Nobody, regardless of culture or age, can resist a nice piece of freshly made pizza. Regrettably, the appropriate toppings are also a source of contention, pitting towns against one another to create traditional and distinctive dishes.
Methods for Reheating Leftover Pizza
After organizing a pizza party, it is typical to have leftovers. Unfortunately, popping it in the microwave oven quickly transforms even the most delicious Margherita pizza into a soggy mess. Leave it in for a few seconds longer, and your pizza turns leathery.
However, several reheating techniques allow you to consume leftover pizza as if it were freshly made.
Reheat leftover pizza to make it taste almost as good as it did when it was newly prepared. To reheat cold pizza, you can use an oven, a stovetop, or a microwave. However, this will likely depend on the amount of leftover pizza and how soon you consume it.
You might hear there are lots of ways to reheat pizzas and other foods. My Conscious Eating can assist you with these cooking and microwaving-related tips and tricks to make your life easier.
Every situation has a solution. However, some solutions are more effective than others. So here are some ways you can reheat your pizza and still keep it crispy and crunchy.
Oven
Reheating day-old pizza in the oven is the optimal method. Pizza will taste virtually identical to how it did the previous night: warm, with a wonderfully crispy crust, gooey cheese, and sizzling toppings. The disadvantage is that it will heat your kitchen, taking longer to heat than using the stovetop or microwave.
Additionally, heating a full oven for a single slice of pizza is very energy inefficient. However, efficiency rises as the number of slices to be heated increases. Therefore, if you want to reheat half or more of a pizza at once, the oven is the best alternative. And for a single or two slices, use a toaster oven.
When you need to heat a slice or two of leftover pizza and do not need the whole oven to be heated, use a toaster oven. This speeds up the process and results in a great texture that is crisp but not soggy, courtesy of the toaster oven's infrared heat.
How To Reheat Pizza using an Oven
To reheat pizza in the oven, follow these steps:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Arrange the pizza on a piece of foil and place it on the rack to ensure equal cooking on all sides. Alternatively, while the oven is heating up, prepare a sheet pan for a crisp crust. Transfer the pizza to the preheated pan.
- Heat for about 10 minutes, or until well-warmed and the cheese has melted. If you like a crispier crust, heat for a longer period. Take note that you need to heat the slice for 3–4 minutes when using a toaster oven.
Transfer the pizza to a prepared sheet pan and heat it in the preheated oven if you like a softer crust. You can also use a pizza stone, but these take a long time to heat, and the wait can be in vain for a few slices.
Stovetop
Reheating pizza on the stovetop in a pan is an excellent solution, particularly if you have one or two slices and do not want to preheat the oven. In this manner, the bottom crust preserves its crispiness as the cheese melts and the toppings are completely heated.
Reheating pizza in a pan requires some expertise. By adding a little amount of water to the pan and then covering it, you create a steamer that ensures the toppings also get properly heated.
How To Reheat Pizza on a Stovetop
- Preheat the skillet to a medium heat setting.
- Add the pizza pieces and heat (uncovered) for a couple of minutes.
- Add a few drops of water to the edge of the pan (not to the pizza).
- Cover the pan immediately with a lid and continue heating the pizza for a few minutes more, or until the cheese is melted and the pie is well warm.
While a cast-iron skillet is ideal for this, it takes a long time to heat up. A stainless-steel skillet is also acceptable.
Microwave
While heating pizzas in a microwave is handy, it might leave a lot to be desired. To begin, the crust itself becomes mushy, and by the time the crust is ready to eat, it is rock hard and almost inedible. The reason for this is the way microwaves operate. Water molecules absorb microwave radiation. The meal is heated by the vibrating of the water molecules as they absorb that energy.
Due to the increased energy absorption by the water molecules, they begin to evaporate rapidly. As a consequence, the microwave cooks food from the inside out. As the water molecules in the sauce heat up and evaporate, they steam the pizza, resulting in a soggy piece. Due to the absence of sauce on the crust area, evaporation takes its toll, the crust loses most of its moisture, and you end up with a rock-hard crust.
How To Reheat Pizza using a Microwave
To that end, avoid heating your pizza in the microwave. However, if you are out of options, try this hack:
- Microwave the pizza slice on a platter.
- Place a microwave-safe mug or cup of water next to it. This acts as a decoy, absorbing some of the microwaves and enabling the pizza to heat somewhat more evenly, re-melting the cheese before the crust completely loses its moisture.
- Heat on high for 30 to 45 seconds, checking on it often to ensure proper development.
While you will not get the crispiness associated with an oven or pan heated pizza slice, you will at least have something palatable.
Additionally, you can partly heat pizza in the microwave and then put it in a toaster oven for a crisp crust. This is a wonderful approach used in dorm and workplace kitchens that lack oven or burner access.
Conclusion
Pizza is an amazing dish that has become a go-to food for a lot of people across the globe. Reheating leftover pizza on a pizza stone or heated sheet pan for a few minutes is the ideal method for reviving your once-dead slice. However, you can also use the microwave in a hurry. Just be sure to heat it in short bursts.
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