Bushra Griffith
Making pizza at home is fun and affordable, but it's important to use high-quality ingredients. One of the most important ingredients in pizza is the cheese, which should be meltable, stretchable, and full of flavour. While mozzarella is the classic choice, there are many other types of cheese that can be used to make a delicious homemade pizza.
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What You'll Learn
Mozzarella is the classic choice
Mozzarella is America's favourite pizza cheese, and for good reason. It is all about the ooey-gooey textural experience. The block of mozzarella you’d typically use is pretty plain, but it is a fine choice. It is also versatile, as you can choose from low-moisture and fresh, to whole milk and part-skim.
Low-moisture mozzarella is a classic, dependable pizza cheese. It is meltable with a mild but creamy flavour, and its lack of moisture is perfect for avoiding soggy pies. It is also saltier and denser than fresh mozzarella, and it has a much longer shelf life. It has a low water content and releases little to no moisture when it melts, which means you’re less likely to wind up with a soggy pizza.
Mozzarella, provolone, or Monterey Jack have great meltability. You can also blend mozzarella with other cheeses such as Parmesan, cheddar, and provolone. Choose young cheeses and add aged cheeses like Parmesan or aged cheddar for extra umami and depth of flavour.
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Blending cheeses
Mozzarella is a popular choice for homemade pizza, but it is not the only option. One way to elevate your pizza is by blending different types of cheeses. When blending cheeses, it is important to consider their meltability, stretchability, and flavour balance. Here are some tips and ideas for blending cheeses to create a delicious and harmonious combination for your homemade pizza:
Mozzarella Blends
Mozzarella is a classic choice for pizza due to its meltability, stretchability, and mild flavour. However, you can enhance the flavour and texture of your pizza by blending mozzarella with other cheeses. Here are some cheeses that blend well with mozzarella:
- Parmesan: Parmesan adds a salty kick to your pizza. When blended with mozzarella, it can provide a nice balance of salty and creamy flavours.
- Cheddar: Cheddar cheese adds sharpness and nuttiness to the blend. It holds up well as it cools, remaining soft and pliable. Look for a "mild" or "medium" cheddar as aged cheddar may not melt as well.
- Provolone: Provolone is commonly used in pizzerias and blends well with mozzarella. It has a classic pizzeria pizza flavour and melts evenly.
- Ricotta: Ricotta is a fresh, mild, and creamy cheese with a high water content. It pairs well with mozzarella, adding both creaminess and meltability to the blend.
Other Cheese Blends
In addition to mozzarella blends, you can also experiment with blending other cheeses:
- Asiago, Cheddar, and Parmesan: This blend creates a soft, meltable, and salty combination with a touch of sweetness. The Parmesan becomes more prominent after baking.
- Fontina and Muenster: Fontina has a mild flavour with a hint of sharpness, while Muenster is milder than cheddar but more assertive than mozzarella, with a tangy note. Blending these two cheeses can create a well-rounded flavour profile.
- Smoked Gouda and Pepper Jack: Smoked Gouda has a mild, buttery flavour with a hint of sweetness and smoke, while Pepper Jack has a mild cheddar-like flavour with a nice degree of heat. This blend can add a unique flavour profile to your pizza.
When blending cheeses, it is important to consider the moisture content and melting points of the cheeses. Cheeses with high moisture content, such as fresh mozzarella, can make your pizza soggy. Therefore, blending it with low-moisture cheeses like low-moisture mozzarella or provolone can help balance the moisture content and improve meltability. Additionally, younger cheeses tend to melt better than aged cheeses, so choosing "young" or "minimally aged" cheeses will ensure a smooth and creamy texture on your pizza.
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Goat cheese for a gourmet touch
Mozzarella is the most popular choice for pizza, but if you're looking to add a gourmet touch to your homemade pizza, goat cheese is a perfect choice. Crafted from goat's milk, goat cheese has a tangy and slightly earthy flavour. Its creamy and smooth texture adds a luxurious touch to the pizza, creating a memorable dining experience with its bold flavours.
Goat cheese has a moderate moisture content, ensuring a moist and flavourful pizza experience. It melts smoothly, creating a velvety layer of cheese with a hint of caramelization. While it offers minimal stretchiness, it provides a creamy and decadent mouthfeel.
When making a goat cheese pizza, you can use a variety of toppings to create a simple yet classic combination. For instance, you can use your favourite pizza sauce, shredded mozzarella cheese, and soft goat cheese (chevre). The shredded mozzarella holds the texture of the pizza together, even with the addition of goat cheese. You can also add toppings like caramelized onions, balsamic reduction, fresh basil, and spinach.
If you're feeling adventurous, try a caramelized shallot and bacon goat cheese pizza. Start with a base of homemade pizza dough and add toppings like fig preserves, fresh summer tomatoes, crisp bacon, basil, and tangy goat cheese. Don't forget to finish it off with a generous amount of fresh basil after baking!
With its unique flavour and texture, goat cheese is an excellent choice for those who want to elevate their homemade pizza to the next level, creating a gourmet experience right in their own kitchen.
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Cheddar for depth of flavour
While mozzarella is the most popular choice of cheese for pizza, it is not the only option. Cheddar, for instance, can add depth of flavour to your homemade pizza.
Cheddar is a sharp, nutty, and rich-flavoured cheese. It holds up well as it cools, remaining soft and pliable. It is a great addition to a blend of multiple cheeses, providing a pie with extra depth of flavour. However, cheddar might not be the best choice as the only cheese on your pizza. Its fats and solids can separate when exposed to the high temperatures required when baking a pizza. Therefore, it is recommended to use a mild or medium cheddar for pizza, as aged cheeses do not melt as well as younger ones.
When making a pizza, it is important to use high-quality ingredients. While you may be tempted to use pre-shredded cheese, it is best to shred your own. Pre-shredded cheese is coated with additives, usually cellulose, potato starch, or cornstarch, to prevent the shreds from clumping, and preservatives to keep it fresh. Using a blend of cheeses, such as mozzarella and cheddar, can add a depth of flavour to your pizza.
To make the perfect homemade pizza, it is important to consider the dough, sauce, cheese, and toppings. For example, if you are using sliced vegetables, they may become desiccated, shrivelled, and chewy in a hot oven. Briefly sautéing watery vegetables in oil and salt will help remove excess moisture and prevent dryness. Meats, on the other hand, will release excess water and fat while cooking, so par-cooking meats like bacon or sausage can help control the amount of grease on your pizza.
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Ricotta for a mild, creamy texture
Ricotta is a fresh cheese with a mild, creamy texture and a high water content. It is made by adding acid to milk or whey, which then forms soft curds. It is not exactly meltable, but it can be dolloped onto a pizza for a creamy mouthfeel. It is best paired with another cheese, such as mozzarella, to provide a topping with both creaminess and a melty cheese.
Ricotta is a great choice for a white pizza that doesn't have a tomato sauce, as it adds even more moisture. It is also a good option if you are looking to add a gourmet touch to your pizza, as it has a bold, tangy, and slightly earthy flavor.
When making a pizza at home, it is important to note that not all ingredients need to be par-cooked, but cheese is usually added before the pizza is baked. The oven temperature is important, as the high heat will evaporate the water in the ingredients, making the flavors more concentrated. A temperature of 450° Fahrenheit (232°C) is recommended, but increasing the temperature to 550° Fahrenheit (288°C) will provide even better results.
To avoid a soggy pizza, it is best to use low-moisture mozzarella, which is a classic choice for pizzerias. It has a longer shelf life and a low water content, meaning less moisture is released when it melts. It is also saltier and denser than fresh mozzarella and has superior stretchability and browning properties.
Mozzarella is a popular choice for pizza, but it is not the only option. Other cheeses that melt well and can be used on pizza include provolone, Monterey Jack, Parmesan, and cheddar.
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Frequently asked questions
Mozzarella is a popular choice for homemade pizza due to its superior stretchiness, meltability, and mild flavour. However, other cheeses such as provolone, fontina, gouda, jack, muenster, cheddar, raclette, and Swiss cheese also work well. For a gourmet touch, consider using goat cheese, which has a bold, tangy, and slightly earthy flavour, along with a creamy and smooth texture.
Low-moisture, whole-milk mozzarella is the best option for homemade pizza. It is commonly used in pizzerias and has a longer shelf life than fresh mozzarella. Its lower water content prevents the pizza from becoming soggy, and it melts and browns better than part-skim mozzarella.
Pre-shredded mozzarella can be used for convenience, but it may not taste the same as freshly shredded cheese. Pre-shredded cheese often contains additives such as cellulose, potato starch, or cornstarch to prevent clumping and preserve freshness. These additives can affect the texture and taste of the cheese.
In addition to meltability, stretchability, and flavour, it is important to consider the moisture content of the cheese. Cheeses with high moisture content, such as fresh mozzarella or ricotta, can make the pizza soggy. Aged cheeses like Parmesan or aged cheddar can add extra depth of flavour, but they may not melt as well as younger cheeses.
