Kamil Perry
Detroit-style pizza is a unique and delicious take on the traditional pizza, with a focus on the cheese and crust. The cheese is applied edge-to-edge, caramelizing the crust and creating a crispy outer layer. But what cheese should you use for the perfect Detroit-style pizza? The answer lies in a blend of brick and mozzarella cheeses, with some pizza-makers even adding a sprinkle of Parmesan. Brick cheese, a Wisconsin original, has a high fat content and a tangy, salty, buttery flavour that is hard to replicate. However, if you can't get your hands on some, white Muenster or Monterey Jack are great substitutes to blend with mozzarella.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Cheese type | Brick cheese, mozzarella, mild white cheddar, Monterey Jack, Muenster, provolone, parmesan |
| Cheese texture | Crispy, bubbly, caramelized |
| Cheese placement | Edge-to-edge, evenly spread |
| Dough type | Wet dough, focaccia-like |
| Baking pan | Rectangular steel pan, 9x13-inch baking pan, 8x8-inch square baking dish |
| Baking time | 15-20 minutes |
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What You'll Learn
Brick cheese and its substitutes
Brick cheese is a Wisconsin-made cheese that is best known for its use in Detroit-style pizza. It is a semi-hard, ivory to pale-yellow cheese with an orange-hued rind and an open texture that sometimes features small holes. The younger versions have a sweet, mild, and earthy flavour, and they melt and slice well, making them excellent for grilled cheese sandwiches or sandwiches in general. The more aged varieties have a nuttier, tangier flavour and a pronounced aroma. It is traditionally made by heating raw milk to 162°F, which pasteurizes it, and then cooling it to around 90°F before pumping it into open steel vats. A substance called rennet is then added, which contains an enzyme that triggers the curdling of the milk proteins, separating them from the liquid whey. The curds are cooked for about 40 minutes to help firm the cheese and intensify the acidity. They are then cut into cubes and placed into perforated rectangular moulds, which are pressed to remove the remaining whey. The pressed cheese is then soaked in a brine solution and transferred to an ageing room, where it is washed with a solution of whey and brine containing the bacterium Brevibacterium linens. This process, called smear-ripening, gives the cheese its distinctive aroma. After a week, the cheese is moved to a cold ageing room, where it spends anywhere from one more week to several months.
If you are unable to find brick cheese, there are several substitutes that you can use. For a true brick cheese substitute, you can use another smear-ripened cheese such as Limburger, Époisses, Tilsiter, Taleggio, or an aged Muenster. If you are looking for a more supermarket-style brick cheese substitute, you can use Monterey Jack, mozzarella, or a mild Muenster. Other cheeses that could work include cheddar, fontina, and havarti. For Detroit-style pizza specifically, a blend of mozzarella and either white Muenster or Monterey Jack is recommended. This blend will give you a taste and texture that are very similar to a brick and mozzarella blend.
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Blending cheese with mozzarella
When it comes to blending cheese with mozzarella, there are a few things to keep in mind to ensure a delicious and cohesive pizza. Firstly, it is essential to consider the flavour and texture of the cheese blend, ensuring that the cheeses complement each other and enhance the overall taste of the pizza.
Mozzarella is a versatile cheese that pairs well with various options. A popular blend is mozzarella and cheddar, with the sharp flavour of cheddar adding a tangy kick to the mildness of mozzarella. This combination is a base for many pizzas, and the addition of provolone can further elevate the blend, creating a harmonious trio.
For those seeking a more adventurous blend, combining mozzarella with blue cheese, smoked mozzarella, or pepper jack can be a delightful option. These cheeses offer robust flavours that stand out without overwhelming the palate. The key is to use a higher proportion of mozzarella, around 80%, and a smaller amount of the stronger-flavoured cheese, such as 10%, to create a balanced blend.
When crafting Detroit-style pizzas, the classic combination is mozzarella and brick cheese. Brick cheese, a high-fat aged cheese from Wisconsin, has a tangy, salty, and buttery flavour that beautifully complements the mozzarella. This blend is then applied edge-to-edge, creating a crispy, caramelised crust—a signature trait of Detroit-style pizzas. If brick cheese is unavailable, Monterey Jack or white Muenster cheese are excellent substitutes, creating a similar taste and texture profile.
Ultimately, blending cheese with mozzarella offers endless possibilities, allowing pizza chefs to experiment and create unique, mouthwatering combinations that delight their customers and keep them coming back for more.
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Low-moisture mozzarella
Detroit-style pizza is characterised by its use of brick cheese, a high-fat, aged cheese from Wisconsin with a tangy, salty, and
In terms of flavour, low-moisture mozzarella is saltier and denser than fresh mozzarella. The ageing process and temperature at which it is held can also allow various bacteria to give it tangy characteristics similar to aged cheeses like provolone or cheddar.
When melted, low-moisture mozzarella has excellent stretch and is dry enough that the pizza crust remains intact. Fresh mozzarella, on the other hand, exudes water as it melts, resulting in a soupier texture.
For Detroit-style pizza, low-moisture mozzarella is preferred over fresh mozzarella because its lower moisture content means it is less likely to affect the dough during baking. This is important because Detroit-style pizza is characterised by its crispy outer crust, achieved by spreading the cheese edge-to-edge so that it caramelises to the crust when baked.
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Cheddar and mozzarella
Mozzarella is a well-known cheese used almost universally to top pizzas. For Detroit-style pizza, a low-moisture variety is preferred, as the moisture content of the cheese can affect the dough during baking.
One recipe recommends lining the edge of the pizza with a blend of mozzarella and cheddar and using mozzarella in the middle. The pizza is then baked at 550°F for 7 to 10 minutes, or until the cheese edges have caramelized.
Detroit-style pizza is known for its caramelized crust, which is achieved by applying cheese evenly across the pizza, edge-to-edge, so that it caramelizes with the crust when baked. This results in a crispy outer crust surrounding a light and airy interior.
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Parmesan as a topping
Parmesan is a hard, aged cheese with a strong, sharp flavour. When used as a topping on Detroit-style pizza, it adds a salty, nutty kick to the pie. The salty, savoury flavour of Parmesan can help to balance out the sweetness of tomato sauce and the richness of other cheeses, like mozzarella.
Detroit-style pizza is known for its thick, chewy crust and the way the cheese is spread to the edges of the pan, creating a crispy, golden crust. Parmesan, with its strong flavour, can be sprinkled on top of other cheeses, like mozzarella, to add a savoury note to the pizza. It can also be used to top pepperoni, which is a common topping on Detroit-style pizzas. The pepperoni's spiciness can be balanced by the salty, nutty flavour of the Parmesan.
When using Parmesan as a topping on Detroit-style pizza, it is important to grate the cheese finely so that it melts evenly and creates a crispy, golden crust. The pizza should be baked in a hot oven for around 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese is golden and bubbly.
In addition to its flavour, Parmesan also has functional benefits as a pizza topping. It has a high melting point, which means it can help to create a crispy, crunchy texture when baked. This makes it a good choice for Detroit-style pizza, where the signature crispy crust is created by the cheese caramelising and frying around the edges.
While Parmesan may not be a traditional choice for Detroit-style pizza, its unique flavour and textural characteristics can add a new dimension to this style of pizza. It can be used in combination with other cheeses, like mozzarella, or as a substitute for harder-to-find cheeses like brick cheese, to create a signature blend that elevates the flavours of the pie.
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Frequently asked questions
The best cheese for Detroit-style pizza is Wisconsin brick cheese. This is a high-fat, aged cheese with a tangy, salty, buttery flavour.
If you can't get your hands on some brick cheese, a good alternative is a blend of mozzarella and either white Muester or Monterey Jack cheese.
If you can't get mozzarella, you can use mild cheddar or provolone.
Low-moisture mozzarella is best for Detroit-style pizza.
It is recommended to buy a block of cheese and grate it yourself.
