Finding The Perfect Cheese Balance: How Much Is Too Much On Your Pizza?

The idea of too much cheese on pizza may sound incongruous. After all, isn't a bubbling, gooey blanket of cheese the soul of a great pie? Well, we hate to be the bearers of bad news, but even the most decadent dreams have a limit. Nicole Bean, owner and operator of Pizaro's Pizza Napoletana, a family-run pizzeria with two locations in Houston, Texas, shares her expert insights on achieving the optimally cheesy 'za. "Too much cheese? Gasp! Yes, you can actually have too much cheese on a pizza," she reveals.

So, how much cheese is actually enough? According to Bean, the answer comes down to a simple mathematical ratio. "Ideally, you will want to have about ⅓ of the weight of the dough ball as your amount of cheese for a nice even layer that melts properly on the pizza without causing issues," she explains. "If you want extra cheese, add half that portion." For example, a 300-gram dough ball should be topped with 100 grams of cheese. For a cheesier bite, another 50 grams will do the trick — without sacrificing the pizza's integrity.

Whether you make your pizza in the oven, in a cast iron skillet, or over the grill, the cheese needs plenty of space to melt evenly across the crust as it heats. However, piling it on will lead to a soggy base that distracts from the other ingredients. When cheese dominates, it can mask the nuanced flavors of a well-fermented dough or a beautifully seasoned sauce. The crust's thickness also plays a crucial role. A sturdy, robust crust can support more cheese, whereas a softer, delicate crust (think Neapolitan or New York-style pizza) risks an undercooked center or slices that collapse under their own weight when overloaded.

In addition to using the wrong amount of cheese, there are many ways you're screwing up your homemade pizza, including stretching the dough too thin or forgetting to pre-cook the toppings. The magic of pizza ultimately lies in its balance. While cheese is an essential component of the all-time classic comfort food, working with the necessary proportions — just enough to melt into the sauce and complement the crispy crust rather than smother it — is key to a satisfying meal.