Detroit-Style Sausage and Olive Pizza

A thick, fluffy Detroit-style pan pizza with crispy cheese edges, savory sausage, and a rich homemade tomato sauce, baked to golden perfection in a 9×13 pan.

This Detroit-style pan pizza features a thick, airy crust with irresistibly crispy edges, thanks to a generous layer of cheddar cheese baked right to the sides of a well-oiled 9×13 pan. Topped with a blend of sharp cheddar and whole milk mozzarella, savory sage sausage, and briny black olives, every bite is rich and satisfying. The homemade tomato sauce—simmered with garlic, oregano, and crushed San Marzano-style tomatoes—adds a vibrant, tangy finish when spooned over the hot, cheesy surface just before serving. Perfectly baked at high heat for golden, bubbly edges, this pizza delivers a bold and comforting flavor in every square slice.

Servings

4-6

Prep Time

~4 hours

Cook Time

15-20 minutes

Total Time

~5 hours

Ingredients

Dough (For a 9×13 Pan)
Yields one thick, fluffy crust with crispy edges.
260g (about 2 1/8 cups) bread flour
195g (about ¾ cup + 2 tbsp) warm water (90–100°F)
1 tsp instant yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp olive oil (plus more for pan)

Homemade Pizza Sauce (Detroit Style)
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
1 can (15 oz) crushed San Marzano-style tomatoes or tomato puree
½ tsp sugar
Salt and black pepper to taste

Toppings
1 lb Jimmy Dean Sage Pork Sausage
5 oz can of black olives
8 oz sharp cheddar, shredded or cubed
8 oz whole milk mozzarella, shredded

Ingredients

Prepare the Dough
In a bowl, combine warm water, sugar, and yeast. Let sit for 5 minutes until foamy. Add flour and salt. Mix until dough comes together. Add olive oil and knead until smooth (about 6–8 minutes). Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise for 2–3 hours at room temp (or overnight in the fridge). Grease a 9×13 pan generously with olive oil. Press dough into pan, edge to edge. Let rest and puff for 30–60 minutes.

Prepare the Sauce
Heat oil in a saucepan over medium. Sauté garlic, oregano, and pepper flakes for 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and sugar. Simmer 20–30 minutes until thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let cool slightly before using.

Prepare the Toppings
Brown sausage in a skillet over medium heat until fully cooked and crumbly. Drain excess grease. Set aside. After dough has risen in the pan, layer cheese all the way to the edges—cheddar first for crispy corners, then mozzarella over the top. Evenly distribute cooked sausage and black olives over the cheese.

Bake & Finish
Preheat oven to 500°F (or highest your oven goes), with a rack on the lowest position. Bake pizza for 13–16 minutes, until edges are browned and bubbly and cheese is golden. Remove from oven. Let cool for 2–3 minutes, then run a spatula around the edges to loosen. Spoon warm sauce in 2–3 stripes or dollops over the top (Detroit-style style). Slice into squares and serve.

In a bowl, combine warm water, sugar, and yeast. Let sit for 5 minutes until foamy.

Add flour and salt. Mix until dough comes together.

Add olive oil and knead until smooth (about 6–8 minutes)

Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise for 2–3 hours at room temp (or overnight in the fridge).

Grease a 9×13 pan generously with olive oil.

Press dough into pan, edge to edge.

Let rest and puff for 30–60 minutes.

Heat oil in a saucepan over medium. Sauté garlic, oregano, and pepper flakes for 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and sugar. Simmer 20–30 minutes until thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let cool slightly before using.

Brown sausage in a skillet over medium heat until fully cooked and crumbly. Drain excess grease. Set aside.

After dough has risen in the pan, layer cheese all the way to the edges—cheddar first for crispy corners, then mozzarella over the top.

Evenly distribute cooked sausage and black olives over the cheese.

Preheat oven to 500°F (or highest your oven goes), with a rack on the lowest position. Bake pizza for 16 minutes, until edges are browned and bubbly and cheese is golden.