Frederic Melton
Pizza cheese is typically a low-moisture, mild, and creamy variety with good meltability and stretchability. While there are several types of cheese that can be used on pizzas, mozzarella is the most popular and traditional option. It is a defining ingredient in Neapolitan pizza but is used across all pizza styles due to its fresh taste, light and creamy texture, and superior browning properties. Other types of pizza cheese include cheddar, fontina, gouda, jack, muenster, provolone, raclette, parmesan, asiago, and gruyere.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Most popular type | Mozzarella |
| Other types | Cheddar, Parmesan, Provolone, Fontina, Gouda, Jack, Muenster, Raclette, Gruyere, Smoked Gouda, Pepper Jack, Asiago, Monterey Jack, and more |
| Texture | Ooey-gooey, creamy, mild, super meltable, and stretchable |
| Flavor | Tangy, salty, dense, nutty, earthy, pungent, sharp, and buttery |
| Moisture content | Low-moisture mozzarella is preferred to avoid soggy crusts |
| Fat content | Low-fat content |
| Browning | Browns well but not too well to avoid burning |
| Stretchability | Mild stretchiness to produce strands when pulled apart |
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What You'll Learn
Mozzarella is the most popular pizza cheese
Mozzarella is minimally processed, which gives it a fresh taste with a light and creamy texture. It was traditionally made with Bufala milk, but now it is more commonly made with cow's milk. When making pizza with mozzarella cheese, you can choose between high and low moisture. High-moisture mozzarella has a very short shelf life and must be used within a day of being made. Low-moisture mozzarella, on the other hand, has a longer shelf life and a saltier, denser flavour. This low-moisture component also helps the cheese melt faster when baked, making it a popular choice for pizzerias.
Mozzarella's meltability and stretchability are backed by science. The milk fat by weight of the solids in a cheese is what makes it denser, helping it stretch and melt. The percentage of liquid in a cheese also impacts its browning ability. Pizza cheese typically has a low moisture level and a low-fat content, which creates the desired melting and stretchability.
While mozzarella is the most popular choice, other cheeses can also be used on pizza, including cheddar, parmesan, provolone, and gouda.
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Cheddar is a common addition to cheese blends
While mozzarella is the most popular cheese option for pizza, cheddar is a common addition to cheese blends. Cheddar is not typically associated with pizza because it doesn't handle high heat well, but it lends itself well to cheese blends to add colour to the mix. Cheddar has a lower elasticity, which means it doesn't blister as easily as mozzarella. If you choose a sharper cheddar cheese with a deep orange tint, it will add colour to your pizza. Cheddar has a sharp, nutty, rich flavour. It holds up well as it cools, remaining soft and pliable.
Cheddar is a good addition to any pie because of its versatility. You can add toppings like savoury meat or sweet pineapple to create a unique menu.
Cheddar is one of the best cheeses for pizza because of its meltability. The harder and more aged the cheese, the less willing it is to melt atop your pizza. Soft Jack cheese, for example, melts in a matter of minutes, while two-year-old Parmesan barely melts at all. Cheddar, on the other hand, melts beautifully and has excellent stretchability.
Cheddar is also a good option for pizza because of its fat content. The milkfat by weight of the solids in a cheese is what makes it denser, helping it stretch and melt. Cheddar has a fat content of 9 grams per 1 oz. slice.
While mozzarella is the most popular choice for pizza, cheddar is a common addition to cheese blends, adding colour and flavour to the pie.
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Low-moisture mozzarella is a pizzeria favourite
Mozzarella is the most popular cheese option for pizza. It is a defining ingredient in Neapolitan pizza, but it is a versatile cheese that suits any pizza style. Mozzarella is minimally processed, offering a fresh taste with a light and creamy texture.
When it comes to pizza cheese, you can choose between high and low-moisture mozzarella. High-moisture mozzarella has a very short shelf life and must be used within a day of being made. Low-moisture mozzarella, on the other hand, has a longer shelf life and a denser, saltier flavour. This variety also melts faster when baked due to its lower water content, reducing the risk of a soggy pizza.
The low-moisture content of this cheese variety is key to its popularity in pizzerias. It helps the cheese melt faster and more evenly, creating the ideal gooey, stringy texture that is expected of pizza cheese. The reduced moisture also prevents the cheese from releasing liquid during baking, ensuring that the pizza crust remains crisp and avoiding the dreaded soggy pizza scenario.
In summary, low-moisture mozzarella is favoured by pizzerias for its convenience, superior melting properties, and ability to create a crisp, non-soggy pizza. Its mild, creamy flavour also pairs well with various toppings and sauces without overwhelming the other flavours.
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Parmesan adds umami and depth of flavour
Pizza is a versatile dish that can be made with a variety of cheeses, including mozzarella, cheddar, parmesan, and provolone. While mozzarella is the most popular choice, parmesan can add a depth of flavour and umami taste to your pizza.
Umami, which means "tasty" in Japanese, is the fifth basic taste, along with sweetness, sourness, bitterness, and saltiness. It was discovered by Japanese chemist Kikunae Ikeda, who linked it to the presence of glutamic acid, an amino acid found in protein-rich foods like meat, cheese, and stocks. Parmesan, a hard type of cheese, is renowned for its high content of free glutamate, with 1,680 mg of glutamic acid per 100 g of cheese. This is nearly equal to the amount found in kombu, a type of edible seaweed used in Japanese soup stock.
The ageing process of Parmesan cheese also contributes to its umami flavour. During ageing, enzymes decompose milk proteins into free amino acids, which play a crucial role in the taste of cheese. Parmigiano-Reggiano, a type of Parmesan cheese, is matured for over two years, causing its moisture content to reduce to about 15%. This results in a higher concentration of free amino acids and salt, enhancing the umami taste.
When added to pizza, Parmesan can provide a nutty, sweet-savoury, or salty flavour, depending on its age and the other ingredients used. It can also add a gritty texture to the dish. While younger Parmesan cheeses have better meltability, older cheeses have a more intense umami flavour. Therefore, when using Parmesan on pizza, a balance must be struck between meltability and flavour intensity.
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Fresh mozzarella has a higher water content
Mozzarella is the most popular cheese option for pizza. It is a defining ingredient in Neapolitan pizza but is ideal for any pizza style. Mozzarella is super meltable and has great stretchability, and its flavour is creamy yet mild. It is also traditional—some would argue a pizza isn't a pizza without mozzarella cheese.
However, there are a few different kinds of mozzarella on offer in the typical dairy aisle—from low-moisture and fresh, to whole milk and part-skim. Fresh mozzarella has a higher water content than low-moisture mozzarella because it has not gone through the additional drying process that low-moisture mozzarella goes through. As a result, it has a softer texture. This extra water is shed by the cheese in the oven, which can cause a soggy crust if you're not careful. When using fresh mozzarella for pizza, it is important to dry it thoroughly by patting it as dry as possible and then ideally leaving it to further air dry on paper towels for 10 to 20 minutes. The more moisture that can be removed before baking the pizza, the better.
Low-moisture mozzarella is the choice for a classic, dependable pizza. It is meltable with a mild but creamy flavour, and its lack of moisture is perfect for avoiding soggy pies. It is also denser and saltier than fresh mozzarella and 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 is America's favourite pizza cheese, but other varieties can offer mozzarella's signature meltability with a richer, more complex flavour. For example, cheddar, fontina, gouda, jack, muenster, provolone, and raclette can all be used on pizza.
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Frequently asked questions
Mozzarella is the most popular cheese for pizza. It is a defining ingredient in Neapolitan pizza but can be used for any pizza style. It is super melty and stretchy, and its flavour is mild and creamy.
Yes, other popular pizza cheeses include provolone, parmesan, gouda, cheddar, raclette, fontina, muenster, and pepper jack.
Low-moisture mozzarella is the best option for pizza as it has a longer shelf life, a saltier and denser flavour, and melts faster when baked.
