Where to Buy Wisconsin Brick Cheese for Detroit Style Pizza

You know how most Detroit-style pizza recipes casually say, “Use Wisconsin brick cheese,” like it's sitting next to the mozzarella at every grocery store.

In practice, you usually find mozzarella, “pizza blend,” or pre-shredded bags that melt fine, but never quite deliver that buttery, caramelized edge that defines a real Detroit-style pizza.

Brick cheese traces back to 1877, when Wisconsin cheesemaker John Jossi first made it, and the classic version is smear-ripened (washed-rind) so it melts creamy and browns aggressively against the sides of a Detroit pizza pan.

Below, I'll show you the most reliable places to buy Wisconsin brick cheese in the US (including foodservice options), what to look for on the label, and how to pair the cheese with the right pan, dough weight, and bake so your crust turns crispy and your edges “frico” the way they should.

Key Takeaways

• If you want small, pizza-friendly portions, Wisconsin Cheese Mart sells 8 oz brick blocks (including a mild Silver & Lewis option), which is convenient for testing your first detroit-style pizza without buying a 6 lb loaf.
• For a classic, mild melt, Widmer’s lists Mild Specialty Brick in snackable sizes, including 14 oz pieces (their shop pricing shows $10.36 for 14 oz as of July 2026).
• If you want bulk brick for repeated bakes, Great Lakes Brick is commonly sold in a 6 lb loaf with a per-customer limit, and the ship window matters because some sellers only ship cheese on Mondays (with a Sunday night order cutoff).
• For budget-minded bulk, US Foods CHEF’STORE lists Buholzer Brothers Brick Cheese sold per lb (priced at $3.19 per lb as of July 2026), packaged as a 6 lb unit.
• For authentic detroit-style pizza results, focus on edge-to-edge coverage, keep your cheese cold until prep, and match pan size with a sensible baseline: many home recipes land around 12 oz total cheese for a 10 x 14 pan (or about 6 oz per 8 x 10 pan), then you adjust for how aggressive you want the caramelized sides.

Popular Retailers for Wisconsin Brick Cheese

If you want the classic detroit-style pizza “lace” (that caramelized char up the sides of the pan), you need more than “any cheese that melts.” You need brick cheese that browns fast, stays creamy, and brings a mild tang.

The simplest approach is to pick a seller based on your bake schedule and how much pizza you plan to make. Small blocks are great for experimentation. Foodservice loaves are the move once you know your dough and pan are dialed.

Wisconsin Cheese Mart

Wisconsin Cheese Mart is one of the easiest ways to buy true Wisconsin brick cheese without committing to a huge loaf. One popular option they list is an 8 oz brick made by Silver & Lewis, which keeps portioning simple for a home detroit-style pan pizza.

One detail that matters for pizza is rennet. Brick cheese ingredients can vary by maker, and Wisconsin Cheese Mart listings can include options made with vegetarian rennet (useful if you want to avoid animal rennet), along with the more traditional versions you’ll see from other producers.

For shipping, the operational details are a big part of why people like ordering from a dedicated cheese shop. In its July 2026 shipping policy update, Wisconsin Cheese Mart describes insulated packaging with frozen gel packs, and it notes that summer shipments avoid weekend transit by shipping Monday through Wednesday.

• Action tip: If you’re baking on a weekend, place your order early in the week so the cheese arrives with minimal time in transit.
• Action tip: If you live far from the Midwest, choose the faster shipping option offered at checkout, since brick cheese is at its best when it stays cold and firm on arrival.
• Practical shopping tip: If the checkout tool shows an estimated delivery window (for example, some carts display date ranges like July 22 to July 27, 2026), treat it as a planning aid, not a promise, and build in a buffer if your pizza night is on a fixed date.

Good cheese makes a detroit-style pan pizza sing, but good shipping keeps that cheese behaving the way you expect in the oven.

Widmer’s Cheese Cellars

Widmer’s Cheese Cellars in Theresa, Wisconsin is a go-to for Mild Brick, which is the style most detroit-style pizza makers want for that sweet, creamy melt and reliable browning around the edges.

As of July 2026, Widmer’s shop lists Mild Specialty Brick in multiple sizes, including a 14 oz option priced at $10.36. For frequent bakes, the larger vac-pack bricks can bring the per-ounce cost down, and they’re easier to portion into “pizza-night” bundles.

If you want the most Detroit-like edge, don’t just sprinkle cheese in the center. I like to use a mix of shreds and small cubes, then deliberately run some brick right up against the pan walls so it caramelizes into that crunchy, focaccia-like border.

• Mild brick: Classic Detroit flavor, creamy, balanced, easy crowd-pleaser.
• Aged brick: Stronger aroma and tangier flavor, great if you want your pizza with brick cheese to lean bolder.

Great Lakes Cheese

Great Lakes brick is a common “bulk buy” choice for detroit style pizza makers because it comes in a foodservice-friendly loaf and melts predictably in a steel pan.

Pricing and shipping rules can change, so you want to read the product page before you hit buy. As of July 2026, a specialty supplier listing for Great Lakes Brick Cheese shows a $41.00 price for a 6 lb loaf, a limit of 2 loaves per customer, and a shipping schedule that only sends cheese on Mondays with a Sunday night order cutoff.

If you’re chasing the classic detroit-style pie profile, Great Lakes brick plays very well with low-moisture mozzarella. You keep the buttery melt and edge browning from the brick, and you pick up extra stretch from the mozzarella cheese.

• Action tip: When your loaf arrives, portion it the same day into 8 to 12 oz chunks, wrap tight, then refrigerate what you’ll use this week.
• Freezer tip: Freezing works, but expect more crumbling after thawing, so plan to cube it or use it for edge lining rather than trying to get perfect long shreds.

Gordon Food Service Store (GFS)

If you have a Gordon Food Service Store nearby, it can be a practical local route to brick cheese, especially if you want a larger block without paying for insulated shipping.

One widely listed option is Great Lakes brick cheese in a large format (for example, 96 oz product listings show it sold through GFS). That’s enough cheese for multiple detroit pizza bakes, or for doing a side-by-side test of brick-only versus a brick and low-moisture mozzarella blend.

• Action tip: Bring an insulated bag for the trip home, especially in summer, so your cheese stays firm and easy to shred.
• Action tip: Ask the store staff where they keep brick, since it may be stocked in the deli cooler rather than the retail cheese wall.

US Foods CHEF’STORE (Buholzer Brothers)

US Foods CHEF’STORE is one of the best-kept secrets for brick cheese if you don’t mind buying foodservice size. It’s open to the public in many locations, and it’s built for people who want restaurant-style ingredients.

As of July 2026, US Foods CHEF’STORE lists Buholzer Brothers Brick Cheese sold per pound at $3.19 per lb, packaged as a 6 lb unit. If you make detroit-style pan pizza often, that price-per-pound is hard to beat.

• Action tip: Divide a 6 lb unit into “one-pizza” packs as soon as you get home.
• Action tip: If you freeze it, freeze in flat, tightly wrapped portions so it thaws fast and stays safer in your fridge.

Online Platforms to Purchase Wisconsin Brick Cheese

Online buying is often the easiest way to get Wisconsin brick cheese outside the Midwest. It also adds two variables that affect your pizza: transit time and temperature control.

So the best online strategy is simple: buy from sellers who clearly ship cold, choose pack sizes you can use quickly, and plan deliveries for days you can bring the box inside right away.

Amazon

Amazon can be a mixed bag for brick cheese. Some listings come from reputable specialty sellers, and others are more like “marketplace roulette,” where availability and handling can change week to week.

If you do shop there, use a checklist that protects your melt and flavor:

• Look for clear pack size and weight, so you know you’re not paying premium pricing for a tiny piece.
• Favor vacuum-sealed blocks over shredded brick cheese, since block cheese typically melts more evenly on pizza.
• Scan the most recent reviews for notes about warm deliveries, damaged packaging, or missed cold packs.
• If the listing doesn’t explain cold shipping, assume you’re taking a risk, and consider a cheese shop instead.

Specialty Cheese Websites

If you want predictable results, specialty cheese websites usually beat general marketplaces. Shops like Widmer’s Cheese Cellars and Wisconsin Cheese Mart spell out pack sizes, styles (mild brick vs aged brick), and shipping practices more clearly.

These sites also make it easier to buy for your specific use case:

• One or two pizzas: small blocks so you can test your dough, sauce, and bake without leftovers.
• Weekly bakes: larger vac packs, portioned at home, so you always have brick ready for detroit-style pizza.
• Experimentation: add-ons like cheddar, gouda, or blue cheese, which you can blend into your topping strategy without losing that brick-cheese edge.

If you see weird product tags or search results (even words like “anodize”), don’t overthink it. Treat it like metadata noise and filter by the actual product name, pack size, and ingredients.

One more useful benchmark: Buddy’s Pizza, the original home of Detroit-style pizza, publicly says it uses a proprietary blend of Wisconsin brick cheese. That’s a helpful “target flavor” reference when you’re dialing in your own cheese blend at home.

Tips for Selecting Authentic Wisconsin Brick Cheese

Brick cheese is a category, and not every “brick” you see will behave the same on pizza. If your goal is a true detroit-style pizza crust with caramelized sides, you want brick that melts creamy and browns willingly, not a rubbery block that sweats oil.

1. Know what “smear-ripened” means: brick is often grouped with washed-rind cheeses, where the rind is treated during aging to build flavor. If your cheese has a faint orange tint on the rind and a more aromatic smell, you may be closer to the traditional style.
2. Read the ingredient panel: most brick cheese starts with pasteurized milk, cultures, salt, and enzymes. Rennet varies by producer, so check the label if you care whether it uses animal rennet or vegetarian rennet.
3. Buy blocks when you can: pre-shredded cheese often includes anti-caking agents (like powdered cellulose) to keep shreds separate. That convenience can change how the cheese melts and browns on a pizza.
4. Match cheese style to your flavor goal: mild brick leans sweet and creamy, aged brick leans tangier and more assertive. For most “first perfect Detroit-style pie” attempts, mild brick is the safer starting point.
5. Choose shipping that fits the calendar: brick cheese is perishable. If a shop avoids weekend shipping in warm months, align your order timing so the box does not sit in a truck over a weekend.
6. Use a realistic cheese baseline, then adjust: many well-tested home recipes land around 12 oz total cheese for a 10 x 14 pan (often split between brick cheese and low-moisture mozzarella). For an 8 x 10 pan, start near 6 oz total, then add more if you want heavier edge caramelization.
7. Substitute smart if brick is scarce: a mozzarella and Muenster blend, or mozzarella and Monterey Jack, can get you surprisingly close in melt and flavor while you keep hunting for authentic Wisconsin brick cheese.

Pan choice matters as much as cheese

If your cheese is right but your crust is pale, the pan is usually the missing piece. Traditional Detroit pizza pans are sized around 8 x 10 and 10 x 14, and modern Detroit-style pans are often heavy anodized aluminum with a release coating, which helps browning and makes cleanup easier.

If you bake in blue steel, expect a learning curve. You need to season it, and it usually takes a few bakes before it consistently releases and browns the way you want.

• Fast path: a purpose-built Detroit-style pizza pan in the traditional size you bake most often.
• Budget path: a high-sided metal pan close to 9 x 13 can work while you learn your dough and cheese behavior.

Dough and bake baselines that make shopping easier

Once you know your pan size, you can buy cheese with confidence because your “per-pizza” usage stops being guesswork. One practical baseline from a Detroit-style pizza supplier is 10 oz of dough for an 8 x 10 pan and 20 oz of dough for a 10 x 14 pan.

For toppings, focus on edge coverage. Run brick cheese all the way to the perimeter so it melts into the sides of the pan and creates that crispy, caramelized crust.

If you want that Detroit-style crunch, treat the pan wall like a target. Put cheese there on purpose.

Cold-chain and storage, keep the melt consistent

Cheese behaves better on pizza when you keep it cold and handle it quickly. USDA food safety guidance recommends keeping your refrigerator at 40°F or below, and not leaving perishable foods out for more than 2 hours (or 1 hour if it’s very hot in your kitchen).

• Bring delivered cheese inside as soon as you can, then refrigerate immediately.
• Shred or cube what you need, then return the rest to the fridge before you start stretching dough.
• If you freeze extra brick, expect more crumbling after thawing, so plan to cube it for the edges.

Conclusion

You can buy Wisconsin brick cheese for detroit-style pizza from specialty sellers like Wisconsin Cheese Mart and Widmer’s, or go bulk through Great Lakes brick and foodservice stores if you bake often.

Check pack sizes, shipping days, and cold handling, then pair the cheese with a real Detroit-style pizza pan and edge-to-edge coverage so your cheese melts into a crispy crust, not a bland topping.

FAQs

1. Where can I buy Wisconsin brick cheese for Detroit style pizza?

Buy Wisconsin brick cheese at specialty cheese shops, regional grocery chains, local dairy co-ops, or from online retailers that ship refrigerated. Check store listings for "brick cheese" or "Wisconsin cheese" before you go.

2. Is brick cheese the right cheese for Detroit style pizza?

Yes, Wisconsin brick cheese melts well and browns at the edges, giving that classic Detroit style pizza crust and flavor. If you cannot buy brick cheese, use a blend of low-moisture mozzarella and provolone as a substitute.

3. How much Wisconsin brick cheese should I use per Detroit style pizza?

Use about 10 to 12 ounces of brick cheese for a standard 10x14 Detroit pan.

4. Can I order Wisconsin brick cheese online, and how should I store it?

Yes, buy Wisconsin brick cheese from reputable online retailers that offer refrigerated shipping and clear freshness info. Keep it wrapped in wax or cheese paper, store at 34 to 40°F in the fridge. Use within two to three weeks, or freeze for up to three months if needed.