Reheating Frozen Pizza? Brush On This Ingredient To Avoid A Soggy Crust

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While there are some grocery store frozen pizzas you should always avoid, there are also plenty of great options on the market. However, even if you choose a great brand, let's face it: You're probably going to store what you don't finish in the fridge and eat the leftovers over the next few days. While refrigeration helps keep food from spoiling right away, it can change your pizza crust from light and crispy on the first day to soggy and limp, especially after a microwave reheat. To avoid that wet cardboard texture, pop your pizza in the oven instead, and brush some olive oil around the crust before you do.

Olive oil helps bread of all kinds crisp in the oven, including fresh dough, and its crisping powers also work on already-baked pizza crust — much like how it helps crostini achieve a browned, crunchy exterior. You don't need much; just pour a few teaspoons or a tablespoon into a small bowl and use a pastry brush, like one from this set by Consevisen, to spread the oil around the crust while the cold pizza sits on a baking sheet, ready for the oven.

Olive oil on its own has a mild, grassy flavor that can easily get lost among the sauce, meats, and cheeses of a frozen pizza. While it's a great tool for crisping, it doesn't add much in the way of taste. To change that, make the crust something special by infusing the oil with ingredients like grated parmesan, fresh minced garlic, or chopped scallions. You could also add Italian herbs — fresh or dried — such as basil, parsley, and oregano, or spices like garlic powder, onion powder, garlic salt, red pepper flakes, and plenty of freshly cracked pepper.

And you don't have to stick with olive oil. You could melt some coconut oil (be sure to choose the refined type, which has a higher smoke point than unrefined) and brush it on for a slightly sweet, nutty flavor that complements the pizza's salty, savory toppings. Or turn up the heat with some DIY chili crisp oil, which not only adds spice but also brings intense flavors of fried garlic and onion to your reheated slice.