Andy Montoya
Wisconsin brick cheese is a type of cheese that was developed in 1877 by a Swiss cheesemaker in Wisconsin. The cheese is known for its distinctive method of production, in which clay bricks are used to press the curds. Wisconsin brick cheese is often used in Detroit-style pizza due to its high-fat content and easy melt texture. The taste of Wisconsin brick cheese varies depending on its age, with younger versions having a sweet, mild, and earthy flavour, and aged varieties developing a nuttier, tangier flavour and a more pronounced aroma.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Texture | High-fat, easy melt |
| Taste | Mild, sweet, tangy, nutty, earthy |
| Colour | Ivory to pale yellow, with an orange-hued rind |
| Type | Semi-hard cheese with an open texture |
| Substitutes | Monterey Jack, mozzarella, mild Muenster, white cheddar, aged Muenster, Limburger, Époisses, Tilsiter, Taleggio |
| Pairs well with | Pickles, burgers, polenta, mac and cheese, Detroit-style pizza |
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What You'll Learn
- Wisconsin brick cheese is a semi-hard cheese with a pungent, earthy flavour
- It's made by heating raw milk and then cooling it before adding bacteria to start fermentation
- It's the preferred cheese for Detroit-style pizza
- It's hard to find outside the Midwest, but you can order it online
- It's mild and sweet when young, and tangy when aged
Wisconsin brick cheese is a semi-hard cheese with a pungent, earthy flavour
The flavour of Wisconsin brick cheese varies depending on its age. Younger versions of the cheese have a sweet, mild, and earthy flavour, while more aged varieties have a nuttier, tangier flavour and a more pronounced aroma. The texture of the cheese also changes with age, with younger cheeses melting and slicing well.
Wisconsin brick cheese is often compared to other semi-hard cheeses, such as cheddar and limburger. It has an ivory to pale yellow colour, with an orange-hued rind. The cheese is usually wrapped in foil to protect it and to hold in its aroma.
While Wisconsin brick cheese is the traditional choice for Detroit-style pizza, it can be difficult to find outside of the Midwest. Substitutes such as low-moisture mozzarella and Jack, or white cheddar and muenster, can be used to replicate the creamy texture and high-fat content of Wisconsin brick cheese. However, these alternatives may not have the same distinctive flavour as the authentic cheese.
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It's made by heating raw milk and then cooling it before adding bacteria to start fermentation
Wisconsin Brick cheese, a classic cheese developed in 1877 by a Swiss cheesemaker in Wisconsin, is made by heating raw milk to 162°F, which pasteurizes it, and then cooling it to around 90°F. The process of making it resembles the method of making cheddar cheese. The milk is then pumped into open steel vats, and a starter culture of bacteria is added to initiate fermentation. During fermentation, bacteria feed on lactose, or milk sugar, and produce lactic acid.
After fermentation, the curds are placed in perforated rectangular moulds and pressed to remove whey. In the traditional method, this pressing was done with bricks, which is how the cheese got its name. The bricks are then soaked in a brine solution for 12 hours before being transferred to an ageing room maintained at around 70°F. Here, they are washed with a solution of whey and brine containing the bacterium Brevibacterium linens. This process, known as smear-ripening, imparts the cheese with its distinctive aroma.
After about a week, the cheese is moved to a cold ageing room, where it remains for at least another week to several months. The ageing process significantly influences the flavour profile of the cheese. Young Brick cheese is mild, sweet, and earthy, with excellent melting properties, making it ideal for grilled cheese sandwiches and Detroit-style pizza. On the other hand, aged varieties have a more pungent aroma and a nutty, tangy flavour.
Authentic Wisconsin Brick cheese is known for its distinctive flavour, which results from bacterial cultures, brine solution, and smear-ripening. Its colour is ivory to pale yellow, with an orange-hued rind. It is a semi-hard cheese with an open texture that sometimes has small holes.
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It's the preferred cheese for Detroit-style pizza
Wisconsin Brick cheese is the preferred cheese for Detroit-style pizza. This is due to its high-fat content and easy-melting properties. Authentic Wisconsin Brick cheese has a pungent, earthy flavour, with a sweet and mild taste when young, and a nuttier, tangier flavour when aged. Its colour is ivory to pale yellow, with an orange-hued rind. It is a semi-hard cheese with an open texture, which sometimes features small holes.
Wisconsin Brick cheese is 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. Then, a starter culture of bacteria is added, which starts the process of fermentation, in which the bacteria consume the lactose, or milk sugar, and produce lactic acid. After this, the curds are placed in perforated rectangular moulds and pressed to remove the whey. The pressing is done with bricks, which is where the cheese gets its name. The bricks are then placed in a brine solution for 12 hours, before being transferred to an ageing room, which is kept at around 70°F. Here, they are washed with a solution of whey and brine containing the bacterium Brevibacterium linens. This process is called smear-ripening, and it gives the cheese its distinctive aroma.
Wisconsin Brick cheese can be hard to find outside of the Midwest, and it can be expensive to ship. However, it is relatively inexpensive in Wisconsin grocery stores. If you can't get your hands on some, there are a few substitutes that you can use for a similar taste and texture. A mix of low-moisture mozzarella and Jack cheese can replicate the high-fat content and melting properties of Wisconsin Brick. White cheddar and muenster are also good alternatives, as they have a similar creaminess.
If you're looking to make a Detroit-style pizza, Wisconsin Brick cheese is the classic choice. Its unique flavour and melting properties will give your pizza an authentic taste and texture.
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It's hard to find outside the Midwest, but you can order it online
Wisconsin Brick cheese is a pungent, semi-hard cheese with an ivory to pale yellow colour and an orange-hued rind. Its flavour is mild and sweet when young, and it becomes nutty and tangy as it ages. The younger versions melt and slice well, making them perfect for grilled cheese sandwiches, burgers, polenta, and mac and cheese. It is also the preferred cheese for making Detroit-style pizza.
The process for making Wisconsin Brick cheese somewhat resembles the method of making cheddar cheese. It is 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. Then, a starter culture of bacteria is added, which starts the process of fermentation, where the bacteria consume the lactose and produce lactic acid. The curds are then placed in perforated rectangular moulds and pressed to remove the whey. The pressing was traditionally done with bricks, which is how the cheese got its name.
While it might be difficult to find Wisconsin Brick cheese outside of the Midwest, you can order it online. However, unless you're ordering in bulk, the shipping costs can be quite high. If you're looking for a substitute, you could try using a mix of low-moisture mozzarella and Jack, or white cheddar and Muenster, which has a similar creaminess to the softer young Brick cheese. For a stronger, aged Brick cheese, you might try an aged Muenster, or another smear-ripened cheese such as Limburger, Époisses, Tilsiter, or Taleggio.
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It's mild and sweet when young, and tangy when aged
Wisconsin Brick cheese is a semi-hard, ivory to pale yellow cheese with an orange-hued rind. It is known for its high-fat, easy-melt texture and is commonly used in Detroit-style pizza. Wisconsin Brick cheese is mild and sweet when young, and tangy when aged.
Young Wisconsin Brick cheese has a mild, sweet, and earthy flavour. It slices and melts well, making it a great choice for grilled cheese sandwiches, burgers, polenta, and mac and cheese. It pairs well with pickles and can be used in sandwiches and homemade pizzas.
Aged Wisconsin Brick cheese has a tangy, nutty flavour and a pronounced aroma. It is 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 starter culture of bacteria is then added to start the fermentation process, where the bacteria consume the lactose and produce lactic acid. The cheese is then pressed into perforated rectangular moulds to squeeze out the whey. The pressing process traditionally used bricks, which is how the cheese got its name.
After pressing overnight, the cheese is transferred to a brine solution for 12 hours and then to an ageing room kept at around 70°F. It is washed with a solution of whey and brine containing the bacterium Brevibacterium linens, which gives the cheese its distinctive aroma. The cheese then spends anywhere from one week to several months in a cold ageing room. The longest-aged Wisconsin Brick cheese is around five months, while the middle-aged variety is aged for about two months. It is considered ready to eat after two weeks and is then wrapped in foil to protect the cheese and preserve its aroma.
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Frequently asked questions
Wisconsin Brick Cheese is a type of cheese that was developed in 1877 by a Swiss cheesemaker in Wisconsin. The curds are pressed with clay bricks, which is where the cheese gets its name.
Wisconsin Brick Cheese is mild and sweet when young, and turns tangy with age. It is also available smear-ripened, in which case it has a strong resemblance to Limburger. It is the preferred cheese for making Detroit-style pizza.
Wisconsin Brick Cheese is similar to Limburger, Époisses, Tilsiter, Taleggio, or an aged Muenster. Supermarket-style Wisconsin Brick Cheese is similar to Monterey Jack, mozzarella, or a mild Muenster.
Wisconsin Brick Cheese is perfect for grilled cheese sandwiches, burgers, polenta, and mac and cheese. It is also the preferred cheese for making Detroit-style pizza.
