Cold pizza leftovers are almost an icon of the hangover breakfast that arouses the most passions in half the world, a morsel of dubious quality converted into a restorative delicacy for the convalescent body. Nights of excess aside, pizza deserves to be treated with more care and there are ways to keep leftover portions to enjoy them again without losing dignity.
Maybe that portion forgotten inside the box on the kitchen table, cold and lonely, tastes like blessed glory when you get up past noon, your head weighs a ton and you have a dry rag for a tongue, but here we want to defend another stuff. A good homemade or store-bought pizza can still be a great meal the next day or even weeks later.
An pizzaiolo professional is not usually very fond of pizzas at home, because curiously it is a dish that does not tolerate conservation and the transport. The real pizza is eaten freshly made, right out of the oven, at the height of its faculties, and it waits for no one.
This is true, but it must be specified that it applies mainly to Neapolitan-style pizza, with a very hydrated and elastic dough, with a very alveolate edge and a thin, very elastic central dough, made with sourdough and/or long fermentations, with very short baking at very high temperatures; it is difficult to reheat them without spoiling them. However, crispier and thicker pizzas lend themselves better to preservation and reheating.
How to preserve pizza
There are several ways to do it, but they all go through the use of the cold. It will never be advisable to leave food at room temperature, unless our kitchen is at 5º C. And if it is from a home delivery order, it is never stored in its box.
Like any leftover food, pizza must be refrigerate or freeze as soon as possibleonce it is completely cold. If we are going to eat it the next day, it is enough to separate the portions with kitchen or baking paper, to stack them, before wrapping them completely with plastic film or placing them in a zip-type bag or hermetic container, type Tupperware. They will be preserved even better if we apply a short-term vacuum using a suitable packaging machine.
If the pizza is very greasy, the cheese has not solidified enough, or if you have too much sauce that is still dripping, it is best to wrap each slice well in cling film before stacking, or else they will stick together and it will be more difficult to reheat them.
For a longer or indefinite storage of several days or weeks, we need the freezer. As with sliced bread, it is best to place the portions on a tray lined with non-stick paper, freeze as is for 1-2 hours, and then wrap each semi-frozen portion individually in plastic wrap before placing them all inside a resealable freezer bag.
How to reheat pizza
We also have various methods at our reach; We recommend trying and choosing the one that best suits our needs and offers us the best result to taste, since not all of us have to share the same opinion.
Microwave
The microwave, the easiest and fastest option, not usually the bestunless you don’t mind eating a somewhat wet, pasty or chewy dough.
If you still want to try it, try not to reheat too many portions at once, put it on a sheet of kitchen paper that absorbs moisture and use the appliance on medium or low power. If the microwave has a grill, use it, because another drawback is usually that the cheese does not melt well.
Yes, a microwave can give better results combined with confection oven function, especially those that have a special container or specific iron plate to imitate the results of the oven or a griddle, which will leave the crust crispy.
convection oven
The oven works well, although it can be a waste of energy to turn it on just to reheat a couple of servings. ideal is take advantage to use later (or before) with another recipe, although it is a good option if we have refrigerated or frozen a whole pizza.
Simply put the slices in the oven preheated to 220-250º C, a few minutes, until cheese begins to melt or base begins to brown slightly. Whole pizzas will take longer, and if they’re frozen, it’s a good idea to thaw them first. A frozen portion can be baked directly.
The gratin or grill may work best if you’re looking for a very crispy crust and bubbly cheese. Turn it on and preheat a good quality baking sheet first, on the high level of the oven. Arrange the portions carefully so as not to burn yourself and leave them under the grill for a few minutes, watching them well, until they are to taste.
Le Creuset Skillet Evolution in cast iron, Round, Ø 23 cm, For all heat sources, incl. induction, Cherry
In a frying pan
Much easier and cheaper is to resort to the cooktop, with a pan and a lid. Best results are obtained with cast iron type pans. skillet or stainless steel with a thick bottom, although the one we have at home will do.
There are two basic systems:
Preheat over medium heat the pan covered, place the pizza, put the lid on and wait about three or four minutes, a little more if it is a thick dough. add a few raindrops fry on one side and quickly re-cover skillet to create steam. Let it heat for another three or four minutes.
Simply place the pizza in the cold pan, put it on the fire with the lid on and at very low power. Let warm gently without uncovering about eight minutes. Now check that the base is crispy without burning and the ingredients on top have been heated too; if you prefer them to melt a little more, cover again and let heat for another two or three minutes.
Whichever method you choose, re-season or garnish pizza before eating it to revive its flavors, which tend to fade during cold storage. Extra virgin olive oil, finely grated Parmesan or cured cheese, freshly ground black pepper, fresh herbs, lemon juice or a touch of good vinegar, chili flakes… to taste.
Pictures | unsplash
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