Pizza has been a very popular dish when it comes to savor and taste. Typically, it is served on a paper type material, either during a dine-in or a takeout.
Most of the Filipinos have also locally embraced this Italian originated dish because of its unique style and flavors. As technology keeps on innovating, the food industry has also joined the trend.
Certain places in the world have already placed up distinctive variations on classic pizza style. And if done nicely, the place becomes renowned throughout the globe for these alterations, and lots of visitors may look onto it for discovery. One of the styles to be considered is a Detroit style pizza pan.
In this post, we’re going to take a glance at the distinctive style of pans that are used to make Detroit style pizzas. The specific pan we will be looking at here is made in the USA by Lloyd pans.
So, here are the things we should know about the Detroit style pizza pan and what makes it so unique.
Brief History
According to Wes Pikula, a former busboy now a chief brand officer of Buddy’s Pizza, the story on how Detroit Style Pizza came out was after World War II.
He said that the initial Buddy’s Pizza started operating within a bar closely-held by August “Gus” Guerra. Men who fought in World War II came back talking about the forms of pizza they’d had in Italy. Guerra had decided that he would add a Sicilian style pizza to the menu. However, there was a problem.
There was nothing that he could notice that could bake the pizza pie, said Pikula.
Consequently, the area around Buddy’s Pizza was filled with automotive suppliers, and a lot of Guerra’s customers worked there at the tool and die shops. They told him that there was something they used in the shop to collect nuts and bolts or to serve as a drip tray.
So, after that, the material was brought into the restaurant. They had put some dough in it and it baked amazingly.
Then Pikula said that it was better than anything else they had tried.
Furthermore, the pans at Buddy’s Pizza are part of what makes its Detroit style dishes unique. Pikula said that the style that originated at Buddy’s went on to be imitated and adapted at many other restaurants in the region.
But he quoted that to make the true Detroit style, you have to make what’s at Buddy’s pizza because that’s where it started.
Shape and Dimensions
First to contemplate is its form, technically people expect pizza to be round, but Detroit style pizza is traditionally rectangular.
With a thick and chewy crust, this style of pizza pan is often baked in rectangular steel trays that were once designed to be used as automotive drip pans or to hold small industrial parts in some factories.
As to dimensions, the pan is typically ten inches by fourteen inches in size and a couple of two inches deep with slanted sides.The depth of the pan permits you to easily produce deep dish pizzas, whereas the slanted side makes it a bit easier to remove the pizza after it’s done baking.
These factors could make us observe that we not only should consider the ordinary side but also need to think outside the box.
Baking
This pan shouldn’t be pre-seasoned. It’s finished with a permanent, simple coating that will never wear off. Dough recipes vary in viscosity and a few may need oil to keep from sticking.
Experiment with your coated pan. Begin by using little to no release aid. If sticking occurs, apply a skinny coating of oil until the desired results are obtained.
Perpetually wash pan after use so that no build-up occurs on its surface. Keeping the outside layer clean and swish can preserve the easy release benefit of the pan’s coating.
Coconut oil, grapeseed oil, or high-quality canola oil is usually recommended, wiped on with a paper towel. Cooking sprays could also be used. Always remember that this pan and its coating are heat safe to 370°C. Never heat an empty pan over this temperature.
Seasoning Pan
Original steel pans are required to undergo a dry bake that needs ten to eighteen ounces of dough per pan. The typical quantity is a hundred and two hundred pans, so pizzerias need to invest many hours plus the cost of one thousand to three thousand ounces of dough to break the pans in.
The new pans may be used right away with no break-in period and none of the initial sticking related to the original pans. The canola-oil seasoning would sometimes flake off the original pans during the break-in period.
Eventually, they ought to be re-seasoned – a time-consuming, labor-intensive, costly, and smoky process. The new pans do not flake.
They grab dough higher and reduce refraction, so it’s quicker than ever to press dough into the pans. Not like the original pans, dough and cheese do not stick with the new pans so pizzas easily slide out after baking.
The original pans would oxidize after even the slightest bit of water contact. The new pans are far more resistant to water. However, it’s still recommended that they should be kept dry and not submerged in water.
Now, back to this Detroit style pan.
What Is Detroit Style Pizza Pan made of?
The pan is made in USA manufacturing plant from heavy-duty anodized aluminum with DK finish, Detroit style pizza pans made from Lloyd pans will never rust, it never needs seasoning. Dark coated pans tend to produce a little darker crust bake so you may need to adjust the temperature down or shorten the cooking time.
Lloyd Detroit Style Pizza Pan Features
LloydPans Detroit Pans are a wise choice for commercial production. Exceptional Detroit Style results are always easy to produce and maintain.
- The pan does not need any Pre-Seasoning. Its exclusive pre-seasoned tuff-Kote finish adds a release coating, eliminating the need for any pre-seasoning.
- It has Permanent Stick-Resistance so metal utensils are safe and long-lasting.
- This pan will never rust! because it is made up of heavy-duty anodized aluminum with PSTK finish.
- It is durable, the double-thick flat rim adds strength and long-lasting durability to the pan itself.
- A 76° angle allows nesting when empty which leads to saving storage space.
- As to Proofing, lids are always available for stacking while proofing thus making your preparation table more efficient.
- The pan is really easy to clean and maintain.
- And lastly, it has 14 Gauge aluminum, hard coat anodized, finished with LloydPans exclusive PSTK coating.
Cleaning the Pan
To clean Detroit Style Pizza Pan you just need to wash the pan with liquid dish soap and a non-abrasive sponge or cloth. Washing pans will limit carbon build-up and keep your accessories in good shape for several uses.
Do not try to wash it in dishwashers! Use a metal spatula to scrape off any chunks of food while soaking. Washing clean and dry keeping the surface free from buildup and will guarantee a long-lasting stick-resistant finish for years.
For deeper cleaning, use Bar Keepers Friend and wash once more with dish soap.
What Is the Disadvantage of Detroit Style Pizza Pans?
With the pan description above and all the mentioned technicalities, we could say that this pan is ideal among its counterparts, but here are a few things that we must consider.
These kinds of pans are not safe for an automatic dishwasher. These pans should be washed by hands with soap and warm water and should be dried after rinsed.
Washing this pan on an automatic dishwasher may cause minor blemishes and grip marks on the surface. Though actually, these factors mentioned above do not weaken the coating of the pan in any way.
Another thing to consider is cost. This kind of pan will cost you two to three times as much as a typical pizza pan. Because of the pan’s durability and reliable components, this pan approximately costs to 42.40 US dollars. It is so expensive that maybe some people might not be able to afford it.
Final Thoughts
If you wish to bake an authentic Detroit Style Pizza in the comfort of your very own home, I will highly recommend LloydPans. They are very well known for making the best Detroit style pizza pans that closely replicate the original blue steel pans, which are no longer available on the market.
Though there are some disadvantages as mentioned earlier, this does not erase the fact that in the world of pizzerias, Detroit Style Pizza pans are most popular on the global market and is assuring the people that using a unique pan will create a great impact on the pizza industry.