Fresh Mozzarella vs Standard – Pizza Clack

I know that some of our dairy-challenged friends like to have cheese-free pizza, but I just can’t bring myself to make a pie without some cheese on it. I’m a bit of a traditionalist; I even have trouble using a cheese that isn’t mozzarella. I know that fontina is a great cheese for pizza, but for me, I really need a nice gooey, stringy cheese that challenges the pizza cutter and makes big long strings that you need to break with your fingers. Good times.

There is, however, another question that this brings to mind: which mozzarella do you use, fresh or shredded?

The quick answer is that you use both. I think that each have their appropriate place in pizza making, with each bringing their own strengths and weaknesses to the party. Let’s break them down:

Flavor: The fresh mozzarella has a subtle, distinct (and delicious) flavor. Sometimes, however, the slightly sharper and more traditional shredded mozzarella is preferable. Whenever I’m making a pizza with a lot of toppings, I always use standard shredded. I think that fresh mozz is a special enough ingredient that it really has to sing on its own on the pie.
Texture: Both are delightfully stringy and melt wonderfully. I have to say that I really love the texture of fresh mozzarella though. Plus, if you do it right it browns up beautifully and gets bubbly and delicious.
Color: If you get high quality fresh mozzarella, you can’t beat the bright white, clean color that it can add to your pizza. Standard shredded mozz tends to be more on the yellow side, certainly less exciting.
Challenges: A big detraction for fresh mozzarella for me is the difficulty to work with it. It’s hard to cut or grate because it is so soft. Besides that there is a really high moisture content, which usually means that water leaks out and either prevents a crisp crust, or drips all over my oven.

In closing, there is definitely a place for both cheeses (as well as other varieties all together) in the world of pizza making. Do you have a preference?