Kamil Perry
Pizza and cheese are a timeless combination, with cheese being a pivotal ingredient that can make or break the overall sensory appeal of the pizza. The choice of cheese can either elevate the pizza to new heights of flavour or clash with the other elements. The perfect cheese should melt and stretch well, enveloping the toppings in a creamy embrace, ensuring that flavours merge seamlessly on the pizza dough. While there are many types of cheese that can be used on pizza, mozzarella is the most popular choice for pizzas around the world. It melts perfectly, has a pleasant, mild taste, and is known for its near-perfect consistency.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Most popular | Mozzarella |
| Second most popular | Cheddar |
| Other popular options | Provolone, Parmesan, Havarti, Gorgonzola, Raclette, Fontina, Smoked Gouda, Pepper Jack, Muenster, Asiago, Monterey Jack |
| Best for meltability and stretchability | Mozzarella, Provolone, Cheddar, Fontina, Smoked Gouda, Pepper Jack, Muenster, Raclette, Monterey Jack |
| Best for flavour | Cheddar, Smoked Gouda, Raclette, Homemade Asiago/Cheddar/Parmesan blend |
| Best for texture | Mozzarella, Raclette, Homemade Asiago/Cheddar/Parmesan blend |
| Best for creaminess | Mozzarella, Raclette, Ricotta |
| Best for saltiness | Low-moisture Mozzarella |
| Best for tanginess | Smoked Gouda |
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What You'll Learn
Mozzarella: the most popular, mild and creamy
Mozzarella is the most popular cheese for pizzas worldwide. It is cherished for its mild flavour, straightforward taste, and creamy, smooth, and luxurious texture. Its meltability and stretchability are also desirable qualities, as they create a gooey layer of cheese over the pizza, making it the perfect comfort food.
Mozzarella is available in both fresh and low-moisture variations, with the former being creamier and offering a richer flavour, while the latter has a longer shelf life, stronger flavour, and is easier to melt. Fresh mozzarella is typically consumed within a few days of being made and is often used in baked dishes or enjoyed fresh. Low-moisture mozzarella, on the other hand, is denser and saltier, making it ideal for achieving that desirable stretchy cheese layer on pizzas. It is also less likely to make the pizza soggy due to its low water content.
When it comes to choosing between whole milk and part-skim mozzarella for your pizza, whole milk has a higher fat content, which can result in better melting and browning. However, part-skim mozzarella is also a common choice and can be used interchangeably with whole milk, depending on your preference.
While mozzarella is the most popular and well-known choice for pizza, it is often paired with other cheeses to create unique flavour profiles and enhance its stretchability and meltability. For example, Parmesan, cheddar, and provolone are commonly blended with mozzarella to add depth of flavour and a stretchier texture.
In conclusion, mozzarella is the classic choice for pizza due to its mild and creamy flavour, melt-in-your-mouth texture, and exceptional melting and stretching abilities. Its versatility, whether fresh or low-moisture, makes it a favourite among pizza lovers and chefs alike.
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Cheddar: a bold, sharp flavour
Cheddar cheese is a bold and sharp flavour that can bring depth and complexity to a pizza. Its distinctive taste makes it a popular choice for those looking to experiment beyond traditional cheeses. Cheddar's rich flavour profile pairs well with a variety of pizza toppings, especially meats and vegetables. The key to using cheddar successfully on a pizza is to balance its strong flavour with other ingredients.
Cheddar is known for its sharp, nutty, and rich flavour. It has a firm and dense texture that adds a satisfying bite to the pizza. While it may not be as stretchy as mozzarella, it still melts evenly, forming a smooth and creamy layer of cheese. Cheddar's melting ability is important to consider when using it as a pizza topping. Its fats and solids can separate when exposed to high temperatures, so it is often combined with other cheeses to create a blend that adds depth of flavour to the pizza.
When choosing cheddar for a pizza, it is recommended to select a ""mild" or "medium" variety, as these younger cheddars have better melting abilities than their aged counterparts. Aged cheddar can be used to add extra umami and depth of flavour to a pizza, but it should be blended with other cheeses to ensure proper melting.
Cheddar is a versatile cheese that can be used in a variety of pizza recipes. For example, it is a must-have ingredient in a Mac and Cheese Pizza, combining two comfort foods into one satisfying dish. Cheddar can also be blended with other cheeses, such as mozzarella, Parmesan, or provolone, to create unique flavour profiles and enhance the overall taste of the pizza.
The bold and sharp flavour of cheddar cheese makes it a popular choice for those who want to add a punch of flavour to their pizza. Its melting abilities and versatility in pairing with various toppings make it a great option for creating delicious and satisfying pizza combinations.
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Provolone: a classic pizzeria flavour
Pizza and cheese are a timeless duo, with cheese being a pivotal ingredient in the culinary world. The choice of cheese can either elevate the pizza to new heights of flavour or clash with the other elements. A good pizza cheese should have the ability to melt and stretch, enveloping the toppings in a creamy embrace.
Provolone is a semi-hard cheese sold in both aged and younger varieties. Testers describe its flavour as that of a "classic run-of-the-mill pizzeria pizza". For maximum stretchability and a milder flavour, opt for a younger cheese. If you're looking for a sharper flavour, use an aged version. Provolone is a popular choice for pizzerias, often blended with mozzarella.
Mozzarella is the most popular choice for pizzas around the world. It melts perfectly and has a pleasant, mild taste. It is also super stretchy and has a good browning ability. However, it can turn into a single big piece when it cools, causing it to fall off the pizza. Fresh mozzarella offers a creamy, rich flavour with more moisture, while low-moisture mozzarella provides a denser texture and a saltier taste, ideal for achieving that desirable stretchy cheese layer.
Cheddar is a popular choice for those looking to experiment beyond traditional cheeses. It brings a bold, sharp flavour to pizzas, contrasting beautifully with the sweetness of the tomato sauce. Its distinctive taste adds depth and complexity to the pizza. However, cheddar might not be the best choice as the only cheese on your pizza. Its fats and solids can separate when exposed to high temperatures.
Other cheeses that work well on pizzas include Parmesan, Monterey Jack, Raclette, Fontina, Gouda, and Muenster.
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Parmesan: grate over mozzarella
Mozzarella is the most well-known and popular pizza topping. It is cherished for its near-perfect consistency and mild, fresh flavour with a creamy consistency. However, some people may find it a bit plain. The type of mozzarella you use can also make a difference; low-moisture mozzarella has a longer shelf life, stronger flavours, and melts more easily, while fresh mozzarella is creamier and must be consumed within a couple of days.
Parmesan is a harder cheese and therefore does not melt as easily as mozzarella. However, when grated over mozzarella, it can add a salty, savoury flavour to your pizza. A blend of Parmesan, Asiago, and cheddar is a popular choice, providing a salty and slightly sweet flavour.
When grating Parmesan, it is best to use a stamped box grater, a Microplane grater, or a rotary grater. Parmesan can be grated in larger batches and does not get gummed up in the grater. It is important to note that grating Parmesan can take quite a bit of pressure.
Mozzarella can also be grated, but it is a bit more challenging due to its soft texture. It is best to grate in small increments and use gentle pressure. A box grater, flat grater, or Microplane grater can be used for mozzarella.
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Fresh vs low-moisture mozzarella: fresh is creamy and rich, low-moisture is saltier and denser
Mozzarella is a popular choice of cheese for pizza, but there are different types of mozzarella to choose from. Fresh mozzarella is creamy and rich, while low-moisture mozzarella is saltier and denser.
Fresh mozzarella is best the day it is made and has a short shelf life, rapidly deteriorating and developing off-flavours within the first few days. It is soft and white and often sold in plastic tubs, suspended in a brine. It has a great fresh, milky flavour but requires some prep work. If you put it straight on the pizza without any preparation, you will be left with puddles of cheese-water, which can weaken the crust and muddle the sauce. To avoid this, it should be dried or drained for at least 15 minutes before use and torn into smaller pieces.
Low-moisture mozzarella, on the other hand, has a longer shelf life. It can last for weeks under refrigeration, which makes it a cheaper option. It is also easier to melt and has a stronger flavour. It is generally sold in a plastic package as one big piece and is not suspended in any water. It is dry, which helps keep the pizza melty and delicious. However, the higher the quality of low-moisture mozzarella, the less "rubbery" it will taste.
For wood-fired, soggy-in-the-middle, true Neapolitan pizzas, a high-moisture, freshly made mozzarella is key. However, for most other pizza styles in the US, such as New York-style, Greek-style, bar pies, and Chicago deep dish, low-moisture aged mozzarella is the cheese of choice. This is because it is less likely to make the pizza wet and it gets a browned top.
Mozzarella is America's favourite pizza cheese, and its meltability is a priority. It is loved for its near-perfect consistency and straightforward flavour. It has mild, fresh flavours with a creamy consistency.
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Frequently asked questions
Mozzarella is the most popular cheese for pizzas worldwide due to its mild flavour, stretchiness, and meltability. However, other cheeses like cheddar, provolone, and ricotta are also great options for flavour pizzas.
The choice of cheese can either elevate the pizza or clash with the other elements. It is essential to select a cheese that complements the pizza toppings and sauce. For example, mozzarella's mild flavour mixes well with other toppings, while cheddar's bold and sharp flavour contrasts beautifully with the sweetness of the tomato sauce.
In addition to flavour, it is important to consider the meltability and stretchability of the cheese. The perfect melt ensures that flavours merge seamlessly on the pizza dough, while the right stretchability offers a visually satisfying experience and a delightful texture with every bite. The moisture content of the cheese also influences how it cooks on the pizza, affecting the crispiness of the crust and the uniformity of cheese melting.
