Block Mozzarella Prep
Whole-milk low-moisture mozzarella, in a block, grated fresh. The universal American-style cheese prep.
Intro
The universal cheese prep for American-style pizzas. The single biggest mistake home cooks make: pre-shredded mozzarella from a bag. It's coated in cellulose powder (anti-caking) which prevents proper melting and gives you that weird oily separation. Buy block cheese. Grate it yourself. The difference is dramatic.
Ingredients
note · Galbani, Polly-O, Boar's Head, or your local deli's house block. Whole milk — not part-skim.
The process
- 1
Buy block, not bag
Buy whole-milk low-moisture mozzarella in a block. Pre-shredded cheese is coated with cellulose and won't melt the same way.
- 2
Chill before grating
Chill the cheese 30 minutes in the freezer. Cold cheese grates cleanly without smearing.
⏱ Chill30:00 - 3
Grate
Grate on the large holes of a box grater, or the grating disc on a food processor for larger amounts.
- 4
Surface-dry 15 min
Spread on a tray and let sit at room temperature 15 minutes. This dries the surface slightly and improves melt.
✶ Pizzaiolo tipFor grandma-style, mix in 50g of grated low-moisture mozzarella + 30g grated Parmesan for the iconic salty-nutty top.⏱ Surface-dry15:00 - 5
Use or freeze
Use within 24 hours of grating, or freeze for up to a month.
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