01/5Easy tips to make pizza at home!

Easy tips to make pizza at home!

Are you a pizza lover who loves to bake his/her own pizza at home? If yes, then you will surely relate to the fact that deciding the right amount of cheese and toppings are key to a flavourful pizza. If you also get clueless while deciding the variety and amount, we have got the first hand solution for you. Chef Jerry Thomas, Head Culinary, PizzaExpress, recently shared the tricks and tips with Times Food on how to choose the right cheese, toppings and what combinations work really well for the Indian taste buds.


02/5​The right cheese for your pizza

​The right cheese for your pizza

Without a doubt Mozzarella tops the list. However, there are a lot of varieties you can use to create your favorite pizza. From hard and dry Italian cheese like Parmesan or Pecorino to creamy Goats’ cheese, individually or combined they unleash an incredible flavor combination. The strong and pungent varieties add that gourmet touch to your pizza when combined with complimenting ingredients. One can use fresh cheese like Buffalo Mozzarella to finish the pizza which adds texture and a unique flavour to the pizza.


03/5​The toppings game

​The toppings game

Classic combinations are always a good option for pleasing even the pickiest of pizza lovers and you just can't go wrong with mozzarella-tomato-basil or pepperoni-mozzarella. Possibilities are numerous, but the umami flavour from the cheese compliments its toppings and elevates the pie. Even the truly adventurous eaters who like bold flavours, pizza toppings like speck ham-pineapple chutney-chili work well. One can always take inspiration from local ingredients and yet stay true to Italian roots. For instance, you may use fresh coriander leaves in place of basil and feel the magic.


04/5​Cheese combinations that you can try

​Cheese combinations that you can try

The right combination is determined on the basis of fat content, moisture content or type of milk used to get the desired flavour profile. There are no hard and fast rules that define ratio, but the combinations that work really well are Mozzarella- Cheddar- Monterey Jack or Parmesan-Mozzarella-Goat cheese. In recent times, use of smoked cheese has been a revelation to the pizza genre. The cheese must compliment the topping for flavour profile and pie crust for textural mouth feel.


05/5​The right ratio of cheese and toppings

​The right ratio of cheese and toppings

While this might differ from person to person, but the key is to have a generous amount of cheese that covers the base and on top, it should be 1/4th the amount of toppings. This should be evenly distributed and not overpower the rest of the ingredients. The even spreading of cheese and topping is the main hack, this ensures every slice tastes the same.