Cheese is a dairy product that contains lots of moisture inside. The characteristics of cheese do not mark it as an explosive property. Baking with cheese is hype now. Everyone loves cheese, whether it is baked, cooked, or fresh.
Suppose you want a pizza party at home and want to bake a pizza in your oven loaded with fresh cheese. You might be staring whether it is feasible to burn cheese in the oven.
Well, as I know, cheese usually does not burn in the oven unless you forget to take it out after baking.
Can I put cheese in the oven?
Generally, cheese forms coagulating casein, a protein of milk. There are various types of cheese. The different complexion is used for different purposes. For evidence, mozzarella cheese is used in baking pizza, cream cheese is used in cheesecake or pudding, and cheddar cheese is used in steak.
All types of cheese can go in the oven. The oven temperature doesn’t become harmful to the cheese. When hot air conducts heat into cheese, the water molecule of cheese vibrates and melts, and cheese’s aroma spreads in the air. The aroma of baked cheese is desirable. Oven heat can turn the fat portion of cheese slightly golden, which is also desirable.
Usually, real cheese is not cooked for a long time; it is an instant process. Approximately in 10 to 12 minutes at 350°F, the cheese will be done baking.
Does real cheese burn or melt?
Accept cream cheese; all cheese is solid at room temperature. In coalescence of heat, real cheese melts first. And then suppose you don’t take out from the heat. It can burn due to prolonged heat. When you extend the heat after it is done, the moisture in the cheese dries out, and the fat portion of the cheese starts to burn. Otherwise, cheese doesn’t burn.
What happens to different types of cheese at different oven temperatures and times?
Different oven temperatures and times incessantly affect different food; cheese is not alone. There are a thousand types of cheese.
In terms of mozzarella cheese, when they bring in contact with heat, the moisture present in the cheese starts to boil. And cannot evaporate in entangle of fat and protein. Then it starts to bubble to remove water.
It is impossible to discuss every single type. So here I’ll discuss the most demotic five kinds of cheese.
| Category of cheese | Average time of melting | Melting point | Approximate burning point | Volume |
| Mozzarella cheese | 30 to 45 sec | 130°F | 270°F | 100gm |
| Cream cheese | 30 to 55 sec | 130°F | 275°F | 100gm |
| Cheddar cheese | 30 sec | 150°F | 310°F | 100gm |
| Jalapeno cheese | 1 to 2 min | 400°F | 550°F | 100gm |
| Parmesan cheese | 40 to 50 sec | 180°F | 300°F to 325°F | 100gm |
In the table, all data is for mere cheese because the times and temperatures of melting cheese depend on which type of food you are cooking. The water activity of various food is different. So it is hard to say when and at what temperature the cheese will melt with food. Same as with the burning point.
Suppose you deep fry any cheese with a coating of meat; it does not burn until the food is burnt. Or you can bake pizza at 250° degrees Fahrenheit for 10 to 12 minutes when the melting point of mozzarella cheese is 130 degrees Fahrenheit.
Does parmesan cheese burn in the oven?
Eventually, every food does burn in the oven due to overheating or prolonged heat. It is hard to say in one word whether parmesan cheese burns in the oven or not because it is experience and a combination of time and temperature that matters.
Also whether it is going mere or with any food. If it goes with food, then what type of food is going? The water activity level is vital in burning food in the oven.
Will cream cheese burn in the oven?
The approximate melting point of cream cheese is 130° Fahrenheit. At temperatures beyond 130°F, it can burn when it goes bare in the oven. Cream cheese also can burn at its melting point if it is heated for three to five minutes.
That means it can burn even at shallow temperatures for a long time. But please note that burning time and temperature vary with different foods.
Will shredded cheese burn in the oven?
The fact is that shredded cheese is not very different from the cheese we discussed upward of this article. Grated cheese is acquainted with shredded cheese. The fat present in the cheese may be responsible for the burning of cheese.
If you coat the shredded cheese with ground meat, potato, bread, or other foods, it does not burn until the food burns. And if you use shredded cheese in nachos, you should not put it in the oven for more than a minute; it can burn.
Summary
The oven generates heat through a heating wire. That wire can transfer electric energy to heat energy, and that hot air molecules circulate in the food by vibrating the water of the food. That is why dry foods tend to burn more than wet food.
Cheese is a milk derivative and contains lots of water inside. Typically it does not burn in the oven unless you don’t heat them beyond the maximum heat tolerance.
