Detroit-Style Spicy Pepperoni Pizza

Ingredients:

Pizza Dough:

2 heaping cups of bread flour

1 1/2 tsp. dry active yeast

1 Tbs. Premium Fleur de Sel

1 cup warm water

1 Tbs. Robust Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Pizza Sauce:

1 Tbs. Calabrian Infused Olive Oil

1 Tbs. Robust Extra Virgin Olive Oil

3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

2 Tbs. Bianco White Balsamic Vinegar

1 28oz. can crushed tomatoes

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. Season Premium Fleur de Sel

2 Tbs. Calabrian Infused Olive Oil

5oz pepperoni, sliced

4oz Monterrey jack cheese, cubed

4oz muenster cheese, cubed

4oz full-fat mozzarella cheese, cubed

1 tsp. Sicilian Blend Seasoning

Optional: Premium Infused Ghost Pepper Sea Salt

Instructions:

Place flour, yeast, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, and stir to combine. Add water and olive oil, and mix on low until the dough is semi-formed and a little shaggy. Increase the mixer’s speed to medium-low and continue to knead the dough until smooth, a little sticky, and shiny (about 10 minutes). Remove the bowl and dough hook from the mixer and form the dough into a ball. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside to rise for 2 hours, or until the dough has doubled in size.

Heat oils (Calabrian and Robust Extra Virgin) in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add garlic and crushed red pepper flakes, and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Deglaze the pan with balsamic and add the crushed tomatoes, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, and salt. Simmer for 30 minutes, frequently stirring, until the pizza sauce reduces by half. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Drizzle the bottom of a Detroit-style pizza pan or rectangular cake pan with 2 tablespoons of Calabrian oil. Once the dough has rested and risen, transfer to the oiled pan, and press the dough towards the edges of the pan (no worries, the dough at this stage will spring back from the edges). Cover the pan with plastic wrap and set aside for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 500°F, placing an oven rack right in the center.

After this second resting phase, press the dough into the edges of the pan (this time, it will go more willingly, if not, set the dough aside for 30 minutes and try again). Top the pizza with half of the pepperoni slices and cheese cubes (no need to leave a crust border with Detroit-style pizza). Spoon pizza sauce in horizontal 3 lines (about 3/4 cup of sauce per line, you will have a little some sauce leftover) across the top of the pizza, leaving a little room between each line of sauce.

Top the pizza with the remaining pepperoni slices and place in the oven. Bake pizza for 15-20 minutes or until the edges are a little black and bubbly and the cheese has melted and started to brown in places. Remove from the oven and set aside to rest for 2 minutes.

Run a thin metal spatula around the edge of the pan to loosen the pizza and carefully transfer it to a cutting board. Cut the pizza into square slices and sprinkle with Sicilian blend seasoning (and, optional, ghost pepper sea salt) before serving.