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

By Gill Meller

UK Detroit-style Pizza: Cheesy Beans on Toast

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). If you want something less involved, you can use a classic Detroit-style dough base or our Detroit-style pizza dough mix instead. 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).


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.

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).

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