Melting cheese
By coffeebreak
@coffeebreak (17798)
United States
October 23, 2007 7:56pm CST
I love making pizza but have one question I can't figure;
How do you get the cheese to melt and blend in with the toppings like the pizza places do? I can't get the cheese to melt and adhere to te rest of the toppings, it just melts together with itself and makes a layer of cheese, but doesn't mix or attach to the other toppings so when you take a bit, if you don't bite clear through the cheese layer you'll pull of the whole layer of cheese on the slice! i have tried putting the cheesd on top of the meat topping (usually pepperoni and/or sausage), on top, underneath, mixed together. I have tried mixing the cheese (motzerella or that "pizza blend of multiple cheeses in the pre-grated bags) I have greated my own, bought the already grated. Mixed several kinds of cheese. Messed wtih thetemp on the over - an ma just out of ideas, and still the cheese doesn't melt and get all bubbly and gooey like a pizzeria pizza does. Any suggestions?
1 person likes this
8 responses
@raychill (6525)
• United States
24 Oct 07
I'd say cook it longer. It's my only real thought to be honest. I don't know, I mean I've never had any of these problems. So I'm thinking maybe you're not cooking it correctly. Do you have a pizza stone? If you do use it. If you don't cook the pizza on a pan using parchment paper. Don't put it down towards the bottom and cook it longer than you normally do. If you see the bottom starting to super brown on the sides than you'll have to take it out cause it'll be burning soon. But I don't know. Like I said, I've never had a problem with cheese not melting, bubbling or sticking to the toppings.
1 person likes this
@angseu (10)
• Canada
24 Oct 07
Here's a good pizza secret
You put your sauce on your crust, then you sprinkle a little cheese over the sauce before putting your toppings on. Once you get all the good stuff on there, put more cheese on top. This allows the top layer of cheese to melt to the bottom layer of cheese surrounding all the toppings in cheesy goodness.
* don't cook the pizza at too high a temperature so the cheese gets a good chance to melt through.
* use a good quality mozza blend (mozza & monteray jack is my fav)
@marabdl86 (615)
• United States
24 Oct 07
YUP! I use to work at a Pizza joint and that's the trick they teach you. the cheese on the bottom will stick to the toppings on the bottom. Goodluck on your next pizza experiment .
@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
24 Oct 07
Tried the layer thing (saw it on TV a show called "History of the Pizza" or something and they compared Chicago style to New York style) and it didn't make a difference. I put grated parmeasen on top of the crust, sauce, cheese, toppings, cheese. I put i on the top oven shelf - well, nearer the top, so the bottom doestn' burn before the cheese melts. I do it at 350* so not so hot it burns the curst, but hot enough to melt the cheese - at least I thought. I have even mixed cheese into the sauce before I put the sauce on the crust. is there maybe a different ins the pre-grated cheese over the chunk you grate yourself? Is it a part skim or whole issue? Room temp or cold cheese? And what about chees I have frozen (grated only) and thawed then used. Does the freezing do something to the cheese that makes it not melt right? Thanks for all the help. I just love pizza and enchilladas - forget everything else!
@angseu (10)
• Canada
24 Oct 07
pre-grated cheese has a coating of something on it so it doesn't clump in the bag. I don't know how it melts though because I've never used it. My mother in law swears by it for lasagna though.
I've never had luck with frozen cheese, but for some reason it always melts nicely on a frozen pizza.
My mozza is part skim and the monteray jack I use is full fat
Maybe call your local pizza joint and ask what they do? :)
@ElusiveButterfly (45940)
• United States
25 Oct 07
I make homemade pizza that many have said is the best they have ever had. My toppings go on before the cheese. I bake it at a high temperature, about 450-475 degrees F. The cheese melts quickly and the crust turns golden brown.
@BayleighGray (4334)
• United States
25 Oct 07
Thats what we do too. I cook the hamburger, sausage, bacon and what ever other meats together, drain them and the put on the sauted veggies that we want. Our pizza really turns out great, we dont order out anymore! lol
@BayleighGray (4334)
• United States
25 Oct 07
Hey Coffeebreak,
Well I wish I knew what to say to you. Me and my hubby always make our own pizzas, and we have never had this problem. I use the pre shredded pizza cheese with many other toppings like hamburger, sausage, onions, mushrooms, canadian bacon.....and its quite a bit of stuff. Our pizzas always turn our really good.
I cant imagine why your cheese it not blending for you! Do you think you might be putting "too" much cheese?? Thats about the only think I can think of.
Bay Lay Gray xx
@Countrymom (371)
• United States
24 Oct 07
I bake my pizza and then the last few minutes after its done I will broil it to melt the cheese, try this and see if it works. You need to watch the pizza really close to make sure you don't burn it during this time but it works well for me.
@captainbob (2)
• United States
26 Oct 07
good call, countrymom, i do the same thing sometimes to get the top right without burning the bottom. Also, my experience has been somewhere in the 400-450 range is better than a lower temp - and a higher rack works better than a lower one. I like to experiment and come up with something different every time and just enjoy however it comes out (usually :-)
@latinvari (192)
• Turkey
24 Oct 07
i don t like make pizza because if i try to make a pizza probably i will burn to kitchen. i was try to cook pasta and our kitchen is burning. not big fire but i m afraid so much hahah.but i love eat pizza offcourse without mushroom
