Mozzarella balls and moisture

[PietroUK]

Feel slightly embarrassed by asking this, but I suppose that's what this forum is here for.

Previously, when I cooked with mozzarella balls (the one's sold in wee 125g bags surrounded with liquid) it had left a watery residue on the top of my pizza after cooking. Partly as a result of this for the past year I've tended to use shredded low-moisture mozzarella as a cheat (and for its length of storage).

But I'd like to have another shot at using the balls, as my early attempts occurred before I was really interested in honing my pizza-making skills!

What's the best way of draining the mozzarella before use as to avoid the aforementioned water rising to the surface of the cooked pizza?

Cheers

P

[buceriasdon]

Don't know what others do, but I slice the ball and set the slices on paper towels to drain.
Don

[scott r]

Don, thats what I do too, it works great.    At the NY coal oven joints they tend to hang the cheese in cheese cloth for a few days exposed to air in the walk in cooler.   This way takes longer, and is tough to find the space for, but can preserve some flavor that is lost with the paper towel method. 

[PietroUK]

That seemed to do the trick, cheers guys.
My dough was a bit rubbish, but it's all just another step down the road...

[buceriasdon]

Glad the advice worked for you. Start a new topic about your dough describing what you do now and what you would like to improve upon. Welcome to the forum.
Don

That seemed to do the trick, cheers guys.
My dough was a bit rubbish, but it's all just another step down the road...

[jamester]

I put the balls into a small strainer suspended over a bowl, covered with a towel overnight in the fridge.  Before I use them I let them sit on paper towels (unsliced) as they come to room temperature.  Those little balls give up a lot of moisture!

[Mick.Chicago]

Break them in half and use less and maybe space them out more..

How many are you putting on and on what size of pizza?

[jerrym]

i'm beginning to think that these "wet" (in plastic bags) mozzarella balls are NOT the right cheese to use for pizza - would appreciate thoughts.

i am getting ponding on the cooked pizza in the center area (disapears as the pizza cools on the rack, absorbed i think by the dough). i can't be sure but gut feeling says it's the cheese. in the past i've used dry mozzarella and gut feeling is that the ponding has come from switching to the wet mozzarella balls.

since using the mozzarella balls i've become aware of how much liquid they contain and have always left them to drain for several hrs before using.

since joining the site i've adopted cold fermentation and started making my tom sauce at the same time as the dough and keeping it in the fridge. i've then extend this to keeping the mozzarella balls in a plastic container for the same period (draining as needed). the last mozzarella balls were in the fridge "draining" for 5 days. ponding was still a problem.

clearly i need to switch back to the dry mozzarella to see if it cures the problem. the only issue being that the wet mozzarella has far better taste than the dry.

[esoog]

sometimes it could be the moisture in the sauce too? i have this problem with mozza and with sauce too so i have to make sure both a drained well before i dress any pizza

[jerrym]

esoog,

appreciate the thought. since joining the site i have changed the sauce (sieving and adding touch of oregano).

in the past i've left a dessert spoon on the surface of the sauce (before blending) to collect off any excess liquid. in switching methods i did miss this step out on a couple of batches. however on last batch i re introduced it with no effect.

the pizza's if cooked just with sauce (in fact ~ x2 sauce) cook out well. i've also picked up on the site's tips of less is more and to space the cheese out more and more towards the edge.

i think it's the cheese that is breaking down somehow as it seems quite dry when adding to the pizza.

i guess the only way is to switch cheeses.

[dmaxdmax]

I slice the ball and lay the cheese on several paper towels, cover with more paper and a cast iron pan.  At about 15 minutes it's dry enough to use but moist enough to taste fresh.  Thank you Alton.

[jerrym]

i guess the only way is to switch cheeses.

have now done the switch to dry grated cheese and problem has gone.

[PietroUK]

I've continued with the paper towels, and I've not had too much of a problem. As long as the mozzarella is sliced thin enough, that is. When I bring my dough out of the fridge, about 2hrs before cooking I slice & wrap the cheese up - then I change the paper after about an hour.

I'm using about 3/4 of a 125g bag on a 13.5-14 inch pizza btw.

[jerrym]

PietroUK,

given what you say i will have to try the paper towels as i feel the taste is better than the dry grated.

i too find 3/4 of a bag just right per pizza (11 to 14"). i cut 3 slices with scissors and then divide each slice into biggish chunks.

i'm currently using Sainsbury's Grated Mild Cheese - it works pretty good (taste and ease of use). the family like it as you can use far more than with the wet type cheese.

[jerrym]

PietroUK,

tried the paper kitchen towel drying - it really does work - took 3 off towels per 125g ball to capture the water.

pizza cooked with no ponding.

after all of that in side by side comparison i've ended up preferring the dry cheese for my lowish 500F domestic oven.

all good fun though and well worth the effort.

[Matthew]

I use the same method that Scott R eluded to.  Take the fresh mozzarella, wrap it tightly in a cheese cloth & hang in my spare fridge for at least 24 hours.  It gets rid of the moisture while still retaining the texture & flavor. 

Matt

[jerrym]

while still retaining the texture & flavor. 

Matt,

interesting. i am sure the paper towel takes some of the flavor and was surprised myself when i ended up preferring the "inferior" dry grated cheese. the "fridge" drying idea has given me some food for thought - something like a soap dish perhaps.

[Matthew]

Matt,

interesting. i am sure the paper towel takes some of the flavor and was surprised myself when i ended up preferring the "inferior" dry grated cheese. the "fridge" drying idea has given me some food for thought - something like a soap dish perhaps.

I tie the cheese up & then tie two of them together through the wire shelf in the fridge & keep them suspended over a bowl.

[jerrym]

Matt,

many thanks. i like the over bowl idea and will try it out.

[jerrym]

i tried out the "air" drying in the fridge - placed balls in plastic fine sieve over a bowl and left in fridge for 3 days, tipping away water out of the ball as and when.

the drying out worked a treat. the ball weight reduced from 125g to 100g due to the loss of excess water. there was no deterioration in taste.

ps since adopting a stone (quarry tiles) and high temp max up from 500 to 550 i've found the excess mozzarella ball liquid is no longer a problem.