Frederic Melton
There are many ways to make a cheese pizza, and it all starts with the dough. After 12 hours of room-temperature bulk fermentation and 1-3 days in the fridge, your dough is ready to be transformed into a pizza. The next step is to preheat the oven to 475-500 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare your ingredients, also known as mise en place. A simple yet effective cheese combination for pizza is mozzarella and cheddar. Mozzarella is a neutral flavour that is complemented by the sharpness of cheddar. However, since cheddar does not hold up well to high heat, it should be used in smaller amounts and baked at a lower temperature.
How to find cheese pizza
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Cheese types | Mozzarella, cheddar, gouda, monterey jack, feta, muenster, scamorza, eidam, parmesan, fontina |
| Cheese preparation | Pre-grated, shredded, low moisture, pellets, thin slices, balls, chunks |
| Dough preparation | 12 hours of room-temperature bulk fermentation, followed by 1-3 days in the fridge |
| Baking | Bake at 475-500 degrees Fahrenheit for 3-3.5 minutes |
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What You'll Learn
Mozzarella and cheddar
Cheddar is not as common a pizza topping as mozzarella, but it is a simple and effective way to enhance the flavour of a cheese pizza. Its nutty taste and sharpness bring a richer dynamic to a pizza when paired with the more neutral flavour of mozzarella. However, cheddar does not hold up well to high heat, so it is recommended to use smaller amounts in comparison to mozzarella and bake at a lower temperature.
A blend of mozzarella, provolone, and cheddar cheese is also available, combining the creamy texture of mozzarella, the depth of flavour of provolone, and the sweet tanginess of cheddar. This blend can be purchased shredded, saving time and money for pizza makers.
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Dough preparation
To make the dough for a cheese pizza, you'll need a handful of easily available ingredients. These typically include yeast, sugar, flour, salt, olive oil, and water. Here is a step-by-step guide to preparing the dough:
Step 1:
Start by sprinkling the yeast and sugar over warm water (90-100°C) in a bowl. Whisk to combine, and then let it sit for about 5 minutes, or until bubbles form on the top. This indicates that the yeast is active. If the yeast doesn't foam, it may be inactive, and you'll need to get new yeast.
Step 2:
Add the flour, salt, and olive oil to the yeast mixture. Mix the ingredients together by hand or use a hand-held or stand mixer. If you're doing this by hand, you can use a rubber spatula to combine the ingredients. Mix until the dough becomes sticky and well-incorporated, which should take about 2-3 minutes.
Step 3:
Drizzle olive oil over the top of the dough and down the sides of the bowl. Use a rubber spatula to flip the dough and coat it in the oil. This will prevent the dough from drying out.
Step 4:
Knead the dough by hand or with a mixer. This step helps to develop the gluten in the dough, giving it a chewy texture. If you're new to working with dough, you may find it helpful to refer to guides or videos on kneading techniques.
Step 5:
Place the dough into a greased mixing bowl and cover it tightly. Let the dough rise in a warm place. This can be at room temperature for about 2 hours, or you can place it in an oven that has been heated to 100°F and then turned off. The dough should double in size. Alternatively, you can let the dough rise slowly overnight in the refrigerator, which will give it a wonderful flavor.
Step 6:
Once the dough has risen, punch it down to release air bubbles. Divide the dough in half if you plan to make two pizzas. Shape each portion into a ball, and then roll or stretch it into a circle or rectangle, depending on your preference. For a 12-inch pizza, roll the dough to about a 14-inch circle to account for the rise during baking.
Step 7:
If you're not using the dough right away, you can freeze it for later use. Lightly grease the portions you want to freeze, place them in individual bags, and squeeze out all the air before sealing tightly. Frozen dough can be stored for up to 3 months. To thaw, place the frozen dough in the refrigerator for about 8 hours until it's fully thawed.
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Oven temperature
The best oven temperature for pizza is between 450 and 550 degrees Fahrenheit (250 to 260 degrees Celsius). The hotter the oven, the better the pizza will be. Pizza ovens can reach temperatures of 800 to 950 degrees Fahrenheit, but home ovens typically don't go higher than 550 degrees Fahrenheit. For a thin crust, a temperature of 500 degrees Fahrenheit (260 degrees Celsius) for 8-10 minutes is recommended. For a medium crust, bake at 475-500 degrees Fahrenheit (245-260 degrees Celsius) for 10-15 minutes. A thick or deep-dish crust will require a lower temperature of around 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200-205 degrees Celsius) and a longer bake time of 20-30 minutes.
The type of dough and desired texture will also influence the ideal oven temperature. For example, a sourdough pizza dough may require a lower temperature and longer cooking time to achieve a chewy texture, while a quick-rise dough may need a higher temperature and shorter cooking time for a crispy crust. The amount and type of toppings will also affect the baking time and temperature. A pizza with thicker toppings will take longer to heat through and may require a lower temperature to avoid over-browning the crust.
To ensure the pizza is cooked correctly, look for a golden-brown crust and evenly melted, bubbly cheese. Using a pizza stone can help distribute heat evenly and improve the crust texture, but it's important to preheat the oven with the stone inside. An oven thermometer can also be useful to ensure the oven is at the correct temperature.
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Cheese alternatives
If you're looking for alternatives to cheese on your pizza, there are a few options to consider. Firstly, if you're open to vegan cheese, there are now several tasty options available on the market that have improved significantly from earlier versions, which had a reputation for being goopy, plasticky, and artificial-tasting. Miyoko's cashew milk-based mozzarella, for instance, has a mild, unobtrusive cheesy flavor that blends well with the sauce and bread. Other vegan cheese options include those with bases of oil, starch, and even chickpeas.
If you're not looking for vegan options, there are still ways to reduce the amount of cheese on your pizza while maintaining flavor. You could opt for a smaller quantity of full-fat cheese or use a combination of full-fat and fat-free cheese. High-flavor cheeses like parmesan, sharp provolone, or manchego can also be used sparingly to add a punch of cheesiness to your pizza. Greek yogurt, fat-free cottage cheese, and fat-free ricotta are other possible alternatives, though they may not provide the same flavor impact as full-fat cheese.
Additionally, you can explore different types of cheese to find alternatives to the standard mozzarella. For example, cheddar adds a nutty taste and sharpness to your pizza when paired with a more neutral cheese like mozzarella. Just remember that cheddar doesn't handle high heat well, so use smaller amounts and bake at a lower temperature. Gouda is another option, as it's a great melting cheese with a rich and aromatic flavor. Feta, muenster, and Monterey jack are also cheeses to consider, as they melt well and provide delicious contrasts in flavor.
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Cheese combinations
Mozzarella is the most popular choice of cheese for pizza, with its near-perfect consistency and straightforward flavour. It is also very meltable, giving that classic, gooey, stretchy texture. However, some people find it a little plain.
If you're looking for a more nuanced flavour, there are plenty of other cheeses to choose from that will still give you that meltability. You could try a combination of:
- Mozzarella and cheddar: the sharpness of cheddar brings a richer dynamic to the more neutral flavour of mozzarella.
- Mozzarella and gouda: gouda has a rich and aromatic flavour with a caramel-like finish, which is complemented by the sharpness of cheddar.
- Mozzarella and Monterey jack: Monterey jack has a mild and buttery taste, which is nicely contrasted by the stronger feta.
- Mozzarella and Muenster: Muenster has a mild, buttery taste and its pale orange colour provides an appetising look to your pizza.
- Mozzarella and Parmesan: Parmesan is a hard cheese that can be freshly grated over your pizza, adding a nutty, salty flavour.
For a classic Pizza Quattro Formaggi, try combining:
- Fresh or low-moisture mozzarella
- Crumbled Gorgonzola
- Shredded Havarti
- Shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano
Or, for even more character, try replacing the Parmigiano-Reggiano with Pecorino-Romano.
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Frequently asked questions
Mozzarella and cheddar, gouda and cheddar, Monterey jack and feta, and muenster and feta are all great cheese combinations for a pizza.
Mozzarella, gouda, cheddar, fontina, muenster, feta, and parmesan reggiano are all great types of cheese to use for a pizza.
The best oven temperature for cooking a cheese pizza is between 475 and 500 degrees Fahrenheit.
You can find pizza cheese at Billa and Lidl in Prague.
