From Alex Province: None of us would debate the convenience of keeping a few of our favorite brand frozen pizzas on hand, including ones that are gluten-free. Far beyond convenience, though, there are ways to make those frozen orbs into something juicy and irresistible, the way pizza is supposed to be. Here are some ideas for doctoring:
Tip 1:
Heat a pizza stone in the oven, because using a stone produces a super crunchy crust. The stones are cheap now, and don’t forget the tipster from Cooks Illustrated who wrote to say he bought a kitchen tile at his hardware store; he wraps the stone in foil before placing it in his small toaster over to heat pizza by the slice! If you use a stone, and I hope you will, follow the pre-heat instructions on the box, but leave the stone in a little while longer than suggested so that it gets really hot.
Tip 2:
Drizzle extra virgin olive oil across the entire pizza; using a pastry brush, spread some oil evenly around the crust. We like to go a little crazy and sprinkle a few grains of kosher salt on the crust, too.
Tip 3:
You can add additional toppings to your frozen pizza, including chopped black olives, sliced green pepper, sliced mushrooms or pepperoni. At home, my favorite combination is bacon and onions. Matt and I cut a few slices of raw bacon into one-inch pieces; we partially cook them in a skillet, then scatter them across the pie before baking. Cold cuts, such as salami, are a great addition.
Tip 4:
Cheese, please! Give your frozen pizza more flavor by grating fresh parmesan onto it; use any salty hard cheese for this, and what a flavor-booster it is.
Tip 5:
Fresh herbs, like basil or oregano, add a freshness to frozen pizza. You can used dried herbs, too, but use them sparingly since a little goes a long way. I always like to rub dried herbs between my palms to sprinkle them on, which releases their essential oils. Buon appetito!
