Cheese

Fior di latte

Fresh cow's-milk mozzarella, the standard cheese of Neapolitan pizza, prized for its mild flavour and creamy melt over a short bake.

Buffalo mozzarella (mozzarella di bufala)

A richer, more delicate buffalo's-milk mozzarella with protected geographical status (Mozzarella di Bufala Campana DOP), used with care due to its high moisture content.

Low-moisture mozzarella

A firmer, lower-moisture mozzarella that shreds, browns, and holds up over the longer bakes typical of American pizza styles.

Provolone

A sharper cow's-milk cheese often blended with mozzarella for added flavour, notably in Chicago tavern-style pizza.

Provel cheese

A processed cheese blend distinctive to St Louis-style pizza, valued for its smooth, low-stretch melt rather than the stretch typical of mozzarella.

Pecorino Romano

A sharp, salty sheep's-milk grating cheese used sparingly as a finishing element rather than a primary melting cheese.

Parmigiano Reggiano

A nutty, umami-forward hard grating cheese with protected designation of origin status, used as a finishing element rather than a melting base.

Ricotta

A mild, high-moisture whey cheese most often used in dollops on calzones and some baked pan styles rather than as a primary melting cheese.

Scamorza

A firmer, sometimes smoked relative of mozzarella that brings good stretch with lower moisture and a nuttier flavour.

Cheddar

A sharp, high-oil-release cheese generally blended with a more stable melting cheese rather than used alone.

Brick cheese

A Wisconsin brick cheese whose caramelised, lacy edge against a hot steel pan defines Detroit-style pizza's signature crust.

Blue cheese

A strong, salty cheese used sparingly as an accent, usually balanced with a sweet or fruit topping.

Goat's cheese

A tangy, low-stretch cheese commonly paired with sweet or peppery toppings on contemporary pizzas.

Vegan cheese (category)

A fast-evolving, brand-dependent category of dairy-free cheese alternatives with no single standard melt or stretch behaviour.

Taleggio

A strong, pungent Italian washed-rind cheese used sparingly on contemporary pizzas, often paired with sweet or fruity toppings to balance its intensity.

Fontina

A mild, nutty, smoothly melting Italian cheese popular on contemporary and white pizzas, often blended with mozzarella.

Grana Padano

A milder, less salty hard grating cheese than Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano, protected by its own designation of origin.

Caciocavallo

A pasta filata cheese similar in behaviour to provolone, traditional to Southern Italy and used in some sfincione recipes.