Pizza Quattro Formaggi
An elegant Italian pizza topped with four cheeses: creamy mozzarella, pungent gorgonzola, rich fontina, and nutty Parmesan, all bound together with heavy cream and baked until bubbling and golden.
- 1 pizza dough for 30cm pizza (about 350g)
- 100g mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 50g gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
- 50g fontina cheese, sliced
- 50g Parmesan cheese, grated
- 100ml heavy cream
- 2 tbsp olive oil for drizzling
- Preheat your oven to 250°C (480°F), or as high as your oven allows. A hotter oven creates a crispier crust and more evenly melted cheese. If you have a pizza stone or steel, place it in the oven now to preheat as well—this will help create an even more authentic result.
- On a lightly floured work surface, stretch or roll out the pizza dough to approximately 30 centimeters in diameter. Work gently to avoid deflating any air bubbles in the dough, which contribute to a lighter, airier crust. If the dough resists stretching, let it rest for a few minutes and try again.
- Transfer the dough to a pizza pan, peel, or the preheated stone. Spread the heavy cream in a thin, even layer over the surface of the dough, leaving a small border around the edge for the crust. The cream will become the binding base for the cheeses and add richness.
- Begin distributing the mozzarella cheese evenly over the cream base, using about two-thirds of the total shredded amount. Leave some small gaps for the other cheeses to peek through.
- Scatter the crumbled gorgonzola cheese over the surface in an irregular pattern. The pungent blue cheese will provide sharp, salty notes that balance the creaminess. Then distribute the sliced fontina cheese, layering it loosely so it melts into pockets rather than forming a single thick layer.
- Finish by sprinkling the grated Parmesan cheese evenly over the entire pizza. This will form a golden, nutty crust on top and provide texture. Drizzle the olive oil lightly across the surface—this will help the crust brown and add flavor.
- Bake for 8–12 minutes, depending on your oven's power and how thick you rolled the dough. The pizza is ready when the crust is golden-brown at the edges and the cheese is melted, bubbling, and beginning to brown lightly. Watch carefully during the final minutes to avoid overbaking.
- Remove from the oven and let rest for 1–2 minutes before slicing. This brief rest allows the cheese to set slightly and makes the pizza easier to cut. Serve hot and enjoy the interplay of four distinct cheeses in every bite.
Pizza quattro formaggi is an exercise in cheese harmony—four distinct personalities united on a single canvas. The creamy sweetness of mozzarella provides the base, the earthy sharpness of gorgonzola cuts through with complexity, the rich nuttiness of fontina adds depth, and the crystalline bite of Parmesan ties everything together. This is not a pizza for the timid or the lactose-intolerant. It is a celebration of one of cooking's greatest pleasures: cheese. Baked until golden and bubbling, served hot with a simple glass of wine, it is proof that sometimes simplicity, executed with precision and quality ingredients, is the ultimate elegance.
A few tools that make this recipe easier to get right.
As an Amazon Associate, Salt & Simmer earns from qualifying purchases made through these links, at no extra cost to you.