The first bite of a freshly baked pizza is heavenly — the cheese practically melting off the slice and the crust that has crunch on the outside and is pillowy soft on the inside. But with the way that pizzas are made, you’re bound to have leftovers.
Enjoying cold pizza is one way to eat pizza leftovers, but sometimes you may want to relive that first warm bite.
Microwaves often don’t suffice for reheating pizza. While trying the hack that Spoon University recommends (heating a slice of pizza in the microwave with a cup of water) might work, there are other methods that can be employed to reheat pizza.
Best ways to reheat pizza
Optimal pizza reheating begins with proper storage of pizza.
While aluminum foil and plastic wrap may be the go-to ways to store pizza, using an air-tight container or vacuum-sealed plastic bag is the better way to go. After you have stored your pizza, you have about three or four days to eat it.
After taking home some Settebello’s pizza, I tried a couple of different methods of reheating pizza, including microwave and stovetop. I found what I believe are the two best methods to restore the pizza back closely to its original form.
Cast-iron skillet to reheat pizza
A cast-iron skillet will help you get the crispy crust again. This method was suggested by Country Living.
Take a cast-iron skillet and put a couple slices of pizza on the skillet. Place the skillet directly on the stovetop set to medium heat. It should take about five minutes for the bottom of the crust to get crispy — it might take an additional minute or two. Then, splash a few drops of water on the pan, making sure not to hit the pizza. Cover the pizza and let the steam remelt the cheese. After that, you should have great pizza again.
Oven to reheat pizza
This method was suggested by Pioneer Woman.
Preheat the oven to 375 and then put the pizza in the oven on a baking sheet. It should take anywhere from seven to 12 minutes to be done — look to see if the cheese is remelted and the crust is warm.
Best ways to transform reheated pizza
There are a couple things that you can do to reheated pizza to make it even better than it was before.
Consider adding new toppings to the pizza if you got a cheese pizza. Chop up some vegetables or meat and add them in the reheating process.
Another way to elevate reheated pizza is to add some new spices to the top. Add some crushed red pepper, seasoned salt, a drizzle of balsamic and some freshly chopped basil to give the pizza a new feeling.