5 Easy Steps to Reheat Pizza in a Pan

I like eating crunchy crust and juicy middle of the pizza, but I often hesitate to order it as I can’t eat it all. If you have the same problem, you probably know that feeling when throwing the leftovers away. On the other hand, if you dislike eating cold pizza, you might be wondering what to do

Nowadays, pizza lovers shouldn’t despair since there is a practical solution to this dilemma. Let’s see how to reheat pizza in the pan and discover the best possible ways to warm it to become soft and delicious like the previous day.

This article will cover

• Restore Pizza Properly.
• When Can Pizza Go Bad?
• Methods of Reheating Pizza.
• How to Reheat Pizza in the Pan?
• Pan for Reheating Pizza.

Restore Pizza Properly

To reheat pizza from the previous night or even four days ago, you need to restore it. Yes, you have read that right. It is possible to restore a four-day-old pizza if you put it in a fridge and store it properly.

Once you finish eating your pizza, place the remaining slices on separate ceramic kitchen plates, but avoid paper and plastic ones.

Once you have placed your leftovers on a plate, tightly cover them with kitchen plastic wrap and put them in the refrigerator for safely storing. The best option to store leftover pizza pieces is in the fridge, with an average temperature of less than 40 F (4 C). If you need your pizza to last longer than four days, it is desirable to put it in the freezer.

Deep freezing will prevent food from spoiling, and you can let it stored for a more extended period. Still, avoid keeping it there for too long.

When Can Pizza Go Bad?

According to many Health and food associations, perishable food can spoil if left outside for more than two hours. Furthermore, the bacteria may grow over time, potentially causing foodborne illness if the food is not stored adequately.

Keep in mind that temperatures from 40 to 140 F (4 – 60 C), so-called the Danger Zone, are fatal for perishable food. When you leave your food outside, you will be stuck with a contaminated meal.

Plus, there is a real possibility of getting food poisoning or the occurrence of other symptoms caused by not adequately stored pizza. That is why its proper storage is so crucial.

I have heard people say that correctly storing pizza overnight is not essential since reheating can destroy food bacteria. There is a logic to that question, especially when you know that most bacteria are eliminated at temperatures over 165 F (74 C).

Unfortunately, bacteria aren’t the only concern when it comes to food safety; other factors like viruses, parasites, and toxins are also important to consider.

Methods of Reheating Pizza

Although there are several ways to warm the last night’s pizza, the pan method is the best option. Let’s see.

Reheat pizza in the oven

You should ignore reheating your leftovers in the oven because it will take the dish juiciness away and makes it inedible. Plus, the filling will dry and become tasteless.

Reheat pizza in the microwave oven

Another option is a microwave oven, but it tends to dry and rubber the dough and dehydrate cheese. The question is, what is pizza without sticky and stretchable cheese?

Reheat pizza in the pan

The huge advantage of this method is that you don’t need to turn on the oven during a hot summer day. It will be enough to use a stove and just one burner to reheat your pizza leftovers. It sounds great, doesn’t it?

Additionally, consuming energy for reheating just one piece of pizza in the oven is not profitable. So, you have two reasonable solutions.

First, you can eat cold pizza, but it won’t be tasty and crispy that way. Second, you can turn on your stove, put the pizza in the pan, and enjoy a reheated slice without any environmental quilt. Even if you have stored it in the freezer for a while, it won’t take long to prepare a comfortable meal.

How to Reheat Pizza in the Pan?

Since this method of preparation is a better option than having cold pizza for dinner, you should try it. You won’t regret it, I promise you.

You probably have all the things you need for reheating pizza in the pan at home. So, there won’t be any extra costs and burdens on your budget.

In the very beginning, you should prepare the burner on medium to medium-low. Additionally, you will need a pan with a suitable lid and a bit of water. If you don’t have a fitting lid, you can prepare some kitchen aluminum foil, and it will do the job correctly.

If pizza is in the fridge, you can continue with the heating right away. Otherwise, you need to take the pizza out of the freezer and wait for half an hour to one hour for it to defrost at room temperature.

Step 1 – As I have already mentioned, you should turn your stove on medium and preheat the pan. It is essential to get a tasty dish. If you place the pizza in a hot pan, it may burn from the bottom and could potentially become overly crunchy or even charred. That way, you will get dry and hard to bite meal that is only good for garbage.

Step 2 – Place your slice of pizza in the pan when it is warm enough. Usually, you will need to wait approximately 1 to 3 minutes from the moment of turning on the stove, but the timing can’t be highly precise.

Keep in mind that some contemporary models are pretty fast, so you should know your stove and its possibilities. The point is to determine when your piece of pizza is crunchy. Once you detect the moment, it is time for the next step.

Step 3 – Now, you should turn down the stove to low and sip two to three drops of water into the pan. Make sure that the water doesn’t get in touch with the slice of pizza. If possible, try to drop it in a pan’s corner.

Step 4 – To get soft and stretchable cheese while regaining the softness of the topping, you should cover the pan with a lid or aluminum foil. Let it stay that way for 1 to 3 minutes, depending on the stove performance. In my experience, the process usually takes about three minutes.

I have to highlight that my stove is not one of the top-notch models so the process may take a bit shorter in your case. Once you reheat your first slice of pizza, the time parameters will be apparent to you, and you will be able to determine if you need more or less time in the future.

Step 5 – The pan reheating pizza project is done. You can enjoy the reheated leftovers, which might taste almost as good as when freshly baked.

Pan for Reheating Pizza

The big question is which one pan is an ideal solution for the process of reheating pizza. If you are a pizza lover and often have leftovers to deal with, you can use some of your pans or purchase a new one, especially chosen for this purpose.

Metal cast pans – Many say that metal cast pan is not as efficient for reheating as for other styles of cooking. The thick metal bottom will take longer to heat, and it will be hard to lower the temperature in step three once it is hot enough. Consequently, your pizza slice will become burnt and over-dried.

Non-stick pans – They are an ideal option as a new generation of non-stick pans is pretty thin. Therefore, heating and lowering temperature is manageable. The coat won’t allow pizza to stick, so you don’t need to add any additional oil to the pan and spoil the dish’s texture and taste.

Frying pans – In case they are thin, frying pans can perform reheating efficiently. Add a bit of some neutral vegetable oil to prevent the pizza from sticking. Even though it will spoil a bit of the original taste, olive oil is the best option.

Grill pans – They are the worst choice for two reasons. Firstly, grill pans don’t have a flat surface, and the pizza won’t place evenly onto the pan. Secondly, the air will come under the slice of pizza and transform the crispy dough into hard as a rock one.

Omelet pans – They are a perfect solution if you have a model with a thin bottom. Nowadays, omelet pans with attached lids are very popular. They are an excellent solution for reheating pizza, helping to achieve a crispy crust and juicy topping.

Conclusion

Pizza has been a popular dish for a long time on many continents, and people of all ages enjoy eating it. Reheating pizza has become a widely popular solution in the fast and busy world of the 21st century.

Embracing the new technologies and improvements, you should adopt new way of eating habits. Fortunately, it includes this nutritious and widely available meal and effective ways to warm it up and make it delicious even after a few days.