Caramelized Cheese Crust

[nrhode08]

My question kind of has 2 parts - I will tell you that I did try this over the weekend and I was able to almost get the flavor that I'm looking for...a burnt, crispy cheezy crust.

1.  Where could I find a cast iron pizza pan?  I currently cook my deep dish pizzas in a non-stick pan and can't get the flavor that I want or get the cheese to burn/crisp around the edges like I want.

2.  Is there a suggestion you could make with how I can get the cheese to caramelize better?  I'm thinking I need to use a cast iron pan and bake the dough a little with the cheese on the outside of the pan where the crust is, then fill the pizza, then bake more.

[buceriasdon]

Most likely changing your cheese or to a cheese blend will help with that. A look at the greek thread will show that cheese look, I think, you are seeking.      http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,691.0.html       We are using carbon steel pans however a cast iron skillet is used frequently for deep dish pizza.
Don

[The Dough Doctor]

Changing the brand of cheese can certainly help as some brands will color more than others. Many times I will sprinkle shredded Parmesan cheese around the edge of the crust to achieve the same effect. Also, moving your pizza to a higher rack position in the oven may also help by putting more top heat to your pizza, or you might experiment with doing the bulk of the baking at a lower rack position to get the bottom of the crust baked properly, and then moving the pizza to a higher rack position to get the desired browning on the cheese.
Tom Lehmann/The Dough Doctor

[ThatsATastyPizza]

I use a 12" cast iron skillet for my deep dish pizzas. I do the sauce on top of the cheese for that Chicago style deep dish, but I would imagine that if you broiled the pizza for a minute or two after baking, the cheese would caramelize. Just watch closely so that it doesn't burn. Play around with your cheeses too, some cheeses brown better than others.