When it comes to pizza toppings, the best cheese can make or break your pie. It must be soft, stretchy, and have a mild flavor that complements other ingredients without overpowering them.

Choosing the right cheese for your pizza is important because it will determine how it melts and how it looks once baked. It will also impact the overall flavor of your pizza!

Mozzarella

The best cheese for pizza is one that can melt, stretch and turn a golden brown without burning. It also needs to be able to spread evenly over the crust and not become too thin in spots.

Mozzarella is the original pizza cheese, and it remains a staple in most pizzerias. It was originally made in Naples from buffalo milk curds, but today it comes in a variety of varieties from cow, sheep, goat, or even buffalo milk.

Mozzarella has a low moisture content and a high-fat content, which creates the desired melting and stretchability. It’s the most common cheese used on pizza, and you can find it shredded or in block form at many supermarkets.

Cheddar

Cheddar is a classic pizza cheese that combines a rich flavor with a tangy bite. It works well with milder toppings, but it is also an excellent complement to sharper flavors like prosciutto and pepperoni.

Researchers have found that a combination of mozzarella and cheddar cheeses creates the best bubbly, melted topping. The cheeses’ rheology, free oil, transition temperature, elasticity, and water activity all contribute to their ability to withstand the high heat in the pizza oven.

Those who prefer a bolder cheese for their pizza should opt for a mature cheddar. This type of cheese has small, naturally formed salt crystals within it, which gives it a crunchy texture that enhances the taste of your pizza.

Fontina

If you’re looking for cheese with a tangy flavor and smooth texture, fontina is a great option. It melts well, has a nutty taste, and works with a variety of toppings.

Fontina is a mild, semi-soft cow’s milk cheese that originates in the Aosta Valley in the Italian Alps. It’s made from the unpasteurized milk of Valdostana cows, which are raised on lush grasslands in the area.

It’s dry salted during the curing process, and then aging takes place in natural caves bored into the rock. These caves provide low temperatures and allow the cheese to absorb naturally filtered moisture, creating the nutty, buttery flavors characteristic of true fontina.

Originally, fontina was only produced in Italy, but today it’s available in Denmark, Sweden, the United States, and Canada. It’s an excellent melting cheese and is perfect for pizzas, sauces, toasty sandwiches, and frittatas.

Smoked Gouda

Smoked Gouda is an excellent cheese for pizza, especially when you want to add a smoky flavor to your pie. It’s also a versatile cheese that can be used for mac and cheese, sandwiches, and fondue.

When choosing a cheese for your pizza, it’s important to consider the texture of the cheese as well as the flavors of your other toppings. For example, mozzarella melts quickly and creates that classic cheese pull, but gruyere and fontina have a higher melting point, which results in a thicker and creamier layer of cheese on your pizza.

Gouda is a soft and mild cheese that has a sweet and nutty flavor. It’s available in young and aged varieties, and the older it is, the softer and tangier it will become.

Monterey Jack

If you’re looking for a cheese that melts well and goes well with pizza toppings, then Monterey Jack is the way to go. This mild white cheese is a versatile option for your next pie, and it’s also good for grilling.

Mozzarella is a semi-soft, fresh curd cheese with a springy texture that can be pulled apart into strands. Low-moisture varieties are a little firmer, but both types of mozzarella melt beautifully without becoming greasy or stringy.

Another popular choice is Wisconsin Brick cheese, which is a creamy, buttery variety that’s suitable for many recipes and cuisines. It’s a great choice for pizza, too, as it melts well and pairs well with bold ingredients like pepperoni or prosciutto.