Patrick Oconnell
A good cheese pizza combines a chewy pizza crust with a rich tomato sauce and melted cheese. The best way to get cheese to blend into a pizza sauce is to use a blend of cheeses with different moisture contents. This will create a satisfying cheese pull effect when a slice is removed from the pie. For instance, a blend of shredded low-moisture mozzarella and cubed fresh mozzarella will give you a stretchy layer of cheese that browns nicely in the oven, while also creating pristine white pools of melted, gooey cheese.
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What You'll Learn
Use a blend of cheeses for flavour and texture
Using a blend of cheeses on your pizza is a great way to introduce complex flavours and textures. While you can use any cheese you like, some cheeses work better together than others.
Mozzarella is a popular choice for pizza due to its meltability and stretchiness. It is available in different forms, including fresh, low-moisture, and whole-milk. Fresh mozzarella makes pristine white pools of melted, gooey cheese that add textural contrast to the chewier low-moisture mozzarella. Whole-milk mozzarella is an aged, drier version of fresh mozzarella with a saltier, tangier flavour and improved meltability.
Parmesan is another classic pizza cheese. It adds depth of flavour with its nutty, salty taste. It also acts as a barrier between the crust and sauce, protecting the crust from getting soggy.
Other cheeses you can use include provolone, which adds chewiness, and fontina, which introduces a silky texture. Cheddar is also a good option, as it melts well and has a strong flavour. When using hard or aged cheeses like Asiago, Parmesan, or Romano, use them sparingly as they can become oily or grainy when melted on their own.
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Grate the cheese to improve meltability
To make a pizza with a blend of cheese and sauce, you'll want to use cheese with good meltability. One way to improve meltability is to grate the cheese. Grated cheese is similar to shredded cheese, but grated bits tend to be shorter strips of cheese, whereas shredded cheese strands are longer.
Different types of cheese grate differently. Soft cheese, like mozzarella, is prone to clumping when you grate it because of the moisture content. Grated hard cheeses, such as Parmesan cheese, produce more of a cheese dust than cheese shreds. Semi-hard cheeses, like cheddar cheese, work best on a cheese grater because they result in distinct strips of cheese. Other softer cheeses, such as feta, goat cheese, or queso fresco, are crumbly and incompatible with any type of cheese grater.
To grate your cheese, you can use a box grater, food processor, mandoline, microplane, or vegetable peeler. If you use a box grater, it may be helpful to place the grater flat against a rimmed baking sheet. Hold the handle of the box grater and the edge of the baking sheet with the same hand, and glide a small chunk of cheese along the top of the grater in a firm, consistent motion away from your body. You can also use parchment paper to catch the cheese as it falls.
If you're grating your cheese with a box grater, it may be helpful to partially freeze the cheese first. This will make it easier to grate and reduce messiness. However, be careful not to freeze the cheese for too long, or it will become impossible to grate.
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Use a pizza stone for a better base
A pizza stone is a specialised baking surface traditionally made from a hard, porous material like ceramic or stone. It can be used in place of a baking tray for cooking pizza in a home oven. Pizza stones are also known as baking stones and are usually round in shape.
Pizza stones are able to replicate the effects of a brick or wood-fired oven. The stone material takes longer to heat up but holds onto the heat far better than a baking tray. It also heats evenly and holds high heat throughout cooking. The porous nature and imperfect surface of the pizza stone allow the dough's moisture to evaporate more readily, resulting in a crisp and evenly cooked base.
To use a pizza stone, place it into an unheated oven and preheat the oven (and the stone) to 240°C. When the oven is hot enough, use a pizza peel to place your ready-to-cook pizza directly onto the pizza stone. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cheese is slightly browned.
Pizza stones are an invaluable tool for achieving a superb pizza base, but they are delicate and require careful use and maintenance. They are best used only for cooking pizza and other types of dough, such as flatbreads or English muffins, as cooking oily or fatty foods on a pizza stone can cause cracking.
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Use a food processor for a smoother sauce
Using a food processor is a great way to make a smooth pizza sauce. It's a simple process: simply place your ingredients in the food processor and pulse until they are combined and smooth. This method is a lot quicker and easier than making a sauce on the stove, and it's a great way to get a smooth, even consistency.
There are a few things to keep in mind when using a food processor for pizza sauce. Firstly, it's important to use a good quality food processor that can handle the job. Some food processors may not be able to completely homogenize the sauce, so it's worth investing in a good one if you want a really smooth sauce. Additionally, some people prefer to use a blender for an even smoother sauce, or to use a food mill to remove any seeds or large pieces of skin.
Another thing to keep in mind is that you may need to adjust the amount of liquid in your sauce depending on the brand of canned tomatoes you use. Different brands have different amounts of liquid, so you may need to drain some of the liquid off before adding the tomatoes to the food processor. This is important because you don't want your sauce to be too watery, as it could make your pizza soggy.
Finally, don't forget that you can also add other ingredients to your sauce to adjust the flavor to your taste. For example, you can add honey to balance out the acidity of the tomatoes, or onion powder for extra flavor. You can also adjust the type and amount of herbs and spices you use to create a sauce that's bold and flavorful without being too sweet or savory.
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Use a rolling pin for a more even base
While making a pizza, the dough is a crucial component that can make or break the final product. The dough has to be flavourful enough to stand on its own without distracting from the other ingredients. The best way to prep your dough is to gently flatten your rounded and proofed pizza dough with your hand. Using a rolling pin for this step is not recommended as it will push out all the gas and leave you with a thick, tough crust.
However, if you are someone who finds shaping dough by hand challenging, a rolling pin can be a useful tool. Using a rolling pin is a more straightforward method to achieve a more even base for your pizza. Start by placing your ball of dough on a well-floured surface. Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough, turning it occasionally to ensure an even thickness throughout. Aim for a thickness of about 1/4 inch, creating a circle with a slightly thicker outer edge, which will become your crust.
While rolling, be mindful of maintaining an even pressure on the rolling pin to prevent the dough from becoming thinner in some areas. If you notice any uneven spots, you can use your hands to gently stretch and adjust the dough. Additionally, keep in mind that using a rolling pin will result in a denser and less airy crust. This is because the rolling pin pushes out the air pockets created by the yeast during the proofing process, leading to a flatter and denser final product.
Once you've achieved the desired thickness and evenness, you can transfer the dough to a greased and floured sheet of heavy-duty foil or a pizza peel. This will make it easier to transfer your pizza to the oven without tearing the delicate dough. Now, you're ready to add your sauce and cheese blend!
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Frequently asked questions
The best cheese for pizza is low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella, an aged version of fresh mozzarella. This cheese has a firmer texture and a saltier, tangier flavour.
You can use a blend of cheeses to introduce complex flavours and textures. For example, provolone adds chewiness, fontina introduces a silky texture, and milky fresh mozzarella works well on margherita pizzas.
Grate or shred your cheese and toss it with the sauce and other toppings, such as herbs or spices, before scattering the mixture over the pizza.
Do not assemble the pizza until right before it goes into the oven.
Start with a well-kneaded dough, stretched into a circle. Then, spread the sauce over the dough, leaving a border. Finally, sprinkle the cheese and other toppings over the sauce.
