Mozzarella – The Best Cheese for a Pizza Fix

mozzarella cheese for pizza

Which Mozzarella To Choose – Low Moisture, or Fresh?

Mozzarella cheese is a staple on my shopping list.

mozzarella cheese for pizzaI’ve got pizza on my mind every week. I have not been told I’m obsessed with pizza, but perhaps I’m getting there.

When I check the cupboard, I’ve usually got everything else: pizza sauce, mushrooms, Parmesan cheese and all the ingredients for the dough.

As for the mozzarella, I go back and forth when it comes to which type of cheese I use for my homemade pizza.

I am very picky about the sauce I use on my pizza, but not so much about the cheese. Perhaps that is because I have not found one that is, for me, a stand out product.

I like both the low-moisture and fresh mozzarella cheese on pizza. Which one I use generally becomes a matter of convenience.

Choose Your Favorite Mozzarella Cheese

Sometimes I get the drier mozzarella cheese, in chunk or shredded form, labeled low moisture, part skim. It doesn’t add wetness to the sauce, and since I like a lot of sauce on my pizza, this makes a difference for the finished product. The toppings on the crust stay in place better and don’t slide off as easily when you pick up a slice of pizza.

Fresh mozzarella is wet, no doubt about it. I have not experimented yet with techniques that would take more time, like cutting, squeezing and draining the balls of cheese, before adding them to my pizza.

When I use fresh mozzarella on my pizza, I just slice it and put it on.

The drier cheeses last longer in the fridge, and often this is the deciding factor.

Mozzarella is going to be used for pizza around here. It’s convenient to have it last for a week or two, instead of days.

That said, fresh mozzarella is tasty on pizza!

melting fresh mozzarellaFresh Mozzarella

  • Check the deli case, or the specialty cheese case in your local grocery
  • Sold in a plastic pouch, pack or container with some water in it
  • Shorter expiration time
  • Use within days after opening
  • Creamy texture melts easily

homemade pizza with cheeseLow Moisture Mozzarella

  • Found in the general cheese section, in shredded or chunk form in the cheese refrigerator case at the store
  • Ready to scatter on pizza if it’s shredded, or slice and spread if in a chunk
  • Squeeze air out of pouch of shredded cheese (if you have any left to store).
  • Wrap chunk cheese tightly to help keep longer
  • Melts and browns in a hot [popup_product]pizza oven[/popup_product]
  • Use standard shred (vs. fine) to prevent burning

No matter what cheese you choose, enjoy your homemade pizza!

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Pizza – an easy Sunday night supper

I’ve found it’s so easy to have pizza for a Sunday night meal, having made it often for so many years.

Homemade pizza

You can make the pizza crust late in the afternoon, and let it rise on the back of the stove, with a clean dish towel or cloth over the bowl to keep down the drafts. Then go off to finish the laundry, do homework, or any of those other tasks that will get your week off to a good start.

Pizza’s flexible that way. It fits around the rest of your life.

Or, if you make the dough further in advance, such as in the morning, put it in the refrigerator and let it rise more slowly. If you make an extra batch or two, you can even freeze some ahead. Wrap them well and date them. Just take them out of the freezer to thaw for a few hours before you’re ready to use them.

The other pizza components, such as sauce and toppings, keep well and you can have them as pantry staples. This is one reason we like canned mushrooms, though fresh mushrooms are great on pizza, too.

The cheeses, such as mozzarella and parmesan, are great to have on hand as refrigerator staples. The extra richness of flavor that you get from fresh grated parmesan and fresh mozzarella make up for their shorter shelf life.

When you’re ready to make the pizza, just preheat the oven, prepare your baking stone if it needs that, stretch out the dough, top it and bake.

Then you’re ready to pour your favorite drink and settle in with your favorite Sunday night TV shows. Or, just relax and enjoy a hot fresh pizza as you get ready for another week of activity.

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