Wellness
Nutrition
Calories: 395 kcal
Protein: 17 g
Carbohydrates: 46 g
Fat: 16 g
Sodium: 780 mg
Lunch
Authentic Italian Pizza Quattro Formaggi (Four Cheese Pizza Bianca)
5 min read
A bakery-quality Neapolitan pizza bianca layered with creamy fresh mozzarella, buttery Fontina Val d'Aosta, tangy Gorgonzola Dolce, and aged Parmigiano-Reggiano, baked until blistered and bubbling.
Prep2 hours 45 minutes (includes 2 hours 15 minutes total dough rising and resting time; active hands-on prep: 30 minutes)
Cook15 minutes (approx. 7–8 minutes per pizza)
Serves4 servings (yields two 11–12-inch pizzas, 4 slices each / 8 slices total)
DifficultyModerate
What you'll need
Ingredients
(Yield: 2 Pizzas, 11–12 inches each)
Homemade Pizza Dough
500 g Italian Tipo 00 flour (or high-protein bread flour)
325 ml lukewarm water (approx. 38°C / 100°F)
3 g active dry yeast (or 2 g instant yeast)
10 g fine sea salt
10 ml extra virgin olive oil
Semolina flour, for dusting and stretching
The Four Cheeses & Toppings
200 g low-moisture fresh mozzarella (fior di latte), drained and torn
100 g Italian Fontina (or young Taleggio), coarsely grated
120 g Gorgonzola Dolce, broken into small dollops
50 g Parmigiano-Reggiano, freshly grated
15 ml extra virgin olive oil, for brushing and finishing
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Fresh basil leaves or a drizzle of warm raw honey (optional garnish)
Let's make it
Instructions
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Step 1
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Instruction: Mix and proof the dough. Whisk lukewarm water and yeast in a large mixing bowl; rest for 5 minutes until frothy. Stir in half the flour, followed by salt and olive oil. Add the remaining flour and knead on a clean counter for 8–10 minutes until elastic and smooth. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise at room temperature for 1.5 to 2 hours until doubled. Divide into two equal rounds (~410 g each), tuck into tight boules, cover, and rest for 45 minutes.
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Optional step image: dough-kneading-and-proofed-balls.jpg
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Step 2
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Instruction: Preheat the oven and baking stone. Set a heavy pizza stone or steel on the upper-middle rack. Preheat the oven to its highest temperature setting (260°C–290°C / 500°F–550°F) for at least 45 to 60 minutes before baking to build thermal mass.
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Optional step image: preheated-pizza-stone-oven.jpg
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Step 3
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Instruction: Shape the crust by hand. Generously dust your work surface with semolina flour. Take one dough boule and gently flatten it with your fingertips, pressing from the center outward to push air pockets into the outer rim (cornicione). Carefully lift and stretch over the backs of your knuckles, rotating until it forms an 11- to 12-inch disc. Transfer immediately onto a parchment sheet or semolina-dusted pizza peel.
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Optional step image: hand-stretching-pizza-cornicione.jpg
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Step 4
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Instruction: Layer the cheeses strategically. Brush the dough surface with a light sheen of olive oil. Scatter the shredded mozzarella and grated Fontina across the base to create an even melting layer. Dot creamy Gorgonzola Dolce evenly into the pockets between the mozzarella. Dust the surface with half of the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.
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Optional step image: four-cheese-layering-on-dough.jpg
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Step 5
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Instruction: Bake to a leopard-spotted finish. Slide the pizza onto the screaming-hot stone. Bake for 5 to 6 minutes, then switch your oven to high broil for the final 1.5 to 2 minutes to blister the crust edges and caramelize the cheese into golden-brown spots. Slide out onto a wire rack to rest for 2 minutes.
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Optional step image: blistered-crust-quattro-formaggi-oven.jpg
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Step 6
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Instruction: Garnish, slice, and serve. Dust with the remaining Parmigiano-Reggiano, crack fresh black pepper over the molten cheese, and top with torn basil or a thin drizzle of warm honey. Slice into wedges and serve immediately.
Step by step
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