Pizza · Campania

Pizza Quattro Formaggi – Authentic Italian Four Cheese Pizza

Name: Pizza Quattro Formaggi – Authentic Italian Four Cheese Pizza
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 32 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 280 g (10 oz) pizza dough (fresh or homemade); 100 g (3.5 oz) fior di latte mozzarella, torn by hand; 80 g (3 oz) gorgonzola dolce, crumbled; 80 g (3 oz) fontina Valle d'Aosta, thinly sliced; 40 g (1.5 oz) Parmigiano Reggiano, freshly grated; 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil; Semolina flour, for dusting; Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Pizza Quattro Formaggi is the ultimate celebration of Italian cheese — four distinct varieties melting together into a rich, bubbling, irresistibly stringy topping. Unlike a simple margherita, this pizza skips the tomato entirely, letting the cheeses take centre stage on a golden, airy base. It is deeply satisfying, surprisingly quick to assemble, and absolutely authentic.

20Prep (min)

12Cook (min)

32Total (min)

2Serves

MediumDifficulty

Pizza Quattro Formaggi – Authentic Italian Four Cheese Pizza

Ingredients

280 g (10 oz) pizza dough (fresh or homemade)
100 g (3.5 oz) fior di latte mozzarella, torn by hand
80 g (3 oz) gorgonzola dolce, crumbled
80 g (3 oz) fontina Valle d'Aosta, thinly sliced
40 g (1.5 oz) Parmigiano Reggiano, freshly grated
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Semolina flour, for dusting
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method

Place a pizza stone or heavy baking tray on the top rack of your oven and preheat to its maximum temperature (250–280 °C / 480–540 °F) for at least 45 minutes.
On a lightly semolina-dusted surface, stretch the dough by hand into a round approximately 28–30 cm (11–12 inches) in diameter, keeping the edges slightly thicker to form a crust.
Transfer the stretched dough onto a semolina-dusted pizza peel or the back of a flat baking tray.
Drizzle the dough base with the extra virgin olive oil and spread it evenly, leaving a 2 cm border clear for the crust.
Distribute the torn mozzarella across the base first, then layer over the fontina slices, scatter the crumbled gorgonzola, and finish with an even shower of freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano.
Slide the pizza directly onto the preheated stone or tray and bake for 10–12 minutes, until the crust is deeply golden and the cheese is bubbling with light caramel spots.
Remove from the oven, add a few turns of freshly ground black pepper, and rest for 2 minutes before slicing and serving immediately.

Tips from the kitchen

💡 Use gorgonzola dolce rather than piccante for a creamier, milder flavour that blends harmoniously with the other cheeses without overpowering them.

💡 Drain the mozzarella well and pat it dry with kitchen paper at least 30 minutes before use — excess moisture is the main cause of a soggy pizza base.

💡 For a crispier base without a pizza stone, preheat your heaviest oven tray upside-down in the oven; it conducts heat almost as well as stone.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use a different blue cheese instead of gorgonzola?

Gorgonzola dolce is the authentic choice and gives the best result. In a pinch you can use a mild dolcelatte, but avoid strong foreign blue cheeses as they will dominate and unbalance the four-cheese harmony.

Should Pizza Quattro Formaggi have tomato sauce?

No — the authentic version is a pizza bianca (white pizza) with no tomato sauce. The olive oil base allows the four cheeses to shine without competing flavours.

Can I prepare the pizza ahead of time?

You can stretch the dough and prepare all the cheese portions up to 2 hours in advance, kept separately at room temperature. Do not assemble the pizza until you are ready to bake, as the cheeses will release moisture and make the dough soggy.