Cheese first or last?

[Decidion]

We have always put our cheese on our pizzas on first, then the toppings, then a little (what we call) “glue” on top to prevent toppings from rolling off during cooking and eating.

But after talking with my mother (who has eaten Chicago pizzas for many decades), she tells us they always put the cheese on last, after all the other toppings.

I tried a test pizza and it seemed to taste… well different. Better for some reason. The cheese seems to stand out more than it did, and now that I am thinking of it, it does taste more like the pizzas we used to eat when we lived in Chicago.

Instead of the toppings heating up and sinking into the melted cheese, the cheese melts and coats the toppings and seems to seal everything into more of a solid piece of pie.

So what does everyone else here do? I realize people may put a little down first or last, but where do you put the majority of the cheese? First or last?

 

[wa_dave]

We put a light coverage on the base after saucing then same amount on top after toppings.
Appearance wise is good, holds toppings together and stops toppings burning.
Don’t know about tasting any different but we do agood and increasing business so it must be OK.
Dave

 

[Daddio]

wa dave:

We put a light coverage on the base after saucing then same amount on top after toppings.
Appearance wise is good, holds toppings together and stops toppings burning.
Don’t know about tasting any different but we do agood and increasing business so it must be OK.
Dave

What he said

 

[system]

Well being a Chicago habitant I will say thin crust was always cheese last. Deep dish is crust, cheese, toppings, and then sauce on top.

 

[Decidion]

qcfmike:

Well being a Chicago habitant I will say thin crust was always cheese last. Deep dish is crust, cheese, toppings, and then sauce on top.

Good point Mike and I should have clarified, but we only serve thin crust.

In all the years I lived in Chicago (about 26), everything always seemed to be about thin crust there. Sure, some places did deep dish, but you mostly found it downtown, not so much in the workin’ man’s suburbs.

 

[system]

I know I know! People in Chicago dont eat a lot of deep dish pizza. Keep in on the down low! :x I grew up in Elk Grove near one of the first Lou’s and had it once a month. Now the other fav pie shops we ate 2-3 days a week and they were thin…not that cracker thin that people talk about… but like the original Jake’s on Devon or JJ Twigs out in Lake Zurich. Best dang thin crust with a rolled edge around. I got a job there in HS so I could learn how to make their pizza. OH, and Jake’s had that gum line problem everytime you ate it. I never saw it as an issue. Crispy bottom… kind of a doughy center and hot stringy mozz on top…and not 1/2" thick layer of cheese… just enough to hold it all together and for God’s sake… USE RAW SAUSAGE AND GROUND BEEF!!! The grease makes the pie!!! That is the main reason most chain pizza’s s.u.c.k! There are a lot more reasons but I like to think that is the big one. 8)

 

[Fire_Side_Pizza]

We used a base and then sprinkled on top. That was with the thin crust as well as the stuffed pizzas.

 

[boatnut]

Our “rule of thumb”…
Meats and any toppings that tend to burn go under the cheese. Wet toppings on top.

 

[Mikeyoung]

We put the majority of the cheese on first then the toppings and then just a tiny sprinkle of cheese on top to bring everything together. It bugs me when my staff put too much cheese on top, i don’t see the point in spending hours preparing the finest ingredients to cover them in cheese and hide them. I think people eat with their eyes first so when they open that box and see all the toppings, neatly arranged with vibrant colours then its a great first impression. If someone orders extra cheese then we would put it on top tho.