The Two-Cheese Pizza That Changed Everything
Sometimes the simplest pizzas are the most memorable. No fancy toppings. No complicated techniques. Just two perfectly chosen cheeses, quality tomatoes, and dough that's been treated right.
This two-cheese pizza—provolone and low-moisture mozzarella—is the pizza I teach in my Zoom classes when I want to show people what's possible at home. It's the pizza that makes people say, "Wait, I made this?" It's the pizza that proves you don't need a wood-fired oven or a culinary degree to create something extraordinary.
The secret? It's all about the combination. Provolone brings a sharp, tangy complexity that cuts through the richness of mozzarella. Low-moisture mozzarella provides that perfect melt and stretch without making your pizza soggy. Together, they create a flavor profile that's greater than the sum of its parts.
And here's the best part: you can make this pizza in 24 hours. Not three days. Not a week. Just one day from mixing dough to pulling a restaurant-quality pizza out of your home oven.
About the Author
Andris Lagsdin is the founder and inventor of Baking Steel, the revolutionary tool that changed home pizza-making forever. Since inventing the Baking Steel in 2012, Andris has helped thousands of home cooks achieve pizzeria-quality results in their own kitchens. His Kickstarter campaign raised over $38,000 and Baking Steel became a Top 6 seller on Amazon in the Kitchen category.
Andris teaches free monthly Zoom pizza classes, shares recipes and techniques on the Baking Steel blog, and personally tests every recipe to bring you the best results. His philosophy? "You don't need a culinary degree to make pizza like a legend. You just need the right tools, the right techniques, and the confidence to steel the show."
Why This Two-Cheese Combination Works
The Science of Cheese
Not all cheeses melt the same way. Some turn greasy. Some stay rubbery. Some burn before they brown. The key to perfect pizza cheese is understanding moisture content, fat content, and melting temperature.
Low-Moisture Mozzarella:
•Lower water content = less soggy pizza
•Melts evenly without pooling
•Creates that classic pizza stretch
•Browns beautifully without burning
Provolone:
•Sharp, tangy flavor adds complexity
•Slightly higher fat content = richer taste
•Melts smoothly and blends with mozzarella
•Brings depth that mozzarella alone can't achieve
Together:
•Provolone's sharpness balances mozzarella's mild creaminess
•Different melting points create texture variation
•Fat content creates perfect browning
•Flavor complexity rivals any pizzeria
The Dough: 72-Hour Recipe, 24-Hour Timeline
Here's something most people don't know: you don't have to wait the full 72 hours for great dough. My 72-hour dough recipe is designed for maximum flavor development, but life happens. Sometimes you want pizza tomorrow, not three days from now.
The solution? Make the 72-hour dough recipe, but ball it up after just 24 hours of fermentation. You'll get 90% of the flavor and 100% of the texture. It's flexible. It's forgiving. And it's exactly what I taught in yesterday's Zoom class.
Why this works:
•The bulk fermentation develops flavor quickly in the first 24 hours
•Balling the dough early doesn't sacrifice structure
•You still get the airy, crispy crust you're after
•Perfect for when you're planning ahead but not that far ahead
and remember if you need a micro scale try this one......
Ingredients
For the Dough (Makes 3 pizzas):
•500g bread flour (3¾ cups)
•350g water (1⅓ cups), room temperature
•10g salt (2 tsp)
•1g instant yeast (1 tsp)
Note: Use my 72-hour dough recipe, but ball it up after 24 hours instead of waiting the full 3 days.
For the Pizza (Per Pizza):
•1 dough ball (approximately 250g)
•3-4 oz Stanislaus 7-11 tomatoes, crushed by hand
•2-3 slices provolone cheese
•2-3 oz low-moisture mozzarella, shredded
•Semolina flour for dusting
•Olive oil for drizzling (optional)
•Salt and pepper to taste
Equipment:
•Mixing bowls
•Kitchen scale (highly recommended)
•Cheese grater
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Prepare Your Dough (24 Hours Before)
Follow my 72-hour dough recipe exactly as written, but with one key difference: after the bulk fermentation (about 24 hours), divide the dough into three equal portions (approximately 275g each) and shape into tight balls..
Pro tip: Let the dough. balls rest at room temperature 3-4 hours before you plan to make pizza. Room temperature dough stretches more easily and bakes more evenly.
Step 2: Preheat Your Oven and Baking Steel (1 Hour Before)
This is non-negotiable. Your Baking Steel needs to be screaming hot to create that crispy, blistered crust.
1.Place your Baking Steel on the top rack of your oven (about 6-8 inches from the broiler)
2.Preheat oven to 450-500°F (or as hot as your oven goes) If you have convection, use it.
3.Let the Baking Steel heat for at least 45-60 minutes
4.Turn on the broiler 10 minutes before you're ready to launch your pizza
Why this matters: We want the broiler red hot at launch.
Step 3: Prepare Your Ingredients
While your oven preheats, get everything ready:
Tomatoes:
•Open your can of Stanislaus 7-11 tomatoes, or your favorite can of crushed tomatoes
•Season lightly with sea salt
•Set aside
Note: Stanislaus 7-11 tomatoes are my go-to for pizza. They're perfectly balanced, not too sweet, not too acidic. We'll be doing a full blog post on these tomatoes soon, but trust me: once you try them, you won't go back.
Cheese:
•Shred your low-moisture mozzarella (don't use pre-shredded, it has anti-caking agents that affect melting)
•Slice your provolone into thin slices. Or buy it pre-sliced.
•Keep both cheeses cold until you're ready to top your pizza
Step 4: The Semolina Flour Technique (Advanced Move)
This is where things get interesting. Instead of using regular flour to dust your work surface and dough, I use semolina flour exclusively.
Why semolina?
•Creates an incredible texture on the bottom of the crust
•Adds a subtle nutty flavor
•Doesn't absorb into the dough as quickly as regular flour
•Gives you that authentic pizzeria feel
The catch: Semolina makes the dough more slippery and slightly harder to handle. If you're new to stretching dough, start with regular flour and work your way up to semolina. But once you master it, you'll never go back.
How to do it:
1.Pour a generous amount of semolina flour onto a large plate or your work surface
2.Gently place your room-temperature dough ball onto the semolina
3.Coat the top of the dough with semolina as well
4.Begin stretching, using the semolina to prevent sticking
Step 5: Stretch Your Dough
With your dough coated in semolina, it's time to stretch.
The technique:
1.Press down gently in the center of the dough, leaving a 1-inch border for the crust
2.Use your fingertips to gently stretch the dough outward, rotating as you go
3.Pick up the dough and let gravity help drape it over your knuckles and rotate. Gravity is doing most of the work.
4.Stretch to about 12-14 inches in diameter
5.Place stretched dough on your pizza peel (dusted with semolina)
Pro tip: Don't worry about perfect circles. Rustic, irregular shapes are part of the charm. What matters is even thickness (except for the crust edge, which should be slightly thicker).
Step 6: Top Your Pizza
Now for the fun part. Keep it simple—this pizza is all about the cheese.
The order matters:
1.Sauce first: Spoon 3-4 oz of crushed tomatoes onto the center of your dough. Use the back of the spoon to spread in a circular motion, leaving a 1-inch border for the crust. Don't overdo it, less is more.
2.Provolone next: Tear or place 3-5 slices of provolone evenly across the pizza. I like to tear them into smaller pieces for better distribution.
3.Mozzarella last: Sprinkle 2-3 oz of shredded low-moisture mozzarella over the provolone. Again, don't overload, you should still see some sauce peeking through.
Pro tip: The provolone goes under the mozzarella so it melts into the sauce, creating pockets of sharp, tangy flavor throughout the pizza.
Step 7: The Broiler Launch Technique
This is my secret weapon for getting that perfect leopard-spotted crust and beautifully browned cheese.
Here's how it works:
1.Make sure your broiler has been on for at least 5-10 minutes
2.Give your pizza peel a quick shake to make sure the dough isn't sticking
3.Launch the pizza onto your preheated Baking Steel
4.Leave the broiler on for the first 90 seconds
5.After 90 seconds, turn off the broiler and switch back to bake at 500°F (convection if you have it)
6.Bake for an additional 4-6 minutes, until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbling
Why this works:
•The broiler gives you intense top heat right when the pizza lands
•This jumpstarts the cheese melting and creates those beautiful brown spots
•Switching to bake ensures the bottom cooks through without burning the top
•You get better than pizzeria-style results in a home oven
Pro tip: Watch your pizza closely during the broiler phase. Every oven is different, and you don't want to burn the cheese. If it's browning too fast, turn off the broiler earlier.
Step 8: Finish and Serve
When your pizza is done (crust is golden, cheese is bubbling, you can smell the magic), use your pizza peel to remove it from the oven.
Finishing touches:
•Let it rest for 1-2 minutes (this lets the cheese set slightly)
•Drizzle with a tiny bit of olive oil (optional)
•Slice and serve immediately
Pro Tips & Troubleshooting
Pro Tips:
1. Semolina flour is a game-changer
It creates texture and flavor you can't get with regular flour. Start with a 50/50 mix of semolina and regular flour if you're new to it, then work your way up to 100% semolina.
2. Don't skip the broiler launch
Those first 90 seconds with the broiler on make all the difference. It's the secret to getting restaurant-quality browning at home.
3. Use sliced provolone, not shredded
Sliced provolone melts differently than shredded, creating pockets of flavor instead of a uniform cheese layer. It's a small detail that makes a big difference.
4. Less cheese is more
It's tempting to load up on cheese, but restraint is key. You should still see sauce peeking through. Overloading creates a greasy, heavy pizza.
5. Room temperature dough is essential
Cold dough is hard to stretch and won't bake evenly. Give it 3-4 hours at room temperature before you start.
Troubleshooting:
Problem: Dough is too sticky to handle
Solution: Use more semolina flour on your work surface and hands. A combination of flour and semolina will make it a bit easier to handle.
Problem: Cheese is burning before crust is done
Solution: Turn off the broiler sooner (after 60 seconds instead of 90), or move your Baking Steel to a lower rack.
Problem: Bottom is soggy
Solution: Your Baking Steel wasn't hot enough. Preheat for a full hour next time, and make sure your oven is at maximum temperature.
Problem: Dough won't stretch
Solution: It's too cold or hasn't rested long enough. Let it sit at room temperature for another 30-60 minutes.
Problem: Pizza is sticking to the peel
Solution: Use more semolina flour on the peel, and work quickly once the pizza is topped. Give the peel a shake before launching to make sure it's sliding freely.
Video Tutorial: Watch the Full Zoom Class
Want to see exactly how I make this pizza? Watch the full 50-minute Zoom class where I walk through every step, answer questions, and share all my tips and tricks.
In this class, you'll see:
•How to stretch dough using the semolina technique
•The exact way I top the pizza for perfect cheese distribution
•The broiler launch technique in real-time
•How to tell when your pizza is done
•Q&A with students about dough, cheese, and baking
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use fresh mozzarella instead of low-moisture?
You can, but I don't recommend it for this pizza. Fresh mozzarella has too much moisture and will make your pizza soggy. If you want to use fresh mozzarella, tear it into small pieces, pat it dry with paper towels, and use sparingly. But for the best results, stick with low-moisture mozzarella.
What if I can't find Stanislaus 7-11 tomatoes?
Stanislaus 7-11 tomatoes are my go-to, but if you can't find them, look for whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes and crush them by hand. Avoid pre-crushed tomatoes they're often too watery and lack texture. We'll be doing a full blog post on tomato options soon!
Can I use the full 72-hour fermentation instead of 24 hours?
Absolutely! The 72-hour fermentation will give you even more flavor development and a more complex crust. The 24-hour version is for when you want great pizza faster. Both work beautifully.
Do I really need a Baking Steel?
If you want pizzeria-quality crust at home, yes. A Baking Steel conducts heat 20x better than a pizza stone, which means crispier crust, better oven spring, and more even baking. It's the single most important tool for home pizza-making. Shop Baking Steel here.
Can I make this pizza without a broiler?
Yes, but you won't get the same level of top browning. If your oven doesn't have a broiler, crank the heat as high as it goes (500-550°F) and bake for 6-8 minutes. You'll still get great results, just without those beautiful leopard spots.
What other cheeses can I use?
This recipe is designed for provolone and low-moisture mozzarella, but you can experiment! Try fontina, asiago, or aged cheddar in place of provolone. Just make sure one of your cheeses is a good melter (like mozzarella) and the other adds flavor complexity.
How do I store leftover dough?
Dough balls can be refrigerated for up to 48 hours or frozen for up to 3 months. To freeze, ball up and then wrap each dough ball tightly in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer bag. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before using.
Can I use a pizza stone instead of a Baking Steel?
You can, but the results won't be as good. Pizza stones don't conduct heat as efficiently as steel, which means less crispy crust and longer bake times. If you're serious about pizza, invest in a Baking Steel, it's a game-changer.
Why does my cheese get greasy?
This usually happens when you use too much cheese or pre-shredded cheese (which contains anti-caking agents). Use freshly shredded low-moisture mozzarella and don't overload your pizza. Less is more!
Can I make this pizza on a grill?
Yes! Preheat your Baking Steel on a gas grill at high heat for 30-45 minutes. Launch your pizza and cook with the lid closed for 5-7 minutes. Keep an eye on it grills can run hotter than ovens. We recommend about 350-400 F on outdoor grills.
Related Recipes
Want to explore more pizza styles and techniques? Check out these posts:
Final Thoughts
This two-cheese pizza is proof that simple can be extraordinary. No fancy toppings. No complicated techniques. Just quality ingredients, a little patience, and the right tools.
The combination of provolone and low-moisture mozzarella creates a flavor profile that's complex, balanced, and deeply satisfying. The semolina flour adds texture. The broiler launch creates those beautiful leopard spots. And the Baking Steel delivers the crispy, blistered crust you thought you could only get at a pizzeria.
Make this pizza for someone you love. Make it for yourself on a Friday night. Make it for your next gathering and watch everyone's eyes light up when they take that first bite.
You don't need a culinary degree to make pizza like this. You just need the right recipe, the right tools, and the confidence to try.
Shop the Tools I Use
Make this pizza at home with the same tools I use:
Make pizza for someone you love. ❤️
Written by Andris Lagsdin, Founder & Inventor of Baking Steel
