Who says frozen pizza has to be thrown away because it's no longer fit to eat? In fact, frozen pizza can also be reprocessed into delicious, cheap, and filling food if your food preparation time is limited, you know! To make frozen pizza at home, all you need to do is preheat the oven to the temperature recommended on the pizza package. Once the oven is hot, place the pizza on a baking sheet or special tray. Place a baking sheet or pizza mat on the oven rack, then bake the pizza until it is crispy and crunchy again. If you don't have an oven, you can also heat a smaller pizza in the microwave to save time. After the pizza has warmed up for the recommended time, don't forget to let it sit at room temperature for a while before enjoying it.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Preparing the Pizza
Step 1. Soften the pizza for 1-2 hours
Before processing, pizza must first be removed from the freezer and allowed to stand at room temperature for several hours. If you bake it while it's still frozen, the icing on the pizza's surface will melt and evaporate. As a result, the texture of the pizza along with its complementary ingredients will not be able to taste crispy.
- Bake the pizza as soon as it softens in texture.
- To make sure the pizza is fully softened, put it at room temperature as soon as you get home, unless you don't plan on eating it anytime soon.
Step 2. Remove the softened pizza from its packaging
Unwrap the cardboard wrapping the pizza, then slide your palm into the pizza base to pull it out. Make sure the surface of the pizza that is full of complementary ingredients is facing up, yes! After that, also open the plastic wrap that wraps the pizza and coats the bottom of the cardboard.
- Chances are, you'll need to use scissors to open the plastic wrap around the pizza.
- Opening the pizza upside down will cause the ingredients to scatter or spread unevenly.
Step 3. Brush the edges of the pizza with olive oil to enrich the taste and texture
Dip a food brush into a bowl of olive oil, then apply the oil all over the edges of the pizza. As the pizza is baked in the oven or warmed in the microwave, the oil will be absorbed into the pizza dough and make it crispier when cooked, making the taste richer.
A thin layer of olive oil will also help brown the color of the cheese adjacent to the edge of the pizza
Tip:
Sprinkle a little garlic powder, Italian-style powdered spice mix, and parmesan cheese to enhance the final taste of the pizza.
Method 2 of 3: Baking Frozen Pizza in the Oven
Step 1. Preheat the oven to the temperature recommended on the pizza package
Generally, most frozen pizzas should be baked at 191-218 degrees Celsius. To ensure even pizza doneness, set the oven to a “bake” or “convection” setting in the oven. While waiting for the oven to heat up, prepare the pizza to be baked.
- Another option is to preheat the oven to the highest possible temperature to match the temperatures offered by commercial pizza ovens. However, be warned that the pizza will burn more easily if you use this method.
- Don't use broilers. Exposure to heat that is one-way from broilers is prone to overcooking the top of the pizza, while the bottom is still undercooked.
Step 2. Place the pizza on a nonstick baking sheet
Position the pizza so that it is right in the middle of the pan. If necessary, take the time to tidy up any messy toppings so that they fill the surface of the pizza again.
If you have a special pizza tray made of stone, feel free to put it in the preheated oven. Basically, a pizza placemat made of stone is able to absorb excess liquid in the pizza. As a result, the end result of your pizza will feel more crispy and crunchy when cooked
Alternative:
Place the pizza without the tray on the center rack of the oven to ensure that the surrounding heat circulates well and to give the pizza a crispier texture as it cooks.
Step 3. Place the pizza on the middle rack of the oven
In this position, the pizza will not be too close to the heat sources located on the top and bottom walls of the oven. After putting the pizza in, immediately close the oven door to trap the heat inside.
- If the pizza is lined with a baking sheet, place the pan horizontally to make it easier to remove when the pizza is done.
- Be careful when placing the pizza on the oven rack so that your hands don't burn when they come into contact with the hot surface of the rack.
Step 4. Bake the pizza for the recommended time
Generally, frozen pizza will be perfectly cooked after 15-25 minutes of baking, although the actual duration really depends on the size of the pizza and the number of toppings. Don't forget to set a timer or alarm so that the pizza can be removed on time from the oven.
- The pizza is fully cooked when the cheese turns golden brown and small, steady bubbles appear on the surface.
- If the oven is really hot, the pizza should only need to bake for 5-8 minutes.
Step 5. Remove the pizza from the oven with the help of heat-resistant gloves
When the baking time is up, open the oven door and lift the edges of the pan with the help of heat-resistant gloves. After that, place the pan on a safe, heat-resistant surface, such as a kitchen counter.
If the pizza is directly baking on the oven rack, don't forget to remove it with the help of a metal spatula, a special spatula for lifting pies, or a similar cooking utensil that can be tucked into the bottom of the pan. If you want, you can also remove the entire rack from the oven
Step 6. Let the pizza rest for 3-5 minutes before cutting
"Break" the pizza until the cheese has hardened a little and is a safe temperature to touch and eat. When the cheese and other complementary ingredients have cooled and hardened a little, the pizza will be easier to cut neatly.
- Do not touch the pizza and the baking sheet after removing it from the oven. Be careful, they are still very hot so there is a risk of injuring your hands!
- If the pizza is cut while it's still warm, there's a good chance that the cheese and other toppings will be splattered.
Step 7. Slice the pizza with a special cutting tool
Place the slicer in the center of the pizza, then roll it back and forth gradually to slice the pizza in a straight line. After that, rotate the pizza 90 degrees, and slice the pizza back from the center to form a straight line that intersects the previous line. Continue this process until you have the desired number of pizza slices.
- Ideally, you should make 6-8 slices from one standard-sized frozen pizza pan.
- If you don't have a pizza cutter, you can also use a very sharp kitchen knife. Do not forget to press the handle of the knife with the palm of your hand so that the pizza is cut perfectly in a straight line.
Method 3 of 3: Warming Frozen Pizza in the Microwave
Step 1. Place the pizza on a heatproof plate
Use a plate that is large enough to fit an entire serving of pizza in the microwave. The trick, simply put the pizza in the middle of the plate, then put the plate in the microwave.
Never warm aluminum foil or metal cookware in the microwave. Be careful, the interaction of the two with the microwave can trigger a spark or even cause permanent damage to the microwave
Tip:
Some types of pizza are equipped with heat-resistant plates that can make the pizza texture crisper when warmed. If the pizza you bought also comes with the placemat, don't hesitate to use it.
Step 2. Warm the pizza in the microwave on high for the recommended duration
Most pizzas need to be warmed for 3-4 minutes in the microwave, but some pizzas are thicker and need to be warmed for 4-5 minutes. Whenever you're in doubt, just follow the instructions on the pizza package!
- Watch the pizza as it warms up so it doesn't end up being overcooked and tough.
- The heating time of the pizza is very dependent on the type of bread dough used. For example, a pizza made from garlic bread dough and flatbread, of course, needs to be warmed for different durations.
Step 3. Let the pizza sit for 2-3 minutes before eating
Be careful when removing very hot pizza plates from the microwave! If you wish, you can even cut the pizza into smaller pieces so you can eat it together once it's cooled down.
Tips
- In some cases, warming frozen pizza in the microwave is the most recommended method, especially since it's actually the most efficient way to heat pizza consistently and evenly.
- Frozen pizza is actually delicious eaten anytime, you know! For example, you can warm it up for lunch, dinner, or even as a snack in between meals.
- Taste several pizza brands until you find the type of pizza that best suits your cooking method preferences.
