But a recent discovery revealed to me another way to elevate your pizza to absurdly cheesy levels.

Yes, its time to add a giant frico crisp to the underside of your pizza.

Fricois a simple, ingenious snack made from cheese.

Shredded cheese on the counter with pizza dough on top. It’s been stretched into a circle. Shredded cheese is pressed into the dough on both sides.

When it cools, it hardens into a crisp.

Cooking a crunchy layer of frico onto the chewy bottom of pizza is a natural progression.

Attaching a layer of crisp cheese to a pizza should be much harder than it is.

Cast iron skillet with shredded parmesan cheese sprinkled in an even layer onto the bottom.

Where normally youd dust the surface of your pizza dough with flour, this time youll use shredded cheese.

Meanwhile, get your toppings ready and stretch your dough.

Put a handful or two of shredded cheese onto your work surface and drop the pizza dough onto it.

Pizza dough placed on top of the parmesan layer in the cast iron skillet. The pizza is topped with sausage chunk, sliced kalamata olives, shredded parmesan and shredded mozzerella.

Flip to coat both sides.

Stretch the dough to the appropriate size, adding more cheese as sticky spots appear.

Carefully take the hot skillet out of the oven.

After baking, the parmesan cheese layer is fully cooked, browned and crisp on the bottom of a slice.

Coat the entire bottom with an even layer.

You may need two or three handfulsexpect to use about a cup of cheese.

The shredded cheese will begin to sizzle and melt right away.

Side-view of the pizza slice so the frico cheese layer is visible.

Once cooked, the pizza will have nicely browned edges and should easily detach from the pan.

My choice of shredded parmesan and a little mozz became delicate and crisp, adding a subtle chew.

The extra saltiness and nutty notes made each slice a meditative moment in my mouth.

The cheese toasts and takes on a golden brown hue, so you might think, Thats just dough.

Its actually a full layer of cheese.

I respect pizza establishments, but this might be the best pizza Ive ever eaten.

Add the oil to a 10-inch cast iron skillet, and coat the entire inside of the pan.

Put the skillet in the oven to preheat for at least 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the pizza toppings, and stretch the pizza dough.

Add a cup of cheese to your work surface and coat all sides of the dough in shredded cheese.

Once its stretched to the appropriate size, lay it down on the work surface with leftover cheese.

Press the crust into the extra cheese to coat the bottom-side more heavily.

Carefully remove the skillet from the oven.

Add enough shredded cheese to thinly, but evenly coat the bottom of the skillet, about a cup.

Quickly, sauce and top your pizza.

Bake in a 400F oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the edges are dark brown and crisp.

Allow to cool for five minutes.

Release from the pan and slice.