Four-Cheese Kesong Puti Pizza

Four-Cheese Kesong Puti Pizza Recipe

A crisp white pizza with garlic cream sauce, stretchy mozzarella, creamy kesong puti, sharp cheddar, Parmesan, oregano, and scallions.

Yield: 1 (12- to 14-inch) pizza, 8 slices Serving size: 1 slice (1/8 pizza)

Yield note: One 1-pound dough ball makes one 12- to 14-inch pizza. The recipe uses 10 ounces of cheese, enough for full coverage without burying the crust; serve 4 people as a main dish or 8 as part of a larger spread.

Shopping List

• 16-ounce prepared pizza dough ball
• kesong puti
• low-moisture mozzarella
• sharp cheddar
• Parmesan
• whole milk
• unsalted butter
• all-purpose flour
• garlic
• dried oregano
• scallions
• fine semolina, optional

Ingredients

Dough

• 1 pound (454 g) prepared pizza dough, fresh or fully thawed
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour or fine semolina, for the peel

Garlic White Sauce

• 2 teaspoons unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) whole milk
• 1 small garlic clove, finely grated
• 1/8 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Four Cheeses and Finish

• 4 ounces (113 g) low-moisture whole-milk or part-skim mozzarella, shredded
• 3 ounces (85 g) kesong puti, drained, patted dry, and crumbled
• 2 ounces (57 g) sharp white or yellow cheddar, shredded
• 1 ounce (28 g) Parmesan, finely grated
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon thinly sliced scallions
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Set the dough in a lightly oiled covered bowl and let it stand at room temperature for about 1 hour, until relaxed and no longer refrigerator-cold.
2. Unwrap the kesong puti and set it in a fine-mesh strainer lined with a clean towel or paper towels. Drain for at least 20 minutes, then press gently with a fresh towel and crumble into 1/2-inch pieces.
3. Place a pizza stone or baking steel on the upper-middle oven rack and heat the oven to 500 F for at least 45 minutes. Leave 6 to 8 inches between the baking surface and the broiler. If using a metal pizza pan, heat the oven fully but leave the pan at room temperature.
4. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 45 to 60 seconds, just until it smells lightly nutty but has not browned.
5. Whisk in the milk a little at a time, then add the garlic, salt, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. Simmer for 2 to 4 minutes, whisking, until thick enough to leave a trail across the pan and reduced to about 1/3 cup. Transfer to a bowl and cool for 10 minutes.
6. Shred the mozzarella and cheddar and grate the Parmesan while the sauce cools. Keep each cheese separate so it can be distributed evenly.
7. Dust a pizza peel with the flour or semolina. Press the dough from the center toward the edge, leaving a 3/4-inch rim, and stretch to a 12- to 14-inch round. Rest the dough for 10 minutes if it resists. For a pizza pan, shape it directly in the pan.
8. Spread all of the cooled white sauce in a thin, even layer, stopping 3/4 inch from the edge. Do not add extra sauce; the fresh cheese will release a little moisture as it heats.
9. Scatter half of the mozzarella over the sauce. Add the cheddar and kesong puti in small, evenly spaced clusters, then finish with the remaining mozzarella and all of the Parmesan.
10. Slide the pizza onto the hot stone or steel and bake for 9 to 13 minutes, rotating once after 5 minutes, until the rim and underside are browned and the cheese is bubbling. A pizza baked in a metal pan may need 12 to 15 minutes.
11. Transfer the pizza to a rack or cutting board. Sprinkle with oregano, scallions, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon black pepper while the cheese is hot.
12. Rest for 3 minutes before cutting into 8 slices. This brief rest keeps the softened kesong puti and white sauce from sliding when sliced.