Pizza Hut's Pan Pizza: Detroit-Style?

Pizza Hut's Detroit-style pizza is a unique take on the traditional Detroit-style pizza. It is a rectangular deep-dish pizza with a crispy, cheesy crust and loaded with toppings. The key difference between Pizza Hut's Detroit-style pizza and its Pan Pizza is the shape and crust. Detroit-style pizza is characterised by its rectangular shape and thick, crispy, chewy crust, while Pan Pizza has a circular shape and a thinner crust. Pizza Hut's Detroit-style pizza is also topped with a premium diced tomato sauce, added after baking to maintain the airy texture of the crust.

Pizza Hut's Detroit-Style Pizza

Pizza Hut's Detroit-style offering is available in four recipes, each staying true to the traditional Detroit style with a rectangular shape, cheese going all the way to the edges, and a pan-crisped crust. The four recipes are as follows:

• Detroit Double Pepperoni: Classic pepperoni and 48 slices of Crispy Cupped Pepperoni, providing a crunchy texture and zesty flavour.
• Detroit Meaty Deluxe: Crispy Cupped Pepperoni, Italian sausage, and bacon.
• Detroit Supremo: Italian sausage, green peppers, and red onions.
• Double Cheesy: Two kinds of cheese, including aged Parmesan.

Pizza Hut spent over a year developing and perfecting its Detroit-Style Pizza, trying out more than 500 iterations. The Detroit-style pizza was born in Detroit in the 1940s and has since spread across the United States. It is characterised by its rectangular shape, thick and crispy crust, and cheese that goes to the edge of the pan, creating a caramelised crust.

Detroit-Style Pizza Characteristics

Detroit-style pizza is a unique variety of pizza that has gained popularity across the United States. Here are the key characteristics that define this style:

Rectangular Shape

The most distinctive feature of Detroit-style pizza is its rectangular shape. This shape is a departure from the typical round pizzas, making it especially appealing to those who favour the "corner" pieces. The rectangular shape also allows for a more even distribution of toppings and cheese, ensuring each slice is loaded with flavour.

Thick, Crispy, and Chewy Crust

Detroit-style pizzas are known for their thick and spongy crust with a crispy exterior. The dough is twice-stretched and double-proofed, a technique perfected in 1940s Detroit, resulting in a focaccia-like texture. This double-stretching process gives the crust its signature chewy consistency, creating a delightful contrast between the crispy edges and the soft, airy interior.

Cheese to the Edges

Another defining trait of Detroit-style pizza is the generous amount of cheese that covers the entire surface, reaching all the way to the edges of the pan. This creates a crispy, caramelized cheese edge, enhancing the overall taste and texture of the pizza. The cheese used is typically Wisconsin brick cheese, a mild and buttery variety, or mozzarella, which melts and caramelizes beautifully.

Sauce on Top

In a departure from traditional pizza assembly, Detroit-style pizzas feature the sauce on top of the cheese and toppings. This unique layering technique ensures that the crust remains light and airy, as the sauce is added after the pizza is baked. The sauce is typically a sweet and tangy tomato-based sauce, seasoned with garlic and spices, creating a burst of flavour in every bite.

Toppings

While various toppings can be used, pepperoni is the classic choice for Detroit-style pizza. The pepperoni may be placed under the cheese, resulting in a flavourful infusion, or on top, creating crispy, charred edges. Other popular toppings include Italian sausage, bacon, green peppers, and red onions, offering a well-balanced combination of meat and vegetables.

Pan

The choice of pan is crucial to achieving the distinctive characteristics of Detroit-style pizza. Traditionally, these pizzas are baked in rectangular steel trays, similar to cast-iron skillets. These pans, originally used as automotive drip pans or for holding small industrial parts, impart a unique texture and flavour to the crust, contributing to the signature crispiness and chewiness.

History of Detroit-Style Pizza

Detroit-style pizza was invented in 1946 by Italian immigrant Gus Guerra and his family at Buddy's Rendezvous, a former speakeasy located on the corner of Six Mile Road and Conant Street in Detroit. The pizza is square and known for its focaccia-like crust, Wisconsin brick cheese, and stripes of bright red tomato sauce on top. The dough consists of salt, water, and yeast and is pressed into a rectangular pan to proof for a couple of hours. The toppings are then placed directly into the dough, with pepperoni placed directly on the dough, followed by cheese and then sauce.

The Guerras were inspired by Sicilian-style pizza, which is also thick and rectangular. Anna Guerra's mother was Sicilian, and she borrowed a dough recipe from her mother. The Sicilian dough, topped with cheese and tomato sauce, would become the model for pizza in Detroit.

The key ingredient in Detroit-style pizza is the pan. The pizzas are baked in rectangular steel trays designed for use as automotive drip pans or to hold small industrial parts in factories. The pans create a soft and airy square crust with a crunchy exterior and caramelized cheese edges. Legend has it that Gus Guerra got his initial batch of pans from a friend who worked in a factory that used the pans for spare parts.

In 1953, the Guerras sold Buddy's Rendezvous and opened Cloverleaf Bar in Eastpointe, Michigan. The Detroit-style pizza they created gained popularity, and soon other pizzerias began serving the style, including local chains like Shield's and Loui's. However, the style didn't make much of a mark outside of the Detroit area for decades.

In 2012, Detroit-style pizza gained national attention when Shawn Randazzo won the International Pizza Expo world championship with his Detroit-style pizza. Randazzo went on to found DetroitStylePizza.com, offering consulting services and authenticating restaurants serving Detroit-style pizza. He also helped spread awareness of the specialty, training people worldwide and supplying them with the necessary blue steel pans.

Today, Detroit-style pizza has become a national trend, with dedicated restaurants in cities like Portland, Denver, Austin, and even Dubai. It has also been adopted by national pizza chains, with Pizza Hut launching its version of "Detroit-style" pizza in 2021.

Detroit-Style Pizza Availability

Pizza Hut's Detroit-style pizza is available at participating locations across the United States, but notably, there are no longer any Pizza Hut restaurants in Detroit. The company launched its Detroit-style pizza nationwide in January 2021, and it proved to be a success, with demand in the metro Detroit area two to three times higher than the national average.

Pizza Hut's Detroit-style pizza is a rectangular deep-dish pizza with a crispy, cheesy crust and toppings and cheese that go all the way to the edge. The premium diced tomato sauce is added on top after baking to keep the crust light and airy. Customers can choose from four recipes: Detroit Double Pepperoni, Detroit Meaty Deluxe, Detroit Supremo, and Double Cheesy.

The Detroit-style pizza was born in Detroit in 1946 at Buddy's Rendezvous, a former speakeasy owned by Gus and Anna Guerra. It is traditionally made in rectangular steel trays, which were originally used as automotive drip pans or to hold small industrial parts in factories. The style spread to other parts of the United States in the 2010s, and in 2019, Esquire called it "one of the hottest food trends across America".

While Pizza Hut's Detroit-style pizza is not available in the city of its origin, Detroit, it can be found at participating locations across the rest of the United States.

Detroit-Style Pizza vs. Pan Pizza

Detroit-style pizza and pan pizza are two distinct styles of pizza, each with its own unique characteristics and appeal. While they share some similarities, such as their use of a pan for baking, there are also several key differences that set them apart.

History and Origin

Detroit-style pizza has its roots in the Motor City, with records indicating that it was first created in Detroit, Michigan, as early as 1946. It is said that bar owner Gus Guerra and his wife, Anna, crafted this style of pizza using Sicilian dough baked in a blue steel pan originally intended for carrying auto parts. Their restaurant, Buddy's, continues to serve this style of pizza to this day.

On the other hand, pan pizza does not have a single defined origin. Pizza Hut, a well-known pizza chain, is credited with innovating and launching America's favourite pan pizzas, such as their Original Pan® pizza.

Shape and Crust

One of the most distinctive features of Detroit-style pizza is its rectangular shape. It is often baked in a deep-dish pan, resulting in a thick and crispy crust. The crust is typically loaded with cheese and toppings that extend all the way to the edge, creating a caramelized cheese crust.

In contrast, pan pizzas can vary in shape and are not limited to rectangles. They may be round or square, depending on the pan used. While pan pizzas also have a crust, it may not be as thick or loaded with cheese as the Detroit-style pizza.

Toppings and Sauce

Detroit-style pizzas are known for their unique assembly, with the sauce being added after the pizza is baked. This ensures that the crust remains light and airy. The sauce used is typically a premium diced or crushed tomato sauce, seasoned with garlic and spices. Additionally, Detroit-style pizzas often feature pepperoni, either on top or buried underneath the cheese, allowing its flavour to penetrate every bite.

Pan pizzas, on the other hand, follow the traditional "sauce, cheese, toppings" order. While pan pizzas can also be loaded with toppings, the sauce is added before baking, and the crust may not be as light and airy as the Detroit-style pizza.

Availability

Detroit-style pizza is considered a specialty and may not be as widely available as pan pizza. It is often found in specific regions, such as Detroit, Michigan, or in restaurants dedicated to this style.

Pan pizzas, particularly those from popular chains like Pizza Hut, are more widely available and can be found in various locations across the country.

In summary, Detroit-style pizza and pan pizza offer different experiences for pizza enthusiasts. While Detroit-style pizza boasts a thick, crispy crust, rectangular shape, and unique assembly, pan pizzas provide a more traditional pizza experience with a focus on the sauce, cheese, and toppings. Both styles have their loyal followers, and it's worth trying both to discover your personal preference.

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