If you are a fan of Pizza Dough University, you will know that we at Daisy Flour take pizza seriously. Many of us may never have leftover pizza, as it is arguably one of the most delicious and comforting foods there is, but there might be occasions when pizza is left over, and then you are stuck with the problem of how to reheat it.
Reheating pizza seems like one of the simplest things in the world, and we all know how good pizza can taste the next day as the flavors have had time to develop and enhance overnight. Reheating in an oven seems relatively straightforward. However, there are some top tips we will show you so that your pizza comes out tasting as good as it did when it was first made: crisp, fresh, and delicious.
Why Reheat Pizza In The Oven?
To begin with, why reheat pizza anyway? Cold pizza can be pretty tasty, just as it is. Cold pizza has a chewy consistency, with the best things about pizza being the melted cheese textures combined with the crispiness of the base and crust. Cold pizza is rather floppy and has no textural contrast. Enter the reheating of pizza, particularly with the use of an oven.
Let’s look at the whys of reheating pizza in an oven. There are many different ways to reheat a pizza. Microwaves, pans, and air fryers are often used, but only an oven will provide you with the requisite crispiness and perfectly melted cheese while retaining the freshness and moisture of the toppings.
Oven reheating is also much more uniform, and you won’t end up with soggy pizza! Ovens provide one of the best formats for reheating pizza. However, even reheating in an oven has a knack for it. We don’t just want warm pizza. We want perfect pizza! And if you made the pizza dough yourself, you will want to give it every opportunity to taste its best the next day.
How To Store Left Over Pizza For Reheating
Before we get to reheating pizza, let’s look at how to store it best so that it can be reheated. As we all know, pizza can dry out quickly if left out. For best results on reheating, ensure you preserve the moisture in your slices while they are stored.
Wrapping each slice individually in aluminum foil is one of the simplest and best ways to store leftover pizza. Just pop the wrapped pieces in the fridge and take them out when you are ready to reheat them.
An alternative to foil is using Tupperware. Don’t stack your slices in Tupperware. They should be kept as single layers so the pieces do not get stuck together.
We also recommend waiting for the pizza slices to cool down to room temperature before storing them. Putting hot pizza in foil or Tupperware and placing it in the fridge will cause condensation, leading to soggy pizza and interfering with evenly reheating the slices.
What To Use To Reheat Pizza In The Oven
When reheating pizza, choosing the correct dish can make or break your success with perfectly reheated pizza. Firstly you should only use oven-friendly trays, containers, or sheets to reheat pizza. Certain plates are not oven-friendly and have a very shallow bowl shape on their base, making reheating uneven.
We recommend opting for baking trays or sheets as these are flat and not too thick, allowing your pizza to reheat quickly and evenly.
If you need a backing tray or sheet, you can use aluminum foil as the tray. Place the aluminum foil directly onto the oven rack, and then using the foil as the tray, place your pizza slices onto the foil (you will still need a second sheet of foil to cover your pieces with for heating.)
What You Should NOT Use To Reheat Pizza In The Oven
Ovens get very hot, and the temperature at which pizza is reheated will melt and burn many materials. Never reheat pizza in a Styrofoam container or on a plastic plate. These will melt and not only make a mess but will also make the pizza that was sitting on them inedible.
The pizza box is another thing that should never be used for reheating. Pizza boxes are made of cardboard and, at high heat, can start to burn. Always remove pizza from whichever container it is stored in before placing it on an oven-friendly surface for reheating.
Step By Step Guide To Reheating Pizza In The Oven
Getting the perfect reheated pizza in an oven is as easy as following these simple steps:
Step 1: Take your pizza from the fridge to defrost or reach room temperature while your oven warms. If your pizza is frozen, you must give it longer to defrost, which may depend on the outside temperature.
Step 2: Preheat the oven to 275°F to 350°F (the lower the heat, the longer it will take to reheat).
Step 3: Preheat your baking sheet in the oven to warm up for 5 minutes – this will help ensure that your pizza warms up evenly and that the base will get crispy.
Step 4: Using oven gloves, remove the warm baking tray and place the pizza slices on the generous baking tray. Cover with aluminum foil to prevent drying out of the pizza toppings.
Step 5: Return the baking tray to the oven and leave it in for between 10 to 15 minutes or until you can see that the cheese is melted and the crust feels crispy.
Bonus Extra Step: If you like a bit of crispiness to your topping, remove the aluminum foil for 3 to 5 minutes before you take the baking sheet out of the oven. This will help to crisp parts of the topping.
Remove from the oven with care, and enjoy!
Thick Crust vs. Thin Crust Oven Reheating
The thickness of your base will also play a role in your oven reheating strategy. The thicker the crust, the longer you must leave your pizza in the oven.
For very thin bases, reheating will be quick. We recommend checking on your pizza slices after 5 minutes to ensure they are not getting too crispy.
If crispy is what you are going for, give your pizza slice a few extra minutes in the oven. However, never leave your pizza unattended while it reheats in the oven. What may seem like a minute can quickly become five, and the next thing you know, you will have cremated your pizza!
If you prefer slightly less crispy and softer pizza bases, reduce your pizza time in the oven. Thick bases will need a minimum of five minutes to warm up sufficiently. Thereafter, their crispiness will return, so for a softer base, don’t exceed 5 to 7 minutes in the oven.
Top Tips For Reheating Pizza In The Oven
We have put together some great tips to help you get the best-reheated pizza possible when it comes to reheating pizza in an oven.
- Defrost your pizza first. This applies to pizza that has been frozen, and even if you had it in the fridge overnight, to get the best-reheated oven pizza. We recommend letting your pizza thaw out and, if possible, get as close to room temperature as this will mean that when you reheat it, it heats through evenly.
- Aluminum foil is a must. Leftover pizza has already been cooked once, and further heating will cause the slice to lose moisture. To keep that moisture locked in, use aluminum foil.
- Preheat your baking tray before adding your pizza slices. This will help to crisp the base up again and provide more heating.
- NEVER reheat pizza in its box. This is dangerous and may lead to fires. Always remove your pizza from its box and use an oven-friendly dish, tray, or sheet for reheating pizza.
Other Reheating Methods And Why The Oven Is Better
Ovens are not the only way to reheat your pizza, but they give a better result, especially if you have a lot of leftover pizza. Here are the other options for reheating pizza.
Microwave Reheating
Microwaves are the most straightforward option when it comes to reheating, and yes, your pizza will be warm and your cheese re-melted, but it will leave much to be desired. Reheating pizza in a microwave will most commonly leave your pizza floppy and chewy, with a soft, soggy crust. If you leave it too long, the microwave can dry out pizza to a cardboard-like consistency.
While microwave ovens may be the fastest way to reheat pizza, we suggest staying clear of them if you want to enjoy your reheated pizza.
Pan/Skillet Reheating
Because pans heat from beneath, you may end up with an overcooked crust to get your cheese to re-melt. Pans may also require the use of additional oils, and this can change the taste of your pizza. Skillets can also only take one or two slices at a time, so it can be time-consuming to heat a lot of pizza.
However, if you only have a few slices to heat, skillet reheating is quick and comes with minimal fuss; make sure you don’t burn your base.
Air Fryer Reheating
Air fryers are currently seeing a considerable hike in popularity. While they may provide a viable heating alternative to ovens, they don’t offer the same space, and depending on how much pizza you have left over, you will need to reheat it piece by piece. If your air fryer is small, you may need to fold your pizza slices to make them fit.
Can You Add More Cheese To Reheated Pizza?
While some prefer less cheese and are happy with whatever the pizza initially came with, for cheese lovers, pizza reheating offers a fantastic opportunity to add more cheese.
In fact, not only can you add more cheese, but so too can you add other toppings if you feel like it. We recommend only adding items that are precooked or which will require little cooking time, as when reheating pizza, it’s just to get it warm again and not actually to cook it. Cooking time can be much more than heating time, and then you will end up with burnt pizza.
Our favorite cheese addition is an excellent melty variety of cheese like mozzarella, cheddar, or Gouda. And when adding additional toppings, we recommend making sure that they are compatible with the toppings already on the pizza.
FAQs About Reheating Pizza In An Oven
Can I Reheat My Pizza In Its Box?
No! Do not reheat pizza in the box. This is a fire hazard (and your pizza will taste a bit like cardboard).
Can I Add Extra Ingredients To My Pizza When I Reheat It?
Yes, you can. You can use any ingredient you want to, although we recommend ensuring that added ingredients will complement the original elements used.
How Long Should I Reheat My Pizza?
The time it takes to reheat pizza will vary depending on how thick your pizza base is and how crispy you want it to be. You may need 5 to 10 minutes in a preheated oven for a medium-thickness base. For a thin base, 5 minutes in a preheated oven, and for a thick base, 10 to 15 minutes in a preheated oven.
Why Should I Reheat My Pizza In An Oven?
Ovens provide the best even reheating and will bring back the crispiness of the base while, with the use of aluminum foil, retaining the moisture of the toppings. Oven reheating is the closest to recreating the same effect as a pizza oven.
Oven Reheated Pizza Is The Best!
Pizza is a delicious the next day, and for the best results reheating in an oven will provide you with the perfect slice that is so good you will find it hard to believe it wasn’t made right there and then. Oven reheating offers the best way to re-crisp your base while keeping the toppings fresh and moist.
