Detroit Style Pizza Cold-Ferment Biga Bake Test

Name: Detroit Style Pizza Cold-Ferment Biga Bake Test
Prep time: 28 h
Yield: 2 × 530g dough balls
Ingredients: 597g Bread flour; 430g water; 15g salt; 6g sugar; 12g oil; Biga (30% of flour)

Baked May 11, 2026 By Kevin at PizzaLogic

Detroit Style Recipe Summary 2 × 530g dough balls

Dough

Hydration 72%

Salt 2.5%

Sugar 1%

Oil/Fat 2%

Flour Bread

Yeast Type IDY

Preferment

Type

Biga

% Flour

30%

Time

24h

Fermentation

Room Temp

70°F

Cold Ferment

24h

39°F

Warm Up

70°F

Total

32h

Bake

Bake setup Home oven, Detroit pan

Mixer Stand

Another bake test: 30% biga at 39°F for 24 hours, Detroit style. The goal was to validate a yeast calibration adjustment for cold-fermented biga based on user feedback that the current calculator over-pitches at fridge temperatures.

The verdict: it worked. Airy crumb, crispy crust, thick chew, good flavor. The biga itself barely grew during the 24-hour cold ferment, but the full schedule carried the leavening through cleanly.

Two pizzas off the bake:

Mini pepperoni, bacon, tomato sauce
Shrimp, diced artichoke hearts, basil pesto, lemon zest

Both combos were delicious. The shrimp / pesto / lemon zest version was the standout for me.

Try this dough yourself with the Detroit style preset and the biga preferment option. Watch for the calibrated yeast recommendation for longer cold-fermented biga in the next PizzaLogic update.

Two pan-proofed dough squares in Detroit-style pans, smooth and dimpled, resting on a granite counter before baking — Pan-proofed dough after the 4-hour warmup. The cold biga didn't add visible volume, but the structure was there.

Two par-baked Detroit-style dough squares in pans on the stove, lightly golden with browned blister spots on top — Par-baked dough before the toppings went on.

Two Detroit-style pizzas in their pans on the stovetop, pepperoni and bacon at top and shrimp with pesto at bottom, both fresh from the oven — Both pizzas straight out of the oven, before slicing.

Detroit-style pepperoni and bacon pizza in a dark pan, sliced into squares, with red tomato sauce striped on top and parmesan dusting — Pepperoni and bacon with red sauce on top. Classic Detroit racing stripes.

Shrimp, basil pesto, and artichoke heart Detroit pizza in a dark pan, sliced into squares, with pesto dollops and shrimp visible on top — Shrimp, artichoke hearts, basil pesto, and lemon zest. The standout combo of the bake.

Pepperoni and bacon Detroit pizza slice held in hand, showing the deeply caramelized cheese crust along the bottom and the open crumb above — That caramelized cheese edge - the whole reason Detroit-style exists.

Shrimp and pesto Detroit pizza slice held in hand, showing the open airy crumb structure inside the slice with large irregular holes and well-developed gluten — Crumb shot from the shrimp / pesto slice. Airy and well-structured - exactly what the calibration test was checking for.