Buzz
By now, it seems like we've explored every inch of the pizza world. We've tried grilling it, adding truffles, swapping dough for cauliflower, and even stuffing the crust with various oddities. But a recent discovery opened my eyes to a new frontier in the pizza-making process—one we've been overlooking all this time. The bottom of the pizza, that is. It's about time we covered it with cheese.
Yes, it's time to introduce a glorious frico crisp to your pizza's underside.
Frico is a simple yet brilliant snack made entirely from cheese. It's just cheese, piled high and either baked in the oven or fried in a pan, where it melts, browns, and transforms into a crunchy crisp. Once it cools, it hardens and becomes perfectly crisp. Frico pairs well with almost anything, especially when you want a delightful textural contrast. We've already shown you how to wrap fries in frico, fry an egg on it, or use it in a crispy, cheesy pickle. Now, imagine adding that same crisp to the chewy bottom of your pizza—it's the next step in pizza evolution.
Attaching a layer of crisp cheese to a pizza is easier than you might think. Instead of flouring the dough as usual, you’ll coat it with shredded cheese. I used a mix of parmesan and low-moisture shredded mozzarella, but any firm cheese works. Preheat a large cast iron skillet with a tablespoon of olive oil in a 400°F oven. Meanwhile, prepare your toppings and stretch your dough. Sprinkle a handful of shredded cheese onto your work surface and place the dough on top. Flip it to coat both sides. (Avoid flouring the dough, as it will reduce the stickiness that helps the cheese adhere.)
Stretch the dough to the right size, adding more cheese to sticky spots as they appear. Some cheese will stay on the work surface, but that's fine—we'll use it in the next step.
Carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven. The pan is around 400°F, a temperature that will quickly remind you of its heat (and potentially cause pain) if you forget. Grab a handful of cheese from the counter or the bag, and spread it evenly across the bottom of the skillet. Ensure the entire base is covered. You might need two or three handfuls, totaling around a cup of cheese.
The shredded cheese will begin to sizzle and melt immediately. Once you're satisfied with the coverage, pick up the dough and carefully place it in the skillet, with the cheesy side facing down. Adjust the dough to ensure maximum contact with the cheese below. The dough will start cooking as soon as it touches the skillet, so stay on your toes—add your toppings swiftly, and then pop the entire dish into the oven for about 20 minutes.
Once baked, the pizza will have beautifully browned edges and should lift off the pan without trouble. Move it to a cutting board, but try not to get lost in the sight of the crispy cheese layer on the bottom before you slice it. The flavor and texture are exactly as you’d imagine—completely divine. The shredded parmesan paired with a bit of mozzarella became light and crisp, with a subtle chew. The added saltiness and nutty undertones made every bite feel like a small, delicious meditation.
As the cheese toasts, it turns a golden brown, which might trick you into thinking, 'That’s just dough.' But in fact, it’s an entire layer of cheese.
From the side, you can clearly see the cheesy layer that lines the edge of each slice. While I respect all pizza joints, this might be the most incredible pizza I’ve ever tasted.
I own both a pizza stone and a baking steel, and I adore them. However, for this scenario, I suggest using a cast iron skillet, as it worked wonders. The skillet keeps the cheese in place, while pizza stones are more porous, and I didn’t want to risk the cheese burning on it. If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, the baking steel might do the trick, and a dark baking sheet is a backup if you’re in a pinch.
Frico-Crusted Pizza
List of Ingredients:
1 tablespoon of olive oil (for greasing the cast iron skillet)
1-1½ cups of shredded cheese (I used parmesan)
8 ounces of pizza dough, thawed
2 tablespoons of pizza sauce
1-2 cups of your chosen toppings, chopped and prepared (I used cooked sausage chunks and olives)
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Pour the olive oil into a 10-inch cast iron skillet, coating the entire interior of the pan. Place the skillet in the oven to preheat for at least 20 minutes.
While the skillet heats, prepare your pizza toppings and stretch out the pizza dough. Scatter a cup of cheese onto your work surface and coat the dough on all sides with the shredded cheese. Stretch the dough into a disc shape, picking up cheese as needed to cover newly exposed areas. Once it’s stretched to the desired size, place it back on the work surface with any leftover cheese. Press the crust into the cheese to coat the bottom more generously.
Carefully remove the skillet from the oven. Sprinkle enough shredded cheese to evenly cover the bottom of the skillet, about a cup. Gently transfer the dough from the work surface to the cast iron skillet, making sure the dough fits and comes into contact with the cheese. Quickly add the sauce and toppings to your pizza. Bake at 400°F for 20-25 minutes, or until the edges are dark and crisp. Let the pizza cool for five minutes before removing it from the pan and slicing it.
