Why It’s Important to Keep Your Pizza Warm?
Of course, it’s obvious that the greatest way to enjoy pizza is to keep it hot and fresh. But did you realize that maintaining food safety also includes keeping leftover pizza warm?
Pizza should not be kept at room temperature for longer than two hours because it is perishable. By doing this, you can stop microorganisms that can make you sick from growing. A temperature of at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit is advised when reheating.
Benefits of Keeping a Pizza Warm in an Oven
- Maintaining freshness – Pizza’s freshness can be preserved and kept from going bad by keeping it warm in the oven.
- Enhancing flavor – Since the cheese and toppings will continue to be soft and sticky, pizza that is kept warm in an oven can maintain its flavor and texture.
- Saving time – Maintaining them warm in the oven can help you save time and ensure that everyone receives a hot slice of pizza when you’re making multiple pizzas or serving a large group of people.
- Convenience – Pizza that is kept warm in the oven can be served right away without needing to go through any additional steps, as opposed to having to reheat cold pizza in a microwave or oven.
- Consistency – You can guarantee that each slice of pizza is heated uniformly and keeps the same quality throughout your meal by keeping it warm in an oven.
When it comes to pizzas, it is always a shame to serve them in anything less than their most delicious state. Most of the time, that means warm and aromatic and with smoke pretty much trailing after the server.
Most of the pizza advice and tips surrounding keeping pizza warm usually involve the use of the oven, so that’s what we’ll be talking about today. If you have an oven at home, it should allow you to keep serving pizza hot, which makes a difference in you and your guests’ dining experience.
Warming Pizza With an Oven
Pizza warming may seem like a simple task, but there’s a sort of intricacy surrounding the process. If you don’t get the temperature just right, you could end up burning the pizza. Should you decide to keep the pizza in its box, it may end up all moist and soggy. To keep both of these things from happening, follow these methods:
1. Using a Cardboard Box
If you don’t plan on eating a newly delivered pizza until later, this is an excellent method for keeping the whole thing warm and ready for eating. You don’t even need to open the pizza box to do this correctly.
The first thing you want to do is preheat your oven to about 200 degrees Fahrenheit, which is about its lowest temperature. Remember to keep the steam flaps open so that the crust doesn’t get leathery. Then, position the pizza box inside.
Using this method, there’s little chance for your pizza to get overcooked. It also keeps it from absorbing too much moisture and getting chewy. Take note that this is only ideal when waiting a couple of hours to consume your pizza. Any longer than two or three hours might result in a slightly burnt box. Still, in the absence of a stone, this is an excellent option.
2. Using a Pizza Stone
Those who can’t get enough of homemade pizza usually invest in a pizza stone. If you happen to be this kind of pizza lover, you’ll have much use for this particular warming method. Some say it’s the best method there is.
The process starts by placing the pizza stone inside the oven. Next, preheat the oven to around 170 to 200 degrees Fahrenheit and keep that going for the next 30 minutes or so. The reason you need to wait for at least half an hour is to preserve the heat and allow it to envelope the pizza once it’s inside. Next, position the pizza inside the oven before powering off the heat.
Why this works tremendously lies in the porous surface of the stone. These pores absorb a great amount of heat and circulate it efficiently around the pizza. In doing so, it keeps it warm and prevents it from getting soggy. Unlike the “box” method, which may cause the pizza box to smell if kept inside the oven for too long, this doesn’t result in any residual smell. In other words, your pizza practically remains perfect.
3. Using an Aluminum Foil
Without a stone or a box available, you can rely on aluminum foil. Plus, this material is known to result in a crispier outcome, and that’s usually good where pizzas are concerned. You also get to keep pizza warm and tasty for up to three hours using this technique.
How it starts is you wrap the cold pizza slices with foil. Then, dial up the oven to about 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Make it a point to not exceed that temperature. Going beyond that mark even slightly can result in burnt pizza. Arrange the pizza slices so that there’s space for steam to pass between them. Next, allow them to bake for about 12 minutes, which should be right around the time cheese starts to bubble.
Combined with the stone method, this practice can work wonders on cold pizza. There are also fewer limits with regards to the types of pizza it works on. It can work as well for a thin-crust pizza as it does for a thick-crust pizza. One of this technique’s drawbacks is that it can dry specific kinds of pizza, and you usually won’t know it until it has already happened.
4. Baking Sheet
Some home cooks are unaware of the fact that baking sheets can also be used as pizza stones. Simply flip yours upside-down and preheat it to perfectly sear your pizza crust.
This similar idea can be applied if you want to use a baking sheet to warm up pizza. You may maintain the cheese’s melting consistency and the crust’s crispness by baking the pizza at 150 degrees Fahrenheit on a baking sheet.
Methods for Warming Pizza That Don’t Involve an Oven
Even without an oven, you can still warm your pizza efficiently. Just stick to the following methods, and you should be fine.
1. Using a Frying Pan
If you don’t have an oven or decide that using one is too much trouble, try a skillet for heating your pizza. When done correctly, it should allow you to heat multiple pizza slices with ease.
Basically, what you do is put the pizza slices in a pan and then place the pan on a stove set to high heat. Heat for at least two minutes or until the bottom part turns crispy. Once that’s done, dial down the stove setting to around medium or low heat. By this point, you’re just waiting for the cheese to melt, and then you’re good to go.
2. Using a Microwave
Despite not sounding like the best method out there, the microwave technique does have its pluses. More than anything, it allows you to reheat pizzas without the least bit of hassle.
This method involves placing your pizza slices inside a microwaveable container or plate, making sure there’s enough space between them. Then, grab a cup filled with water and position it close to the container.
The evaporated water should then give the crust just the right moistness. Make it a point to heat in at least 40-second intervals using only 50 percent power. You might not be able to expect the microwave method to work wonders on your pizza, but it does make quick work of warming it.
3. Insulated Bag
Utilizing the strategies employed by pizza companies is one of the greatest methods to keep pizza warm. Insulated pizza bags are useful and practical since they let you take your hot pizza anywhere you need it to be.
Although insulated bags are great for travel, keep in mind that pizza cannot be kept warm in them for an extended period of time. It could be a good idea to utilize another technique if you intend to use it for longer than an hour.
Ways to Keep Pizza Warm in an Oven
Wrap your pizza
You did really hear correctly! One of the simplest methods to keep your pizza warm is to keep it covered in aluminum foil. The best method for reheating pizza in the oven is definitely this one.
A thin sheet of metal with excellent heat conductivity is aluminum foil. It keeps your pre-baked pizza warm by insulating the heat throughout.
If you manage to cover it as soon as it comes out of the oven, pizza can keep warm in aluminum foil for more than 3 hours.
You may easily get the ideal warm bite of pizza even after a very long time has passed by keeping it wrapped in aluminum foil inside the oven.
Utilize the Pizza Box
Use the pizza box to your advantage to keep the pizza warm if you frequently order pizza from different pizzerias. By allowing the steam to escape from the crate and maintaining the humidity of the heated temperature inside, your pizza box can aid in keeping your pizza warm inside the oven.
You must pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees in order to place your pizza box inside to keep warm without being afraid of burning.
Make sure to release all the built-up steam later when you receive the pizza delivery. Before placing the pizza boxes into the oven to warm up, be sure to poke holes in the vents.
In order to prevent burning, you can afterward bake the entire pizza box at 130 degrees Fahrenheit. This will make it simple to keep warm inside and prevent presenting cold pizza at a gathering.
Use the middle rack
This choice can be ideal for you if you’re not eager to consume your pizza as soon as it arrives at you.
This technique can make any pizza, even if it came with a soggy crust, into the ideal crispy slice that you desire!
All you have to do is precisely place the pizza on the center rack of your oven after preheating it to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. As your pizza bakes and warms up, you can leave it in the oven for an hour.
In order to keep the crust warm, turn off the heat and let the baking sheet rest inside the oven.
During this procedure, be careful not to leave your heat on for too long. The end effect will be a burned and dry crust that is unpleasant for everyone. However, if you’re successful in getting it out just in time, you’ll have the greatest pizza ready to be eaten warm!
Is a Pizza Stone Worth it?
If you use pizza stones frequently, they can be a worthwhile investment because they typically cost between $30 and $40. They are made to last a lifetime and are the greatest technique to give your warm pizza a perfectly crisp crust. When placed in a hot oven, they can also be helpful for quickly reheating pizza.
There are many additional ways to keep your pizza warm if you’re hoping to save some money. Both a straightforward baking sheet and a cast iron pan can work well.
Conclusion
Pizza’s flavor or texture won’t be harmed by being kept heated in the oven for up to 30 minutes. This can be accomplished by preheating your oven to a low temperature of between 150 and 200°F (65 and 93°C) and placing the pizza on a baking sheet or directly on the oven rack. To make sure the pizza doesn’t dry out or overcook, it must be checked constantly. The pizza can also be kept moist and kept from getting too crispy by being covered with foil or a lid. It is ideal to serve the pizza as soon as you can once it has been cooked because after 30 minutes, it could start to dry up and lose its flavor.