Testing Detroit-Style Pizza with Whole Foods Pizza Dough

We spent much of the last year experimenting with a variety of flours in homemade dough but after a while, it’s nice to just have something simple. I’ve been loving Motor City pizzas lately and was looking for a quicker, simpler route to the finish line. While I was a little skeptical it would be so easy, I was greatly impressed when I tried making Detroit-Style Pizza with Whole Foods Pizza Dough!

Why Make an “Easy” Detroit Pizza?

I don’t think there’s a more indulgent pizza than the one that hails from the Motor City. And while there are a few sources out there for how to make Motor City’s prized pizza crust, I definitely think that The Pizza Bible‘s Master Dough Recipe by Tony Gemignani is outstanding.

It’s also quite a lot of time and work to make and relies uses a unique flour that Tony Gemignani has made with Central Milling (which is wonderful).

If you want to know more about the history of Detroit pizza, you can refer to our article written here – but this article is about how to make it easier! Suffice it to say that we’re doing our best to channel Buddy’s 1946 creation but in a simpler way!

Why Did I Choose Whole Foods Pizza Dough?

Really, I picked it because of the size in a package.

The dough comes in a 22-ounce portion, which is conveniently the perfect amount for making a Detroit-style pizza in a 13″ x 9″ cake pan (which is the way I usually do it). The portion could also make two generously sized Neapolitan pizzas, that’s a story for another article!

At $4.99, it’s a bit pricier than other store-bought doughs, but it also brings something extra to the table: malted barley flour, malt powder, and olive oil.

What Are the Added Ingredients For?

Malted Barley Flour and Malt Powder

Malted barley flour and malt powder are derived from barley grains that have been allowed to germinate and are then dried and ground.

These ingredients contribute to the dough in several ways:

• Flavor Enhancement: They add a subtle sweetness and depth of flavor to the dough, resulting in a more complex and enjoyable taste.
• Fermentation Aid: The natural enzymes present in malted barley flour and malt powder break down starches into sugars, providing additional food for yeast during fermentation. This process can lead to better leavening and a more open crumb structure.
• Crust Browning: The sugars produced during fermentation promote Maillard reactions during baking, leading to a desirable golden-brown crust.

Olive Oil

Incorporating olive oil into pizza dough affects it in the following ways:

• Flavor Addition: Olive oil imparts a subtle, pleasant flavor that complements various toppings and enhances the overall taste of the pizza.
• Texture Improvement: Olive oil tenderizes the dough by coating the flour proteins, which limits gluten formation. This results in a softer, more pliable dough that’s easier to stretch and shape.
• Crispiness: During baking, olive oil contributes to a crisper crust by frying the outer layer of the dough as it heats.

The Other Additives: Niacin, Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, and Folic Acid

These additives are forms of essential vitamins and minerals commonly added to enriched flours to improve their nutritional profile:

• Niacin (Vitamin B3): Supports metabolism and helps convert food into energy.
• Iron: Essential for oxygen transport in the blood and overall energy production.
• Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1): Plays a crucial role in energy metabolism and nerve function.
• Riboflavin (Vitamin B2): Important for energy production and cellular function.
• Folic Acid (Vitamin B9): Vital for DNA synthesis and repair, and crucial during periods of rapid growth.

These nutrients do not significantly affect the dough’s baking properties but enhance its nutritional value, making the final product more beneficial from a dietary standpoint.

Whole Foods Pizza Dough Fermentation

Since Whole Foods recommends using the dough within five days of production, timing is important. Dough that’s left too long can overproof, leading to a weaker structure and potential collapse during baking. For my experiment, on the fourth day after it was made, I proofed the dough for 24 hours at room temperature, which gave it plenty of time to develop flavor.

But…

The result? The dough did over-ferment after 24 hours. While it still came out great, as you’ll see, I think 20-22 hours would have been better.

Still, once baked, the crust was wonderfully reminiscent of focaccia, with a soft, airy interior and a crisp bottom.

To enhance the flavor further, I added a light sprinkle of salt to the bottom of the pan before pressing in the dough and tossed a little Italian and Greek seasoning on top, just under the cheese. And while that’s adding even more sodium to an already sodium-rich recipe, the aromatic blend paired beautifully with the slight sweetness from the malt, making each bite a perfect balance of savory and flavorful.

Ingredients: What Else Do I Need?

Detroit Pizza Sauce Recipe

Because it uses both tomato paste and tomato sauce, Detroit pizza sauce is quite thick and tangy often with plenty of oregano. We enjoy making extra sauce to dip the pizza in since many bites of pizza actually won’t have any sauce.

How to Make Detroit Style Pizza Sauce

• Open the can of crushed tomatoes. Use a spoon to check if they are crushed very fine and smooth: if so, then you don’t need to blend them. If they are chunky or you are using whole peeled tomatoes, you’ll want to blend the sauce.
• Mix the ingredients in a sauce pan:
  • 14 oz. crushed tomatoes
  • 4 oz. (1/2 cup) tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1 generous (3-finger) pinch of dried oregano
  • 1 regular pinch of fine sea salt (to taste)
• Just before putting the pizza in the oven the second time, begin to simmer the sauce at low heat.

How to Make Easy Detroit Pizza Using Whole Foods Pizza Dough

While it still takes more work than frozen pizza and still takes nearly 24 hours to make, this is still one easy Detroit pizza to make.

Here’s exactly how I transformed Whole Foods pizza dough into a crispy, golden, cheese-topped masterpiece:

Step 1: Prep the Pan and Dough

Start by preparing your baking pan. I smeared a thin layer of butter across the entire surface, then drizzled in some olive oil and used my finger to evenly coat the bottom and sides of the pan. This butter-oil combo not only prevents sticking but also helps develop that signature crispy, golden crust. I like using salted butter for the extra flavor on the tongue. You can also sprinkle in a little Italian seasoning into the bottom for a little extra flavor in the bottom of the crust.

Next, I removed the dough from its packaging and formed it into a smooth ball by tucking the edges underneath. This helps to give it an even rise during proofing. After lightly stretching it into an oval shape, I placed the dough into the center of the pan, seam side up. I flipped it over a couple of times to ensure both sides were well-coated in oil, then centered it in the pan.

Step 2: Proof the Dough

Cover the pan with a lid or plastic wrap and leave it at room temperature (about 70°F) to proof for 24 hours. If your kitchen runs warmer, you might want to shorten this to 22 hours to prevent overproofing. When I checked my dough after 24 hours, it had risen beautifully but was right on the edge of overproofing. Next time, I’ll likely stop around the 22-hour mark.

Step 3: Pre-Bake the Dough

Once proofed, it’s time to bake. Preheat your oven to 450°F. Place the pan in the oven and bake the dough without any toppings for 7 minutes. This step helps the dough set up and ensures the bottom gets a head start on crisping.

Step 4: Add the Cheese

After the initial bake, remove the pan from the oven and layer on the cheese in classic Detroit style. This means sharp white cheddar around the edges of the pan, which creates that delicious caramelized crust around the sides.

The center of the pizza gets Wisconsin Brick cheese. Sadly, Wisconsin Brick is not easy to find in our area, so Munster is probably your best alternative. Mozzarella is also going to work fine.

Step 5: Finish Baking

Return the pan to the oven and bake for another 7 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbling and the edges are golden and crispy.

Step 6: Add the Sauce Racing Stripes

After the second round of baking, remove it from the oven and add the classic Detroit-style tomato sauce racing stripes. Spoon the sauce over the pizza in two or three parallel lines running from one end to the other. This not only looks cool but also gives each slice a perfect balance of cheesy crust and tangy sauce.

Return to the oven.

Step 6: The Final Bake

• Again, rotate the pizza pan and return the pizza to the oven (on the pizza stone again, if you have one).
• Cook for 5 more minutes and then turn off the oven. Check the top of the pizza. If it’s still yellow or lightly brown, you can leave the pizza in the oven for another 2-3 minutes with the temperature off.

• With the cheese nicely browned, remove the pizza pan from the oven.
• While the cheese is still bubbling and hot, use a plastic spatula to separate the pizza from the pan. Once the spatula can go around the entire pizza, use the spatula to lift and slide it out of the pan onto a large cutting board. As the cheese cools, it will harden and make the pizza much harder to remove – so do this step quickly.

• Allow the pizza to rest for about 3-5 minutes so that the cheese can harden before cutting. While waiting, put the extra sauce into ramekins or bowls for dipping.
• Cut the pizza into slices or squares.
• Add additional Basil, Oregano, and grated Pecorino cheese to taste.

Sodium in Whole Foods Pizza Dough

There’s no getting around it. This pizza is high-octane and fully leaded. Whole Foods pizza dough is pretty heavy on the sodium: 440g per 2 ounce serving! Then add cheese and the salt in the sauce adds even more! That’s one reason we skipped the pepperoni often used on Detroit-style.

Sharing this pizza with 4 people is 554 calories per person, which is why this pizza is actually a great choice to use as an appetizer. We like to cut it into 14 or 16 small pieces and serve it as finger food at a party. Especially with some extra sauce for dipping!

Final Words on making Detroit-Style Pizza with Whole Foods Pizza Dough

While I very much enjoy the decadence of a homemade, 48 hour fermented Detroit pizza dough, there’s nothing at all disappointing about making a Detroit with Whole Foods pizza dough. With the amazing flavors of the melted cheese and lovely sauce, frankly the subtle complexity of a homemade dough will be lost to most.

And $4.99 for a pre-made dough that saves a lot of time is a pretty good pay off.

Try for yourself!

February 17, 2025