You know the feeling…
You have a delicious-looking pizza in front of you, but when that first bite comes–all the cheese slides off in one big clump.
Why does cheese slide off of pizza?
There are a few reasons:
- The cheese got too dried out (and turned rubbery and non-stretchy)
- The sauce is really watery or oily, making it slicker!
- Too many toppings (or heavy toppings) drag the cheese.
But good news!
If you’re into making pizza at home, there are a number of things you can do to keep your cheese from sliding off.
Let’s dive in 👇
3 Reasons Cheese Might Fall Off Pizza:
Let’s take a look at some common culprits:
1 – The cheese got dried out or overcooked
When cheese cooks, the proteins gradually break down and “squeeze” the moisture out of the cheese.
When you use the “wrong” cheese, or high-moisture cheese–overcooking can lead to a stiffer, rubbery texture that clumps together and doesn’t stretch.
This cheese easily falls off, and doesn’t taste great to boot.
You should try using low-moisture, whole-milk mozzarella (or similar low-moisture cheese) for most DIY pizzas. And if using fresh mozzarella, be REALLY careful not to overcook!
2 – Too much sauce, or watery/oily sauce
You can think of a slice of pizza in layers, all of which can slide around.
The sauce plays a surprisingly big role in how the cheese behaves.
- Too much sauce
- Not enough sauce
- Thin, watery sauce
- Too much oil in the sauce
All of these could effect how much the cheese slides off.
(I know–it seems like the sauce has to be juuusssttt right).
3 – The pizza just came out of the oven
Honestly, even PERFECTLY melted cheese still needs a tiny bit of time to cool and “settle down” after it comes out of the oven.
Eating pizza RIGHT out of the oven is usually messy!
(But also, letting it completely cool could also affect the cheese’s ability to stretch).
Aim for 3-10 minutes after baking to enjoy pizza. 🍕
4 – Too many toppings
I mean, we all like those pizzas absolutely COVERED with toppings, but too many toppings can drag the cheese off in one big clump (or just have the entire thing just fall apart).
The solution: bring a fork!
If you like pizzas with multiple toppings, don’t sacrifice toppings just because it’s messy.
Just my opinion 😉
How Do You Keep Cheese From Sliding Off Pizza?
Let’s dive into more solutions here–specifically for homemade pizzas:
1 – Mix a bit of cheese into the sauce (rather than JUST on top of it)
This one’s BRILLIANT.
When you’re putting the toppings and cheese on your pizza, gently (VERY carefully) stir a bit of cheese into the sauce.
Try not to touch the dough at this point, even a gentle mixing can help the cheese melt alongside the sauce–combining those layers.
This works surprisingly well for me.
2 – Let the pizza cool a bit more eating
As we already mentioned, after the pizza comes out of the oven, try to wait at least 3-10 minutes before slicing and eating.
Plus, you won’t burn your tongue.
3 – Use the proper cheese
This is probably the “real” answer for most pizza lovers.
The cheese you use comes down to three things:
- The style of pizza you’re making
- The oven you’re using
- Your tastes!
Check out this post on rubbery cheese for way more information, but you should do your homework to find the cheese that fits your pizza and oven.
Believe it or not, it’s actually easier to overcook cheese in a standard oven (at temperatures around 500F), than in high-temperature pizza ovens.
(That’s mostly because of cook times! Pizza ovens cook pizza in as little as 60-90 seconds, and you’ll generally be right there monitoring the cook the entire time).
Generally speaking, try to find low-moisture cheese like whole-milk mozzarella.
And if you’re using fresh mozzarella in a home oven, try adding that cheese halfway through the bake.
4 – Thicken your sauce
As somebody who loves a thinner, oily, sour Neapolitan pizza, I never do this…but you could.
If you’re making your own pizza sauces, there are a few tricks you can use to thicken them.
The simplest solution is adding a bit of tomato paste and/or reducing the oil added.
Just know–it WILL affect the taste.
Also, you could try cooking your sauce on the stove beforehand (many sauce recipes call for that already, but some don’t). That could evaporate moisture and thicken up the sauce.
5 – Eat your pizza with a fork
As long as your cheese & toppings still TASTES good, fork-eating is always an option!
Messy isn’t always a bad thing with pizza.
Don’t sacrifice on toppings. Make the pizza you like to eat!
How Do You Cut Pizza Without Messing Up Cheese?
Now let’s talk about pretty pizzas.
1 – Let it rest for a few minutes
Let the pizza rest for at least 2-3 minutes before slicing–this will hopefully give a good texture to your cheese that slices clean.
2 – Use a knife, rather than a pizza cutter
Pizza cutters are for Domino’s and Papa Johns! A great kitchen knife actually works WAY better for at-home use!
Start cutting from the MIDDLE of the pizza outwards, and gently rock the knife back and forth as you cut each piece.
Also, make sure the knife is sharp.
3 – Carefully hold the pizza together with your hand
If you find your pizza sliding all over your cutting board, that can make for a messy slice!
Just be sure not to cut yourself.
Try holding the pizza together with your hand, or using a fork to gently keep it in place.
Should Cheese Go on Pizza Before Toppings?
This totally depends on the style of pizza you’re making (and the specific toppings).
- For pizzas with multiple toppings, it’s usually best to put the cheese on the very top. This will keep the toppings in place.
- For pizzas with one topping (and especially plain pepperoni pizzas), most people put the single topping on TOP of the cheese.
- And for some deep-dish pizzas (especially Chicago and Detroit-style pizzas), you’ll actually put the cheese & toppings on the bottom, and the sauce on top.
The bottom line?
There are no hard and fast “rules” for at-home pizza!
If you don’t mind eating with a fork or having the cheese slide off–throw on as many toppings as you like!