Perfect Cheese Pizza
My family loves this homemade cheese pizza recipe! Made with two types of cheese, it’s been on repeat in our home for years. This extra cheesy pizza is perfect for any pizza lover and occasion. Are you ready to make the best homemade cheese pizza we have ever made? This recipe has become our family’s go-to homemade pizza. It’s super simple and so good! We have lots of pizza recipes on Inspired Taste. Check out our Margherita pizza, this easy flatbread pizza, or if you are looking for homemade dough, this pizza dough. Key Ingredients Dough: I love using my homemade pizza dough recipe, but any store-bought dough will work. Sauce: Your favorite store-bought pizza sauce is perfect! In a pinch, I’ve even used spaghetti sauce. This homemade pizza sauce is great, too. Cheese: I use shredded mozzarella (not fresh mozzarella) for that classic pizza melt. A sprinkle of shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano adds a nice salty kick! Toppings: Fresh chives and dried oregano are my go-to toppings for this cheese pizza. Chives add a subtle onion-garlic flavor, while oregano gives it that classic pizzeria taste. Dough: I love using my homemade pizza dough recipe, but any store-bought dough will work. Sauce: Your favorite store-bought pizza sauce is perfect! In a pinch, I’ve even used spaghetti sauce. This homemade pizza sauce is great, too. Cheese: I use shredded mozzarella (not fresh mozzarella) for that classic pizza melt. A sprinkle of shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano adds a nice salty kick! Toppings: Fresh chives and dried oregano are my go-to toppings for this cheese pizza. Chives add a subtle onion-garlic flavor, while oregano gives it that classic pizzeria taste. How to Make Cheese Pizza Here’s how to make my family’s favorite cheese pizza! First, we use a good pizza dough and leave it on the counter to warm up a bit before patting it into a thin disc. Then, I’m pretty generous with my sauce (I love this pizza sauce). Now grab a bowl and toss together shredded mozzarella, parmesan cheese, chives, and oregano. Then, generously scatter the mixture all over the pizza. Last but not least, bake it! I bake my pizzas in a very hot oven and use a pizza steel. Since not everyone has one, I’ve included all my tips in the recipe below. By the way, I love this pizza topped with a spoonful of giardiniera (which is an herby pickled vegetable relish-so good!). Perfect Cheese Pizza PREP 30 mins COOK 10 mins TOTAL 40 mins PREP 30 mins COOK 10 mins TOTAL 40 mins Our best recipe for cheese pizza! We use our favorite homemade pizza dough, a garlicky pizza sauce, two types of cheese, and herbs. Makes 1 large pizza You Will Need 1 batch homemade pizza dough or use store-bought dough 4 to 6 tablespoons pizza sauce, try homemade pizza sauce 1 cup (57g) shredded mozzarella, not fresh mozzarella 1/2 cup (28g) shredded parmesan 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano All-purpose flour, for forming dough disc Semolina flour, for dusting pan Directions 1At least 30 minutes before you plan to bake your pizza, preheat the oven to 450° Fahrenheit (232°C). If you have one, place a pizza steel or pizza stone into the oven before preheating. Personally, we use a higher temperature, see the tips section for our thoughts on what temperature is best for baking pizza at home. 2If your pizza dough is cold, allow it to warm at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes. 3When ready to bake your pizza, prepare a pizza peel or pizza pan by dusting it with semolina flour. 4In a medium bowl, mix the shredded mozzarella, parmesan, chives, and oregano together. 5Dust a clean work surface with all-purpose flour, and then form your pizza dough into a round, large enough to fit your pizza peel or pan. To stretch the dough, avoid rolling it out, as this can flatten the bubbles that have formed. Instead, use your fingers to make dimples in the dough, starting from the center and working outwards. Carefully stretch and push the dough to fit your pizza pan or peel. Use a light touch to maintain as many air pockets in the dough as possible. 6Transfer the dough round to your pizza peel or pan, and reform it if it shrinks back a bit. 7Spread pizza sauce over the pizza, leaving a thin edge untouched for the crust. Scatter the cheese mixture over the sauce. 8Bake until the crust is set and golden brown and the cheese has melted with golden spots all over, 6 to 15 minutes, depending on oven temperature. Remove from the oven, cut, and serve. 1At least 30 minutes before you plan to bake your pizza, preheat the oven to 450° Fahrenheit (232°C). If you have one, place a pizza steel or pizza stone into the oven before preheating. Personally, we use a higher temperature, see the tips section for our thoughts on what temperature is best for baking pizza at home. 2If your pizza dough is cold, allow it to warm at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes. 3When ready to bake your pizza, prepare a pizza peel or pizza pan by dusting it with semolina flour. 4In a medium bowl, mix the shredded mozzarella, parmesan, chives, and oregano together. 5Dust a clean work surface with all-purpose flour, and then form your pizza dough into a round, large enough to fit your pizza peel or pan. To stretch the dough, avoid rolling it out, as this can flatten the bubbles that have formed. Instead, use your fingers to make dimples in the dough, starting from the center and working outwards. Carefully stretch and push the dough to fit your pizza pan or peel. Use a light touch to maintain as many air pockets in the dough as possible. 6Transfer the dough round to your pizza peel or pan, and reform it if it shrinks back a bit. 7Spread pizza sauce over the pizza, leaving a thin edge untouched for the crust. Scatter the cheese mixture over the sauce. 8Bake until the crust is set and golden brown and the cheese has melted with golden spots all over, 6 to 15 minutes, depending on oven temperature. Remove from the oven, cut, and serve. Adam and Joanne's Tips Oven temperature: We recommend 450° Fahrenheit (232°C) in the recipe, but if you are comfortable with it, increasing the temperature to 550° Fahrenheit (288°C) will provide even better results. If you have a vented hood above your oven, turn it on high. When our oven is heated to such a high temperature, the fire alarm occasionally goes off due to the hot air that escapes when we open our oven door. It’s not a problem, other than the noise, and in our experience, it is remedied with a few fans of a dish towel near the alarm, but it is something to consider. If 550° Fahrenheit (288°C) is too high for you, feel free to use a lower temperature. However, keep in mind that this pizza bakes best between 425° Fahrenheit and 550° Fahrenheit (218°C to 288°C). The lower the temperature, the longer it will take to bake and the less bubbly it will be. The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. Oven temperature: We recommend 450° Fahrenheit (232°C) in the recipe, but if you are comfortable with it, increasing the temperature to 550° Fahrenheit (288°C) will provide even better results. If you have a vented hood above your oven, turn it on high. When our oven is heated to such a high temperature, the fire alarm occasionally goes off due to the hot air that escapes when we open our oven door. It’s not a problem, other than the noise, and in our experience, it is remedied with a few fans of a dish towel near the alarm, but it is something to consider. If 550° Fahrenheit (288°C) is too high for you, feel free to use a lower temperature. However, keep in mind that this pizza bakes best between 425° Fahrenheit and 550° Fahrenheit (218°C to 288°C). The lower the temperature, the longer it will take to bake and the less bubbly it will be. The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. Nutrition Per Serving Serving Size 1/4 of the recipe / Calories 330 / Total Fat 9.1g / Saturated Fat 5.1g / Cholesterol 27.2mg / Sodium 934.4mg / Carbohydrate 45.5g / Dietary Fiber 2.5g / Total Sugars 1.7g / Protein 15.8g AUTHOR: Joanne Gallagher We’re Adam and Joanne, a couple passionate about cooking and sharing delicious, reliable recipes since 2009. Our goal? 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