Detroit-Style Gluten-Free Sausage and Onion Pizza

Name: Detroit-Style Gluten-Free Sausage and Onion Pizza
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 1 (9×13 in) pan pizza, about 4 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: Gluten-free pizza dough (store-bought or homemade), about 500 g (about 1 lb); Olive oil, 30 g (2 tbsp), for the pan; Pork sausage, 225 g (8 oz), casings removed if links; Yellow onion, 150 g (about 1 medium), thinly sliced; Mozzarella, 250 g (about 2 1/2 cups), shredded (or vegan mozzarella if you prefer); Aged cheddar or brick-style cheese, 150 g (about 1 1/2 cups), shredded (or more vegan mozzarella); Crushed tomatoes or pizza sauce, 200 g (about 3/4 cup); Dried oregano, 1 g (about 1/2 tsp); Red pepper flakes, 0.5 g (about 1/4 tsp), optional; Kosher salt, to taste; Black pepper, to taste

Davis Whitehead

A classic Detroit-style pan pizza adapted for a gluten-free crust: thick, airy crumb with a deeply browned, crunchy cheese edge. Crumbled sausage and sweet onions bake into the caramelized top, while stripes of sauce go on after baking so the crust stays crisp. Great for feeding two people and feels like takeout—only hotter and fresher.

gluten-free
pizza night
detroit-style
dinner

40 min total · 20 min prep · 20 min cook

Makes 1 (9×13 in) pan pizza, about 4 servings

560 kcal · 29g protein · 44g carbs · 30g fat total

23×33 cm (9×13 in) metal pan · Skillet · Spatula

Ingredients

Instructions

Prep

Heat the oven to 260°C (500°F). Put a rack in the lower third. If you have a baking steel/stone, preheat it too.

Oil a 23×33 cm (9×13 in) metal pan with 30 g (2 tbsp) olive oil. The bottom should look generously slick, not just shiny.

Cook toppings

Set a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage (225 g / 8 oz) and cook, breaking it up, until well browned with crisp edges, 6–8 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

In the same pan, add the onions (150 g) with a pinch of salt. Cook over medium heat until soft and sweet with light browning, 8–10 minutes. You’re looking for jammy and reduced, not wet.

Build

Press/stretch the gluten-free dough (about 500 g) into the oiled pan. If it resists, let it rest 10 minutes, then press again. Aim for even thickness into the corners.

Scatter the cheeses all the way to the edges: mozzarella (250 g) plus cheddar/brick (150 g). Getting cheese against the pan is what gives you that lacy, crunchy frico edge.

Top with the browned sausage and caramelized onions.

Bake and finish

Bake 12–18 minutes, rotating once, until the edges are deeply browned and the top is bubbling. The center should look set (no raw-looking dough) and the edges should audibly sizzle when you pull it out.

While it bakes, warm the crushed tomatoes/pizza sauce (200 g) with oregano (1 g) and optional red pepper flakes (0.5 g). Taste and season with salt and black pepper.

Rest the pizza in the pan 2 minutes, then run a thin spatula around the edges to loosen the frico. Lift the pizza out onto a board.

Spoon the warm sauce in 2–3 stripes down the pizza. Slice and serve hot.

Notes

Cheese note: traditional Detroit uses brick cheese; aged cheddar is the easiest stand-in and browns beautifully. Gluten-free doughs vary a lot—if yours is very wet, lightly oil your hands to press it in. If you want extra-crisp edges, let it go a shade darker than you think; the smell should be toasty, not sharp or burnt.