The Perfect Pizza Cheese Combination: Crafting The Ultimate Pie

Pizza is a beloved food worldwide, and a key aspect of its success is the cheese. But which type of cheese is best?

Mozzarella is the most popular option and is a defining ingredient in Neapolitan pizza. It has a fresh taste with a light and creamy texture. However, other varieties such as cheddar, parmesan, provolone, gouda, and ricotta can also be used to add a unique taste.

When choosing a cheese for pizza, it is important to consider characteristics such as browning capability, melting ability, stretchiness, fat content, and moisture content. The best cheese for pizza should have a mild stretchiness, a low melting point, and a light golden brown colour when cooked.

So, while mozzarella may be the classic choice, there are plenty of other cheesy options to consider for your next pizza night!

Mozzarella

When making pizza with mozzarella, you can choose between high and low moisture options. High-moisture mozzarella has a very short shelf life and must be used within a day of being made. Low-moisture mozzarella has a longer shelf life and a saltier, denser flavour than high-moisture mozzarella. This low-moisture content also helps it melt faster when baked. Low-moisture, whole-milk mozzarella is the best option for pizza, whether as the only cheese or as part of a blend.

High-moisture mozzarella has a creamy and mild flavour, with a pale to light browning capability, a medium melting ability, and low stretchiness. Low-moisture mozzarella has a creamy flavour with a slight tang, a light to medium browning capability, a high melting ability, and high stretchiness.

Cheddar, Parmesan, and Provolone

While mozzarella is the most popular pizza cheese, other varieties can offer a richer, more complex flavour without sacrificing meltability. Cheddar, Parmesan, and Provolone are three cheeses that can enhance the taste of your pizza.

Cheddar

Cheddar is a sharp, nutty, and rich-flavoured cheese. It holds up well as it cools, remaining soft and pliable. It is a good choice for those who want a more assertive flavour from their pizza cheese. However, when used as the only cheese on a pizza, it may not melt as well as mozzarella. It is best to pair it with mozzarella to get that classic, stretchy, pizza texture.

Parmesan

Parmesan is a hard and aged cheese that does not melt easily. However, with a little help, it can be made meltable and sliceable. Parmesan has a salty and sweet flavour, which can be enhanced when paired with other cheeses. A blend of aged Parmesan, Asiago, and cheddar cheeses creates a soft and meltable combination.

Provolone

Provolone is a popular pizza cheese that has a classic pizzeria flavour. It has good meltability and stretchability, making it a solid runner-up to mozzarella. Many pizzerias use a blend of mozzarella and provolone for both stretch and flavour.

Low-moisture vs. high-moisture

Mozzarella is the most popular cheese option for pizza. It is a defining ingredient in Neapolitan pizza but is also ideal for any pizza style. However, when making pizza with mozzarella cheese, you can choose between high and low moisture.

High-moisture Mozzarella

High-moisture mozzarella has a very short shelf life and must be used within the first day of being made. It has a creamy and mild flavour, with a pale to light browning capability. Its melting ability is medium, and it tends to retain its shape. It has low stretchiness, tending to puddle, and has a fat content of 4.8 grams per 1-ounce slice. Its moisture content is very high, ranging from 52% to 60%.

Low-moisture Mozzarella

Low-moisture mozzarella has a longer shelf life and a saltier, denser flavour than high-moisture mozzarella. This low-moisture component also helps it melt faster when baked. Low-moisture mozzarella made with whole milk is the best option for pizza, whether it's the only cheese or part of a blend. It has a creamy flavour with a slight tang, and its browning capability ranges from light to medium. Its melting ability is high, and it melts evenly. It has high stretchiness, with visible strands, and a fat content of 6 grams per 1-ounce slice. Its moisture content is high, ranging from 45% to 52%.

Using Mozzarella on Pizza

Use low-moisture mozzarella for Margherita pizzas and high-moisture mozzarella for Neapolitan and Greek pizzas. If used alone, slice the mozzarella thinly and drain any excess moisture. Mozzarella is versatile and is the number one cheese to add to a cheese blend. It can be blended with provolone to make a traditional cheese or pepperoni pizza.

Fresh vs. low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella

Fresh mozzarella is best the day it's made and has a very short shelf life, while low-moisture mozzarella has a longer shelf life and can be kept in the refrigerator for weeks. Fresh mozzarella is also softer and wetter, and is usually sold in brine, while low-moisture mozzarella is drier and denser, and is sold in blocks or bags.

Fresh mozzarella has a mild, milky flavour, while low-moisture mozzarella is saltier and tangier. Fresh mozzarella is ideal for Neapolitan pizzas, while low-moisture mozzarella is better suited to New York-style pizzas, as well as Greek, bar, and Chicago deep-dish pies.

When melted, fresh mozzarella tends to retain its shape and puddle, while low-moisture mozzarella has superior meltability and stretchiness, making it ideal for that classic cheese pull.

Other cheeses: Gouda, Gruyere, Goat, and more

Gouda is a semi-hard Dutch cheese with a rich, unique flavour and a smooth texture. Young gouda will melt more easily than its older counterpart, which will have less moisture and a tangier flavour. Gouda is a versatile cheese that works well on flatbread and thin-crust pizzas that balance sweet and savoury flavours. It is most popularly paired with barbecued meats, such as pulled pork or barbecue chicken, thanks to its natural smokiness.

Gruyere is a hard Swiss cheese made from whole cow's milk. It has a mild, nutty, sweet and earthy flavour, and it melts very nicely. Gruyere is a popular choice for traditional pizza slices, as its sweet and nutty flavour pairs well with red or white pizza sauce. It also melts evenly and doesn't blister easily.

Goat cheese is made from goat's milk. It is soft and creamy when young and can be mixed with other flavours like berries or herbs. As it ages, it dries into a hard cheese that can be preserved in a rind. Goat cheese is known for its earthy and tart flavour, which can bring a unique twist to your pizza. Although it doesn't melt like mozzarella and provolone, it softens up nicely when cooked in the oven. Goat cheese is a great addition to flatbread pizzas, focaccia pizzas and Mediterranean pizzas.

Other cheeses that melt well on pizza include cheddar, fontina, Jack, Muenster, provolone, Swiss raclette and a blend of Parmesan, Asiago and sharp cheddar.

Frequently asked questions