racing stripes

Method

Measures (recipe)

To learn more about the origins of Detroit Style Pizza and a recipe, I watched this clip from America's Test Kitchen:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijHutbC2JnE

Procedures (notes and tips on cooking)

Note: I halved the recipe. 

Spoiler alert: This was a big mistake, I really wish I'd had leftovers. 

1. Yeast: The recipe calls for mixing instant yeast into the flour, and then adding water. I wanted to save my instant yeast so I used active dry yeast instead, and activated it by adding it to warmed water (approximately 85 degrees F) with a pinch of sugar, stirring, and waiting 5-10 minutes to ensure that it bubbled. 

2. As a validity check or *proof* that gluten development is real, check out these before and after kneading photos: 

3. It may look runny in the picture above, but a quick toss in a few pinches of flour yielded a soft, tacky but not sticky dough:

4. Pre and post-nap (i.e. rest, or proofing) 

5. After it's rested a bit, you dip your finger tips into some oil, and press the dough out gently into the pan.

6. Then you let it rest some more. Perhaps the dough is practicing its activity pacing (for all you awesome pain psychologists out there)? 

7. Toppings time! Add cheese first, all the way to the edges, then dot your sauce in stripes. Then add anything else you want. As you'll see below, we went with banana peppers. 

8. The sauce recipe is surprisingly easy for an ATK recipe- just mix the ingredients and that's literally it. The recipe calls for canned tomatoes, but I only had plain canned tomato sauce available. I added the remaining sauce ingredients, and it was delicious. 

Dairy-free substitutions:

I went with my trusty Daiya mozzarella style shreds. 

Results

Ready, set...

...bake! 

Discussion: 

A few reasons why this is only ALMOST Detroit Style Pizza:

-This was cooked somewhat near, but not quite in, Detroit

-I did not have a rectangular metal pan. Because of the high heat required, I used my metal circular pans that I typically use for baking cakes. Therefore, we had traditional triangular slices. Still delicious. And triangles are great shapes! Just ask any engineer or admirer of geodesic domes. 

Overall, in my inexperienced opinion, this was absolutely delicious. The dough is soft but chewy, and the edges delightfully crispy. With cheese and toppings all the way to the edge, there's no let down of a crust- every bite is just as good as that first bite. 

Even our dairy-eating taster went back for seconds, thirds, maybe fourths…

What are you waiting for?