UK Detroit-style Pizza: Cheesy Beans on Toast

Detroit-style pizza (DSP) has been on the scene since its inception back in the 1940s with its distinctive shape, thick, fluffy base and crispy, golden cheese “frico” crust (for more about this style and other pan pizzas, read more here). At Ooni, we’re such huge fans that we created our own Detroit-style Pizza Pan, blending traditional design with modern technology to make these authentic and delicious pies at home. We also enlisted chefs, authors and pizzaioli from around the globe to put their own distinct spin on this classic. What would a DSP look like if it had originated in Scandinavia, France, Italy, the UK or beyond? We aimed to find out. Each offering is a creative, tasty rendition of this American pizza powerhouse. 

While UK-based Gill Meller (@gill.meller) didn’t grow up eating Detroit-style pizza at home, he’s no stranger to deep-dish pizza. Before he was an award-winning chef, food writer and author of “Outside: Cooking Outdoors - Recipes for the Wild,” he was making pizza in his kitchen using a rectangular tray. With their deep, thick crusts and crispy, cheesy edges, he was actually cooking up pies that didn’t stray too far from the classic American style. 

So when asked to create a distinctly UK version of a Detroit-style pizza, Gill leaned into the nostalgia and comfort of the decidedly British meal: beans on toast. 

Warm, hearty and beloved by countless Brits, Gill goes the extra mile here with some flavour flourishes. And sure, he could have simply popped open a can of Heinz baked beans and scattered them over his dough, but instead, he’s provided a homemade recipe using jarred white beans seasoned with smoked paprika, garlic, crushed coriander seeds, mustard and molasses. It’s rich and saucy, quick to make and can be prepared days in advance. Add to that some mature cheddar, cubed mozzarella and finely grated Parmesan and you’ve got yourself a filling and unpretentious pizza.

As a cheeky visual and nod to the original pizza’s Motor City roots, Gill arranges his beans in racing stripe patterns over the top of the dough (as opposed to tomato sauce). Beans on pizza may not have been the first thing you think of as a topper, but having tasted it ourselves, we’re confident that once you try it, you’ll be asking for seconds! 

Want to try more twists on the classic Detroit-style pizzas? Check out our classic Detroit recipes, or click below for other DSP-inspired recipes from around the world! 

Difficulty

Servings

One 10 by 13-inch (24 by 32-centimetre) pizza

Prep Time

30 minutes

(not including dough prep and proof time)
Cook Time

1 hour, 30 to 1 hour, 53 minutes (including making the beans)

By Gill Meller

UK Detroit-style Pizza with beans and cheese in an Ooni Detroit-style Pizza Pan coming out of an Ooni Karu 16.

Note

This recipe takes time. For the best-tasting pizza dough, be sure to set aside around 12 hours for the cold proof before you begin cooking, and use strong bread flour (Gill recommends at least a 13% protein content). To crack your coriander, rest the flat side of a knife onto the seeds to flatten/crack them, or use a pestle and mortar to lightly crush them. For the beans, Gill suggests cannellini, but you can also use haricot or butter beans. While an electric mixer isn’t required here, we recommend using it for this high-hydration dough to save yourself some time (about 15 minutes) and elbow grease! If using Ooni’s Detroit-style Pizza Pan, do not exceed  370 °C (700 °F).

For the dough

1. Place the flour in a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer).

In a separate bowl, add the water, followed by the yeast, salt and olive oil. Mix and pour over the flour. Fit the mixer with the dough hook and mix on low to medium speed for 5 minutes or until all the ingredients are fully combined and you have a smooth, silky dough with good elasticity.

Tip: If you don't have a stand mixer, mix the ingredients with a wooden spoon or your hands, then knead by hand until a smooth dough forms, about 15 minutes. 



2. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and leave the dough to proof at room temperature for 2 hours.

Next, place the dough into the fridge for a cold proof of around 12 hours. 

Tip: Once your dough is in the fridge, prepare your beans to make cooking and assembly the next day even easier!



For the beans

1. Set a large heavy-based casserole dish or pot over medium–low heat.

Add the olive oil, followed by the diced onion. Season
with a bit of salt and pepper to taste.


2. Cook, stirring regularly, for
10 to 12 minutes or until the onions have softened.

Add the garlic, smoked paprika, coriander, rosemary and bay leaves. Cook for a further 2 to 3 minutes, then add the canned tomatoes, water, mustard, sugar, molasses and vinegar. Stir well, then bring to a simmer and cook uncovered over low heat for about 45 minutes.

3. Add the beans to the tomato mixture and cook for an additional 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove from the heat and allow the beans to stand for 10 minutes before tasting; adjust the seasoning if necessary. Allow the beans to cool, then cover and refrigerate until needed.

For the assembly

1. Generously drizzle the bottom and sides of your baking pan with olive oil.

This will help the pizza develop a nice crust and ensure your base is crunchy. 

2. Remove the dough from the fridge and transfer it to the oiled pan; using the pads of your fingers, gently press the surface of the dough, shaping and pushing the dough into the corners.

Cover the dough and leave it to rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes.

3. Once the dough has relaxed and become more pliable, dimple it with your fingers again, easing it out towards the corners of the pan.

4. Trickle the top of the dough with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, then use your fingers to massage the oil gently onto the surface of the dough and around the edges of the pan.

Scatter half of the cheddar and all of the Parmesan over the dough, making sure you pay particular attention to the edges – this will create the “frico” or cheesy, crusty crown.

5. Fire up your oven and allow it to preheat for 15 to 20 minutes.

Aim for 350 °C on your pizza stone. You can check this quickly, accurately and from a safe distance with an infrared thermometer. 

6. Once the oven is up to temperature, give your beans a good stir.

Using a spoon, arrange 4 or 5 shallow lines of beans across the surface of the dough like racing stripes. Sprinkle the cubes of mozzarella between the bean stripes. Finish with the remaining grated cheddar and a generous twist of freshly ground black pepper.

UK Detroit-style Pizza with beans and cheese in an Ooni Detroit-style Pizza Pan on a table next to cubed mozzarella and a plate of grated Parmesan.

7. Lower the flame of your oven to a minimum.

Place the pan at the front of your oven so it’s not too close to the fire. Using oven gloves, rotate the pan every 2 to 3 minutes so the bottom bakes evenly as it draws heat from the stone. Bake for roughly 18 minutes – the cheese should be bubbling and the edges of the pizza crisp and caramelised. 

Tip: If your toppings are looking a bit toasty before your base is cooked to your liking, you can pop the lid over the tray and take the heat off the top for a while.



8. Take the pizza out of the oven and use a spatula to ease it out of the pan and onto a plate.

Cut, serve and enjoy!

Read more about Detroit-style pizza here!

Gill Meller

Gill Meller is a UK-based chef, award-winning food writer, food stylist and cookery teacher. Gill works closely with chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and River Cottage, and appears regularly on the celebrated Channel 4 series. A contributor to the Observer, Guardian, Waitrose Food, Telegraph and Country Living to name a few, Gill’s recipe column can be found in the award-winning delicious. magazine  every month. Gill's first book, Gather (2016), won the Fortnum & Mason Award for Best Debut Food Book, and both Time (2018) and Root, Stem, Leaf, Flower (2020) were nominated for the Guild of Food Writers’ Cookbook of the Year. He is also the author of the River Cottage Handbook on Outdoor Cooking and, more recently, Outside: Cooking Outdoors - Recipes for the Wild (2022).

For the dough:

  • 350 grams strong bread flour
  • 3 grams instant dried yeast or 4 grams active dried yeast or 9 grams fresh yeast
  • 12 grams fine sea salt
  • 18 grams extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for coating the metal pan
  • 260 grams warm water

For the beans:

  • 12.5 grams extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium onion (about 90 grams), finely diced
  • Fine sea salt, to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • 3 grams smoked paprika
  • 3 grams coriander seeds, cracked
  • 2 sprigs of rosemary (about 4 grams), leaves removed and finely chopped
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 850 grams canned tomatoes, crushed
  • 170 grams water, plus more if needed
  • 10 grams Dijon mustard
  • 13 grams brown sugar
  • 21 grams dark treacle or molasses
  • 30 grams cider vinegar
  • 1 jar white cannellini beans (about 700 grams), drained and cooked

For the assembly:

  • Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
  • 120 grams mature cheddar, grated
  • 50 grams Parmesan, finely grated
  • 100 grams mozzarella, cubed 
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

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