In the preparation of a pizza, probably the worst mistake someone can do is to make the wrong choice of cheese. For pizza lovers, different types of cheese available makes it quite easy to choose the best one to make your pizza tasty and delicious.
Whether someone loves the elastic pull of mozzarella cheese, or the gourmet preference of Gruyere or Gorgonzola, or even someone who wants the variation of textures and tastes then knowing the nature and qualities of cheeses and how they melt will add to their ability to appreciate a pizza.
This article aims to introduce different types of cheese and look at the best cheese for pizza toppings and how each of them works with other toppings. This guide allows you to walk through all the stages with a clear recommendation as to whether you would prefer a sharp bite or creamy finish or combination of the two.
Factors to Consider When Choosing Cheese for Pizza
The choice of cheese is an extremely vital factor towards the best combination of taste, texture and aesthetics in the pizza. The following are some of the factors that you must put into consideration:
- Meltability: It is imperative to get the best meltability so that the cheese spreads out evenly to form a sheet and suits the crust properly. The gooey and stretchy texture will result from the kind of cheese which has the necessary meltability expected in a great pizza.
- Flavor Profile: The cheeses also come in different flavors; the fresh Cheese has a slight and smooth taste, while others have sharp tastes such as blue cheese. It should not steal the chrome from the other ingredients but rather complement the rest of the toppings and the sauce.
- Moisture Content: Moisture level also determines the way cheese behaves when bakes and melts. Fresh cheeses with high moisture content have low melting point which makes them juicy when in the mouth while the firm cheese aged cheddar for instance, has a crispy feel in the mouth with maximum point flavors.
- Oil Content: This factor determines the melting ability of cheese and flavor palms to a certain extent. The choice of cheese also affects melting; high fat cheese will melt better and bring better taste and feelings of luxurious to the pizza.
- Compatibility with Other Toppings: The type of cheese should complement the other flavors in the pizza such as the tomato sauce, caramelized onions, pepperoni among others. Cheese when well selected enhances the other toppings and balances them by combining well to complement each other.
Best Types of Cheese for Classic Pizzas
Mozzarella
This is a type of cheese most preferred for pizza since it is stretchy and its flavor is not very overpowering hence can go well with any pizza topping. Fresh mozzarella contains a high amount of moisture which makes it suitable for melting and achieving the perfect consistency.
Provolone
Milder and slightly more acidic than mozzarella, this cheese adds a lot of flavors to pizza. This is why it is so popular for both thin crust and thick crust pizzas. It is usually included in the mix to add extra flavor to the cheese layer.
Cheddar
This type of cheese has a strong taste and is sharp which make it suitable to add extra taste to pizza with a hint of a tang. It has a high tendency to melt and blends well with most of its toppings such as spicy foods or any food that has a strong taste like meats.
Parmesan
It is not usually applied as the main cheese for making pizza, a small topping of freshly grated Parmesan cheese added at the final stage of the cooking process can turn a pizza into a masterpiece due to its nutty and savory flavor. It is widely used for capping pizzas and is fine as a combination with any other cheese.
Specialty Cheese for Unique Flavors
Ricotta
This has smooth, creamy, and slightly sweet taste which is usually spread under pizza sauce or incorporated in dough to make the pizza soft. The cheese is especially used in Neapolitan-style pizzas due to the appropriateness of the product characteristics.
Gorgonzola
This blue cheese is strong and has a somewhat ground feeling attributed to it which when added to a pizza will give it a dramatic twist. It is a mild cheese that has a thick and smooth texture and so can be excellent for pizzas that don’t require a lot of additional ingredients to be added on top of the cheese.
Goat Cheese
This variety is sharp, creamy goat cheese that can be added to the pizza toppings before or after it has been baked. It harmonizes well with figs, honey, and arugula which makes it unique and not in a normative taste of pizzas.
Feta
This is a cheese with a unique characteristic of being crumbly and slightly bitter; the addition of this cheese to the pizza will change its taste. This type of cheese can be more specifically identified with Greek membership and is suitable for the typical inclusion in Mediterranean style pizzas such as those containing olive and tomato toppings.
Best Cheese for Smoked and Aged Varieties
Smoked Mozzarella
Smoked mozzarella cheese is a more refined kind of mozzarella with a smoky overtone that complements well the primal acidic taste. Most of us love that smoky flavor and it is perfect for our BBQ chicken toppings as well as any toppings that give that smoky flavor like the mushrooms.
Aged Asiago
It has a nutty and toffee-like flavor profile good for pizzas. This makes it appropriate to use it when garnishing a pizza by crumbling it on top before the final baking process.
Fontina
It has excellent melting characteristics and gives a buttery flavor to the dish and can also be a classy addition to pizza. It is very compatible with a number of ingredients especially those used in Italian recipes such as prosciutto and truffles.
Cheese Combinations for Different Pizza Styles
Different styles of pizza should not be served with the same cheese; rather the cheese should be selected based on the type of pizza. Below, I have compiled a list of cheese combinations for the perfect pizza in relation to the most popular pizza styles we have.
Margherita Pizza
For the Margherita, fresh mozzarella and provolone cheeses give a good texture and improve the taste of fresh basil and tomatoes. It is possible to combine ricotta with this old stand by and it will add a rich element to the cake.
Pepperoni Pizza
Pepperoni pizza benefits from a blend of part-skim mozzarella cheese, which melts well and sharp cheddar cheese for pumped up taste. This is achieved with the help of Parmesan. It adds an extra dimension which in combination with the pepperoni’s spiciness is perfect.
BBQ Chicken Pizza
The mozzarella and smoked gouda cheese makes the BBQ chicken pizza even better because of the stretchability of the cheese as well as the smoky flavor that complements the sweet and sour flavor of the BBQ sauce. An addition of Gruyère can also be made for a nutty touch.
White Pizza
The combination of mozzarella, ricotta, and Parmesan cheeses will give rich taste to pizza and make this dish very tasty and spicy at the same time. It is creamy because of the use of ricotta cheese and sharp because Parmesan cheese is used in combination with it and mozzarella which has a mild taste.
Veggie Pizza
Mozzarella is the unquestionable hero for vegetable pizza and the probabilities of freshly lifted feta add a dash of different sharpness to the vegetables. Surprisingly, goat cheese can also be used for a rich, a bit sharp taste for which it is best served with various kinds of vegetable toppings.
Truffle Pizza
A truffle pizza with caramelized onions and cream cheese contains pleasant undertones of mozzarella and mascarpone, the latter of which lends a creamy texture. Grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese added on top intensifies the rather rich smell of truffle, and the resulting taste is luxurious.
Through proper choice of cheeses for every style of the pizza, the quality of taste when you take a bite is taken to an all-new level.
Tips for Using Cheese on Pizza
To improve the quality of pizza, use the types of cheese that melt well and has unique tastes. The following tips will help you get top results from your cheese selection process:
Layering Cheese Properly
Cheese must be placed the right way so that after baking, all units: crust, cheese, and toppings are evenly proportioned. First, apply a thin layer of cheese on the pizza dough so that each portion gets a dose of cheese. You should make sure that the cheese covers the dough until it is covered enough but not so much that it flows or becomes too wet.
To enhance the thickness and flavor, it is recommended that the cheese subtypes should be placed in layers or alternated with other favorite toppings. This method also improves the taste and aids in preventing burnt areas on the surface of the chocolate pieces.
Using Pre-Shredded vs. Block Cheese
The choice between using pre-shredded and raw block cheese presents a hard decision to make. The prime choice for making pizza at various times rests with pre-shredded cheese because of its convenient format. The addition of anti-caking agents in pre-shredded cheese creates difficulties in melting and spreading during cooking.
To achieve the best pizza quality, you should make your choice for block cheese. Fresh grating of cheese brings out its melting potential while creating a natural almond taste. Residents use block cheese because of its spreading characteristics yet pre-shredded cheese provides the best solution when pre-shredded cheese is needed.
Controlling the Cheese Proportion
A precise measurement between the cheese amounts and cheese types will result in a delicious pizza however excessive cheese amounts should be avoided. An equal balance between cheese and sauce is most effective since it amplifies their combined flavors without overwhelming the single elements.
You should adjust the ratio according to personal taste preferences along with the choice of cheese ingredients. You must use less Parmesan because its hard texture requires less quantity compared to soft mozzarella which works best when used in bigger amounts. The desired taste combination with multiple textures can be achieved by blending various kinds of cheese.
Experiment with New Flavors
Pizza accepts a wide range of cheese variants since multiple types can be used together in the recipe. Mozzarella stands as the well-known pick yet feeling adventurous by using different types of cheese is perfectly acceptable. Gruyere and feta cheese along with blue cheese are suitable substitutes to offer different taste profiles when replacing mozzarella.
You can use smoked cheese with the initial four ingredients and ricotta cheese to provide richness and cheesy flavor. Different combinations of multiple cheese types allow you to determine how they will alter the taste profile. Keep your choice of cheese balanced against the other available cheeses because both components should harmonize together when making the pizza.
Conclusion
Several ingredients must be evaluated when selecting the right cheese for pizza preparation because they work together to impact both the final quality and flavor of the toppings.
- Mozzarella cheese with additional moisture and very strong filaments contains characteristics that make it the epitome of melted cheese; mild flavor, creamy and stretchy layer that goes well with virtually any topping.
- To get a richer flavor, Gruyère and Fontina provide nutty flavor and also an excellent melting characteristic with a tinge of tanginess from provolone.
- Being creamy and soft in texture ricotta cheese is the best for pizzas where you will require a sweet and final texture.
- Smoked Gouda or Taleggio adds a richer taste and for the cheese enthusiast, there is the wonderful punch that comes with blue cheese.
Knowing the difference of each cheese type helps you decide what type of cheese will match your pizza toppings and of course your taste buds to make each slice as satisfying as the previous one.
From the conventional type of cheese that most people use to the more adventurous ones that are now available in the market, the right cheese is a great component that moves a pizza from being just a mere meal to being gastronomic delight.
