Homemade pizza question...

[mama22qts]

I make my own pizza. Lately I've been having a problem that I've never had before and I can't figure it out.

My oven is at 475, and I'm using a pizza stone. I make my own crust.

Problem -- I can't get the cheese to melt!!

Everything else gets cooked - the crust browns nicely and the pepperoni cooks up well, but the cheese is still in little shreds. Weird because it's starting to brown and still be in shreds. I'm using lowfat mozzarella -- could that be the problem? That's the only kind of sort of affordable cheese I can find.

What do ya'll do? I know this can't be right!

[ncbrunet]

lowfat cheese does not melt, just turns brown.

I read this online awhile ago.

"Although mozzarella cheese manufacturers are making strides toward developing a good-tasting, lower-fat product, the no-fat or low-fat mozzarellas don't melt or fuse together well during baking. They also brown and scorch excessively, which is hardly appetizing for pizza lovers.

In their quest for perfection, Cornell food scientists at the Northeast Dairy Foods Research Center found that applying a thin hydrophobic surface coating with an oil-spray product to the cheese before baking makes the no-fat and low-fat mozzarella behave like its full-fat cousin by fusing, browning and blistering."

Would using a cooking oil spray help??

[mama22qts]

Hydrophobic? So I need to find a cooking spray that's afraid of water? lol

Hmmm I never thought about that. I'll give it a try. Best to make a very small pizza and give it a shot.

Are there any full fat brands that aren't so expensive?

[frugalphoebe]

Hydrophobic? So I need to find a cooking spray that's afraid of water? lol

Hmmm I never thought about that. I'll give it a try. Best to make a very small pizza and give it a shot.

Are there any full fat brands that aren't so expensive?

I don't know how much you pay for your cheese, but i get mine from Aldi's. It is just under $3 for a bag, and I use about half of it on my pizzas. We are in the LOND, so this is the cheapest I can find....

[mama22qts]

I'm going to have to check the next time I'm in the store. All I know really is that I always try to get the sale brands with coupon, and I don't remember ever seeing a sale on the full fat kind. No matter -- using the lowfat ones makes a nasty pizza which totally defeats the purpose, so I'll just pay the higher price.

[chitownmelli]

I make our own pizzas too, also on a pizza stone, and have actually mistakenly bought the low fat cheese and had the same problem. Now, although for my money Sargento makes the BEEEESSSTTT cheese out there that is available to me anyway, I have actually found that Crystal Farms is yummy. Is that available to you? It goes on sale for close to store brand prices, the mozz is very creamy when it melts.

Maybe even take the store brand cheese for a test run when they put it on sale. I use the regular shreds (not the fancy thin shreds) of store brand mozz. (roundy's brand) and it's pretty good.

Some people have mentioned that you can sometimes get reduced dairy at every store except mine (lol!) I wonder if you can get some blocks of cheese and spend a little time with your box grater...... I would if they reduced the bricks of cheese at our store because THEN they would be a reasonable price for me. :)

[Castingbread]

We've had the same problem. Sargento is the best! And it will go on sale once in a while, even b1g1 at times. You can call them and ask for coupons (I'm not sure they send them, but whenever I have a moldy bag I call & they replace it and send an extra.50/1 coupon) and talk to them about cheese--they are great at answering questions. We also have watched for the store brands and also Kraft sales and gotten the fatty kind.

Great tip about spraying it. Can't imagine it, but if all you have is low fat it is worth a try.

[chitownmelli]

They do send .50/1 q's for compliments as well. Great tip, that would really work out nicely if you have a store that doubles!

[druidessemily]

I usually get the "pizza blend" cheese mix, and it turns out fine. It's the same price as the other cheeses. It seems to do just find melting and getting a little bubbly.

What do you do to make your own pizza crust?

[Zyxx]

The only whole milk mozzarella I have found in our area is Wal-mart's own brand. It's a little over $3/lb. and worth every penny. When other cheese brands go on sale, I usually get mozzarella. I have never been able to match the taste or consistency of WM's cheese. And now I know why the cheese on top of my last lasagna burnt. I used Kraft on the top layer.