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Saturday, April 19, 2008

[Pizza Fun] How to Reheat a Pizza

This post comes to us from our member Kelly. You can link back to the original article at CooksIllustrated.com by clicking here, though registration will be required. Otherwise, just read on below!

Why Is Reheated Pizza Crispier When Reheated on Parchment Paper?
Before answering questions about the relative merits of foil and parchment, we wanted to test different techniques for reheating pizza. We started by testing three methods: heating pizza on a preheated baking stone, on a baking sheet, and directly on the oven rack with a baking sheet underneath to catch drips. Although we expected the last method to deliver a crisp crust, it didn't; the crust was soft and this method was quite messy. The baking sheet did a good job, but the crust was even more crisp when slices were warmed on a hot baking stone.

Could we adjust our baking sheet method to yield better results? Brushing the crust with oil before reheating just made it tough. Lining the pan with foil made the crust less crisp, but, as you found, parchment paper made the crust more crisp. In fact, when reheated on a parchment-lined baking sheet, the pizza was just as crisp as that heated on a preheated baking stone.

Why does parchment, and not foil, promote crispness? Absorbent parchment paper likely wicks away any moisture on the crust that might otherwise cause sogginess; with foil, the moisture has nowhere to go. Our recommendation is to reheat pizza in a 400-degree oven for six minutes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Posted by Andrew at 11:20 AM
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13 comments:

  1. We have a "Pizza Pizzazz" machine and it reheats pizza wonderfully!
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  2. Micro-baking works perfectly! Just 30 seconds to a minute of Microwave time will warm the center & then use your Toster/Oven to melt the cheese & crisp the crust.
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  3. I've been using a Cook's Illustrated tip to reheat pizza slices in a skillet with a lid -- the crust crisps up beautifully, and the cheese melts as well.
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  4. My favorite way to reheat pizza is to microwave it for 30 seconds and then throw it into a saute pan with olive oil and slowly heat it until the crust is crispy and the cheese is melted. Yum!
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  5. Toaster oven usually does a nice job. So does a few minutes on a Breville grill (or I imagine a George Foreman grill would be fine too--though the Breville can be set so it hovers nicely above the cheese rather than getting all sticky).
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  6. One cycle in a toaster oven reheats it almost perfectly-- stays very crispy!
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  7. I like using the perforated pizza pans. They also allow the moisture to escape while reheating, and come in a toaster oven size as well. They also work great for making crispy fish sticks, french fries, and my favorite, baked mozzarella sticks. Yum.
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  8. For a whole pizza, I do a few minutes in a super-hot (max or 500F) oven ON a baking stone.

    For a slice, I wet a paper towel, stick it on a plate, put the pizza on the plate, and microwave it. The wet papertowel causes steam to keep the pizza from getting rubbery.
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  9. if you're heating a relatively thin slice throwing it on a fry pan works wonders for recrisping the crust! BOO YAH!
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  10. FRYING PAN ON MEDIUM LOW WITH THE LID ON
    couple of you said it, but it demanded caps lock cuz CAPS LOCK IS CRUISE CONTROL FOR COOL!!
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  11. a nice seasoned cast iron with a lid or top of some sorts is great on lower heat...
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  12. cast iron skillet with some sort of lid is great...creates a quick little oven. Melts, crisps and makes it almost better than original
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  13. This actually works 400 6 min to 8 depending on how many toppings there is. A cheese perfectly warms at 6 minutes.
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