Erin’s Recipe Rundown
Texture: Thick, airy crust with cheesy, caramelized edges and that signature sauce-on-top layering.
Taste: Savory crust with cheesy, tangy, and salty toppings for the perfect flavor combination.
Ease: An easy pizza recipe with impressive results — just plan ahead for the rising time!
Top Tips: A Detroit-style pizza pan makes all the difference! Also use pre-shredded cheese for the frico crust because the anti-caking agents allow for even melting and browning along the edges of the pan.
Recommended GF Flour: This recipe has been specifically developed to work with King Arthur Gluten-Free Pizza Flour. No other gluten-free flour blend will work the same.
Would I make these again? Absolutely! This is the BEST gluten-free pizza I’ve ever made or eaten. It’s going to be in our regular rotation for family pizza night!
xoxo erin
This post is sponsored by King Arthur Baking Company.
Detroit-style pizza is the perfect hearty pizza and this gluten-free version checks all the boxes! I love making this recipe for family pizza nights or sharing it with friends. It’s always a total hit!
Thanks to gluten-free pizza flour, this recipe offers a thick cheesy crust that’s crisp on the outside and pillowy on the inside. It’s then topped with gooey, melty cheese, savory sauce, and crispy pepperoni for one irresistible meal!
Featured Comment
From Sherri: “Loved this recipe! I made it completely dairy free and it came out amazing. I used Daiya cheeses, so yummy!”
Table of Contents
- Erin’s Recipe Rundown
- Ingredients You’ll Need
- How to Make Gluten-Free Detroit-Style Pizza
- Make-Ahead/Storage/Freezing Instructions
- Can this gluten-free Detroit-style pizza be made dairy-free?
- Why do I pre-bake the crust before adding toppings?
- Can I add other toppings to the gluten-free pizza?
- More Recipes Using King Arthur Gluten-Free Flour
- Gluten-Free Detroit-Style Pizza Recipe
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here are a few notes on some of the key ingredients to make this gluten-free Detroit-style pizza. See the recipe card below for exact measurements.
- Gluten-free pizza flour: The key to this crisp, airy crust is using King Arthur Gluten-Free Pizza Flour. This pizza just isn’t the same with any other flour blend.
- Instant yeast: The crust uses the instant yeast to rise and achieve the perfect pillowy texture. Using instant yeast means it can go straight into the dry mixture for easy dough-making. I like the brand Saf instant yeast.
- Olive oil: The olive oil adds rich flavor while also helping the crust to stay soft in the middle and crisp on the outside.
- Pre-shredded cheese: I’m usually big on shredding cheese myself, but using pre-shredded mozzarella and cheddar for the crispy cheese crust works best. The pre-shredded cheese helps create the signature crispy, caramelized frico crust because the anti-caking agents allow for even melting and browning along the edges of the pan.
- Pizza toppings: If you want you can hand-grate low-moisture mozzarella for the interior of the pizza (or more pre-shredded cheese works too!). Layering the sauce on top of the cheese is a signature Detroit-style pizza feature that keeps the crust crispy and the sauce vibrant.
How to Make Gluten-Free Detroit-Style Pizza
Here’s an overview of how to make this recipe. You can jump to the recipe for the full instructions!
- In the bowl of a stand mixer: Use a paddle attachment to combine the gluten-free pizza flour, sugar, instant yeast, and salt.
- With the mixer on low: Slowly add in the water and olive oil. Increase the speed to medium-high and mix for 5 minutes. The dough will be somewhat wet! Use an oiled rubber spatula to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl, then mix again until it’s all well-combined.
- Using a 10×14″ Detroit pizza pan: Generously oil the bottom and sides of the pan, then press the dough into an even layer. Make sure it goes all the way to the edges and corners of the pan! I like this Detroit-style pizza pan.
- Cover and rise: Cover the pan with plastic wrap and then leave it to rise (90-120 minutes). When the dough has about 30 minutes left to rise, place a pizza steel in the oven and preheat the oven to 450°F.
Bake before toppings: Slide the dough (still in the Detroit-style pizza pan) onto a pizza steel and bake it without all the toppings (10 minutes). While it bakes, mix the pre-shredded mozzarella and cheddar together. Once the dough is out of the oven, spread the pre-shredded cheese mix around the perimeter and press it into the sides of the pan.
Top and bake: Sprinkle the hand-grated mozzarella all over the inside of the pizza. Pour lines of pizza sauce over the cheese, then spread pepperoni evenly over the pizza. Place it back in the oven until the edges are caramelized and the interior is golden and bubbly (another 15-18 minutes). Remove the pizza from the oven and let it cool for 5-10 minutes before slicing. Enjoy!
Make-Ahead/Storage/Freezing Instructions
To Make-Ahead: The dough can be made up to 1 day ahead. Place the dough in the pan, cover it with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. The next day, let it rise at room temperature for about 1 hour before baking.
To Store: Store leftover pizza in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
To Freeze: Wrap leftovers in plastic wrap and foil or storing in an airtight container, then freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat in the oven at 375°F until heated through and crispy again (about 10-15 minutes).
You might also like this dairy-free mac & cheese.
Can this gluten-free Detroit-style pizza be made dairy-free?
You can definitely use dairy-free cheese to top the pizza, but I wouldn’t recommend adding dairy-free cheese to the crust. Keep in mind that dairy-free cheese doesn’t melt the same way as dairy cheese which could impact the overall texture.
Why do I pre-bake the crust before adding toppings?
Pre-baking the dough sets the crust and creates a firm base for the toppings so that the dough doesn’t become soggy. This step is key for getting that crisp, airy crust!
Can I add other toppings to the gluten-free pizza?
Absolutely! Classic Detroit-style pizza typically includes pepperoni, but you can use whatever toppings you like. Keep the pepperoni or leave it off. Add different kinds of meat or veggies, even herbs! Just be mindful of adding toppings with too much moisture as they could impact the pizza’s texture.
More Recipes Using King Arthur Gluten-Free Flour
Gluten-Free Detroit-Style Pizza
Ingredients
Pizza Dough
- 1¾ cups (262g) King Arthur Gluten-Free Pizza Flour
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2¼ teaspoon instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1¼ cups (300ml) water
- 2 tablespoons olive oil plus more for the pan
Cheese Crust
- 4 ounces pre-shredded low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella
- 4 ounces pre-shredded cheddar
Toppings
- 6 ounces hand-grated low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella (for the inside of the pizza)
- ¾ cup pizza sauce
- 3 ounces thinly sliced pepperoni
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the gluten-free pizza flour, sugar, instant yeast and salt. Mix to combine.
- With the mixer running on low, slowly add the water and olive oil. Increase the speed to medium-high and mix for 5 minutes. It's normal for the dough to look wet!
- Using an oiled rubber spatula, scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl and mix again until well-combined.
- Generously oil the bottom and sides of a 10×14-inch Detroit pizza pan. Press the dough into an even layer all the way to the edges and corners of the pan.
- Cover the pan with plastic wrap and let rise for 90-120 minutes.
- When the dough has about 30 minutes left to rise, place a pizza steel in the oven. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
- Slide the pizza directly onto the pizza steel and bake (without toppings) for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, mix together the preshredded cheese. Spread this cheese around the perimeter of the dough pressing it into the sides of the pan.
- Sprinkle the hand-grated mozzarella cheese on the inside of the pizza. Pour lines of the tomato sauce over the cheese. Spread the pepperoni evenly over the pizza.
- Bake the pizza for another 15-18 minutes, until the edges are caramelized and the interior is golden and bubbly.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes before slicing.
This was one of the best gluten free pizzas I’ve had. The crust was chewy and squishy but fully cooked. It was truly the highlight of the pizza where toppings are usually the highlight for gluten free pizza. I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out amazing. Thank you!
Oh wow! Thank you for such amazing feedback, Katie! We’re so pleased to hear you loved the crust so much!
Do you have a thick crust pizza recipe that uses a different flour? Unfortunately I can’t get King Arthur Gluten Free Pizza Flour here in Canada and I miss having regular/thick crust pizza. Thanks !
Hi Leanne! We also have this gluten-free pizza crust recipe. It uses King Arthur GF Measure-for-Measure Flour. We hope this helps!