Cheese is arguably the best part of the pizza. In fact, it is the one topping for pizza that can stand on its own and still make a tasty pie. While some may not be impressed with a cheese pizza, it is one of the most popular pizzas in the United States. By choosing a nice blend of cheeses, your pizza can become a gourmet treat that you will want to have over and over again. Beyond beginning with a great pizza dough recipe cheese can be one of the most important steps in making a truly delicious pizza.
By mixing your cheeses, your pizza will come into its own. Whether you add more toppings is up to you; a simple sprinkling of herbs or sausage can add a lot to your pizza. The great thing about this versatile dish is you can make pizza with virtually anything.
The King of Pizza Cheese
Probably the most well known pizza cheese is mozzarella. Remember when you had pizza when you were a kid? You would bite into it, and the cheese would stretch and stretch. This is one of the qualities of a good mozzarella. If you go to the market, you will find mozzarella in many forms. Fresh mozzarella is sold in small tubs of brine. Too soft for grating, fresh mozzarella can be sliced thinly to melt on your pizza. If you prefer grated cheese, opt for one of the blocks of partly skimmed mozzarella. This cheese is a bit drier and will not stretch quite as far when melted, but it can still make a major contribution to your pie. Another similar mild cheese you may want to try is farmer’s cheese. It also makes a good base for a blend of pizza cheese.
In Italy, mozzarella is made of buffalo milk. If you look, you can find buffalo mozzarella in some specialty shops. The flavor of buffalo mozzarella is much better than cow’s milk mozzarella. The commercial variety that you find in the grocery store is only a mere shadow of what true mozzarella can be. There is a reason one of Italy’s favorite salads is only made of slices of mozzarella, basil leaves and tomatoes drizzled with olive oil. It also melts wonderfully, creating a creamy puddle on your pizza when it is taken out of the oven.
Other Cheeses
Provolone is a good cheese to put on your pizza. Regular provolone is creamy with a hint of nutty flavor. Smoked provolone has a stronger, more robust smoky flavor. Either way, you get a nice, flavorful, stretchy cheese. This is one cheese you can use alone on a pizza, or mixed with other cheeses in a blend.
The trio of dried cheeses that many people use on pasta also taste good on pizza. Parmesan, Romano and Asiago cheeses all make great additions to your cheese blend. You can even find all three blended together at your local market. The dried versions have a wonderful, nutty flavor. Parmesan can also be found fresh. It tastes wonderful on grilled pizza recipes and almost any other types of pizza you can imagine.
Cheddar, Wisconsin Brick or other similar cheeses are good choices to add to a blend for pizza. They do not stretch as much as mozzarella and some of the others, so you do not want to use too much of it in your blend. Just add enough to add a little more flavor.
Once you find the cheese you like, play around with them until you get the proportions you prefer. Do not forget cheeses like fontina, Emmenthaler, Gouda or Muenster. Your pizzas will become sought after by your family and friends.