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Four Cheese Pizza
Prep Time
25 mins
Cook Time
6 mins
Preheating time
1 hr
Total Time
31 mins
 

A delicious cheese pizza made with a blend of mozzarella, Italian Fontina, Asiago, and Romano cheeses. The mozzarella and Fontina cheeses have a creamy base and are good melting cheeses, while the Asiago and Romano cheese provide a sharp contrast and make all the cheeses pop. 

Garnish with fresh basil and red pepper flakes. 

Makes one 10-inch (25.5 cm) pizza. For a larger pizza adjust the ingredient proportions as needed.  

Course: Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: Italian, Italian American
Keyword: Cheese pizza, Four cheese Pizza
Servings: 2 people
Author: Ginger
Ingredients
Tomato Sauce
  • 1 14.5 oz (411 g) can whole peeled tomatoes
  • 1 TB olive oil
  • 2-3 cloves garlic minced
  • ½ tsp dried oregano
  • Pinch of Kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp of granulated sugar
  • 6 leaves basil chiffonade sliced
Cheese Pizza
  • 1 7 oz (200 g) Pizza Dough
  • 3 TB (45 ml) Tomato Sauce
  • 3 oz (75 g) grated low moisture mozzarella
  • 2 oz (50 g) grated Italian Fontina cheese
  • 1 oz (25 g) grated Asiago cheese
  • ½ oz (15 g) grated Romano cheese
  • Fresh Basil leaves for garnish
Instructions
Prep
  1. One hour before you want to bake the pizza, preheat the oven to 500°F 250°C/ Gas mark 8
  2. If you are using a pizza steel or stone, place it on a rack according to the manufacturer’s directions.
  3. Place the pizza dough on the counter and rest for one hour before baking.
  4. Mix together the grated mozzarella and Fontina cheese and set aside. Keep the Asiago and Romano cheeses separate. 

Make the tomato sauce
  1. Place a fine mesh strainer over a bowl. Cut the tomatoes in half and squeeze out the seeds and remove the core over the strainer. Place the tomato halves into another bowl. Press out the juices from the seeds and core pieces in the strainer. Pour the tomato juice in the bowl with the tomatoes and blend with an immersion blender or add to a blender. Process until smooth.
  2. In a 2 quart sauce pan over medium high heat, add the olive oil and heat until shy of smoking. Add the minced garlic to the sauce pan, aiming away from the hot spot in your pan. Cook for a minute then add the puréed tomatoes. Turn down the heat to medium low and simmer for one two minutes. Add the salt sugar and half the basil then simmer for about 10-15 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the remaining fresh basil. This can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator in a sealed container for two days.
Assemble the pizza
  1. When it is time to bake your pizza, sprinkle some flour over a pizza peel and set aside. Or, place a piece of parchment paper over a rimmed sheet pan large enough to hold a 10-inch (25.5 cm) pizza. Lightly spay with cooking oil on the parchment paper. 

  2. Flour your work surface and your hands and pour the pizza dough onto your surface. Press down on the dough with your fingertips and shape into a circle. Drape the dough over the tops of both hands, shaped in a loose fist. Let gravity and your thumbs stretch out the pizza dough to a 10-inch (25.5 cm) circle. Use your thumbs to stretch out the edge and rotate the dough around. Do not pull out from the center of the dough.

  3. Place the dough on the prepared pizza peel or sheet pan. Check to make sure the pizza is not sticking to the peel by shaking the peel back and forth. If it is sticking add more flour to the peel. If you have any holes, patch them up so the topping does not ooze out while baking.
  4. Spread the tomato sauce in an even layer over the pizza dough, leaving an inch border around the pizza. Check to make sure the pizza is not sticking to the peel. Sprinkle all the cheeses, except the Romano cheese, over the tomato sauce in an even layer. Shake the peel back and forth to make sure it is not sticking to the peel.

  5. Bring the pizza on the peel over to the oven and aim toward the back of the baking stone or steel. (If you are using a sheet pan, just place it on the rack and bake). Slide the peel towards you and shake off the pizza so it slides onto the baking stone or steel.

  6. Bake for 6 minutes, or until the pizza is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly. Half way through baking, turn the pizza from front to back for even baking.
  7. Remove the pizza from the oven by using a spatula to slide it onto a pizza peel. Slide the pizza onto a cutting board or pizza pan. Sprinkle the Romano cheese and remaining fresh basil leaves over the pizza and serve immediately.