Quattro Formaggi Pizza With Honey

Imperial June 1, 2026June 1, 2026

Quick Recipe Version (TL;DR)

Yield: 2 12-inch pizzas, 4 servings
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 14 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 39 minutes, including 1 hour rising time

Quick Ingredients

Dough: 3 cups bread flour, 1 teaspoon instant yeast, 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 cup warm water
Garlic oil: 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 finely grated garlic clove, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Cheeses: 8 ounces low-moisture mozzarella, 4 ounces fontina, 3 ounces gorgonzola, 1 1/2 ounces parmesan
Finish: 2 teaspoons honey, 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, 2 tablespoons cornmeal for launching

Do This

1. Mix flour, yeast, salt, sugar, olive oil, and warm water into a soft dough; knead for 6 minutes.
2. Cover and let rise for 1 hour, until puffy and nearly doubled.
3. Heat oven to 500°F for at least 45 minutes with a pizza stone, steel, or inverted baking sheet inside.
4. Divide dough in half, stretch each piece into a 12-inch round, and brush with garlic oil.
5. Layer mozzarella, fontina, gorgonzola, and parmesan evenly over each pizza.
6. Bake one pizza at a time for 6 to 8 minutes, until the crust is browned and the cheese is bubbling.
7. Finish with honey and thyme, slice, and serve hot.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Big cheese flavor without red sauce: Mozzarella melts beautifully, fontina adds creaminess, gorgonzola brings a bold savory bite, and parmesan finishes everything with salty depth.
A little honey makes it special: Just 1 teaspoon per pizza softens the sharpness of the blue cheese without making the pizza taste sweet.
Home-oven friendly: The recipe uses a very hot oven and simple shaping techniques to create a crisp, chewy crust.
Flexible and approachable: Use the homemade dough below or substitute 1 pound of store-bought pizza dough when you need a shortcut.

Grocery List

Produce: 1 garlic clove, fresh thyme
Dairy: Low-moisture mozzarella, fontina, gorgonzola, parmesan
Pantry: Bread flour, instant yeast, fine sea salt, granulated sugar, olive oil, cornmeal, honey, black pepper

Full Ingredients

Pizza Dough

3 cups bread flour, spooned and leveled, plus 2 tablespoons more for dusting
1 teaspoon instant yeast
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup warm water, 100°F to 110°F

Garlic Oil Base

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small garlic clove, finely grated or minced
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Four-Cheese Topping

8 ounces low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella, shredded, about 2 cups
4 ounces fontina, shredded, about 1 cup
3 ounces gorgonzola dolce or regular gorgonzola, crumbled, about 3/4 cup
1 1/2 ounces parmesan, finely grated, about 1/2 cup

For Shaping, Baking, and Finishing

2 tablespoons cornmeal, for dusting the pizza peel or baking sheet
2 teaspoons honey, divided
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1/8 teaspoon flaky sea salt, for finishing if needed

Quattro Formaggi Pizza With Honey – Closeup

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Make the dough

In a large mixing bowl, combine 3 cups bread flour, 1 teaspoon instant yeast, 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, and 1 teaspoon sugar. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 cup warm water. Stir with a wooden spoon or sturdy spatula until a shaggy dough forms and no dry patches remain.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 6 minutes. The dough should become smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky, but not sticky enough to coat your hands. If it feels very wet, knead in 1 tablespoon of flour at a time, using no more than 2 extra tablespoons.

Step 2: Let the dough rise

Lightly oil the mixing bowl, place the dough inside, and turn it once so the surface is coated with a thin film of oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Let the dough rise at room temperature for 1 hour, or until puffy and nearly doubled in size.

Step 3: Preheat the oven

While the dough rises, place a pizza stone, pizza steel, or inverted heavy baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven. Preheat the oven to 500°F for at least 45 minutes. A fully heated baking surface helps the crust crisp quickly before the cheese overcooks.

Step 4: Prepare the garlic oil and cheeses

In a small bowl, stir together 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 finely grated garlic clove, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Set it aside while you prepare the cheeses.

Shred the mozzarella and fontina, crumble the gorgonzola, and finely grate the parmesan. Keep the cheeses separate so you can layer them evenly and avoid heavy clumps of strong blue cheese in one spot.

Step 5: Divide and stretch the dough

Turn the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into 2 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball, cover loosely, and let rest for 10 minutes. This short rest relaxes the gluten and makes the dough easier to stretch.

Dust a pizza peel or the back of a rimmed baking sheet with 1 tablespoon cornmeal. Stretch one dough ball into a 12-inch round, using your fingertips to press from the center outward and leaving a slightly thicker rim. If the dough springs back, let it rest for 5 minutes, then continue stretching.

Step 6: Top the first pizza

Transfer the stretched dough to the cornmeal-dusted peel or baking sheet. Brush the surface with half of the garlic oil, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edge. Add half of the mozzarella, half of the fontina, half of the gorgonzola, and half of the parmesan.

For the best flavor balance, scatter the gorgonzola in small pieces rather than large chunks. The goal is a rich white pizza with pockets of sharpness, not a pizza where every bite tastes only of blue cheese.

Step 7: Bake until bubbling and browned

Slide the pizza onto the hot stone, steel, or inverted baking sheet. Bake at 500°F for 6 to 8 minutes, until the crust is deeply golden at the edges, the bottom is crisp, and the cheeses are melted and bubbling in uneven creamy patches.

Carefully transfer the pizza to a cutting board. Repeat the stretching, topping, and baking process with the second dough ball and remaining toppings.

Step 8: Finish with honey and serve

Drizzle each hot pizza with 1 teaspoon honey. Sprinkle each pizza with half of the fresh thyme leaves. Taste a small edge; if the cheeses are not salty enough for your preference, add just a tiny pinch of flaky sea salt, using no more than 1/8 teaspoon total for both pizzas.

Let each pizza rest for 2 minutes before slicing. This short pause helps the melted cheeses settle slightly so the slices hold together while still staying hot and creamy.

Pro Tips

Use low-moisture mozzarella: Fresh mozzarella releases more water and can make a white pizza soggy. Low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella gives you a better melt and a cleaner slice.
Do not overload the center: Keep the cheese layer even and slightly lighter in the middle so the crust bakes through properly.
Preheat longer than you think: A pizza stone or steel needs at least 45 minutes at 500°F to store enough heat for a crisp bottom.
Add honey after baking: If honey goes on before the pizza bakes, it can scorch. A light drizzle after baking keeps the flavor clean and balanced.
Cut gorgonzola intensity to taste: For a milder pizza, use gorgonzola dolce. For a bolder pizza, use a sharper aged gorgonzola and reduce the parmesan by 1 tablespoon.

Variations

Hot honey quattro formaggi: Warm 2 teaspoons honey with 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes for 20 seconds, then drizzle it over the baked pizzas.
White mushroom four-cheese pizza: Add 4 ounces thinly sliced cremini mushrooms, sautéed for 5 minutes until their moisture evaporates, before baking.
Herby ricotta-style finish: Dollop 1/3 cup whole-milk ricotta over the cheese layer in small spoonfuls and reduce the mozzarella to 6 ounces.

Storage & Make-Ahead

Store leftover pizza slices in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat slices in a 375°F oven or toaster oven for 7 to 9 minutes, until the crust crisps and the cheese softens. Avoid microwaving if possible, because it makes the crust chewy.

To make the dough ahead, mix and knead it as directed, then cover and refrigerate it for 8 to 24 hours instead of letting it rise at room temperature. Remove the dough from the refrigerator 60 minutes before shaping so it can warm up and relax. You can also shred the mozzarella and fontina up to 2 days ahead and keep them refrigerated in separate airtight containers.

Nutrition (per serving)