Luckily, with technology advancing at an incredible speed, it is now possible to cook your pizza in the oven without having to use a pan as a cooking surface. There are several brands that offer this feature, but we will be talking about one of them today – Anza.
A few years ago, there were no bake-at-home pizza makers available. If you wanted to make your own pizza, you either had to go out or have someone else do it for you. These days, however, there are many companies that produce what they call a “sizzling plate” which can be used to create pizza dough that will then get baked and sliced in an oven just like normal pizza.
Some sizzle plates can even be connected to each other so that more than one piece of pizza can be made at once! This makes it much easier to meet hungry stomachs quickly and efficiently.
There are also some models where you can put the finished pizza directly into the broiler section of the stove so that it can warm up slightly before serving.
You need to defrost the pizza first
When baking a frozen pizza, you do not have to use a pan to cook it. You can bake the pizza directly from the freezer using an oven-to-surface temperature of 350°F (177ºC) as your cooking surface and timing method.
To bake the pizza, take out the tray that the toppings went on and put the dough on top. Then spread the cheese on top and then return the pizza into the preheated oven.
When done, the edge will be golden and crispy and the center will be warm and fluffy. If needed, cover with a lid or another piece of bread to keep heat in and prevent burning.
Make sure the oven is the correct temperature
To cook your pizza in the oven, you will first need to make or buy a baking sheet that works as a pizza pan. This would be your starting base!
You can also choose to use a broiler-safe plate like those that hold individual pizzas. These are more difficult to find but they work just as well!
Once both of these have been selected, it’s time to pick either an iron skillet or a regular stove top skillet to use for cooking the thin layer of cheese that covers the bottom of the pizza.
The choice really comes down to personal preference, but my favorite is the iron one because I feel it cooks the pizza slightly faster which helps achieve crispier toppings and layers.
Use the correct pan for the recipe
When baking or toasting foods in an oven, you will need a cooking surface to put the food onto and a heating element to heat that surface.
You do not have to use cast iron cookware to enjoy healthy oils as a cooking medium. A non-stick skillet is just as good if not better! Non-stick skillets contain chemicals such as polyethylene which oils can cling to. The fat in the oil helps promote even temperature distribution during toasting or baking, however these fats may be harmful for your health long term.
To ensure your pizza cooks evenly and doesn’t burn or char, use a plate or shallow bowl that has no handles. Simply press the item into the hot dry surface of the oven with only friction holding it there. This way you don’t need to handle the item later so no sticking potential exists. If possible, cover the item being cooked under a broiler rack to protect from dripping butter or cheese.
Thawing the pizza in the microwave can damage it
When thawing your frozen pizza in the oven, make sure you use a plate that will not stick or burn in the oven. If using a microwaved plate, be sure to check that it is safe for the oven before using it.
Some recipes require hot melted cheese so do not use cold toppings as this may cause the pizza to break down and crumble.
Thawing the pizza on a plate with cold water should work too
When baking or toasting foods in an oven, you usually need something to bake the food on. This could be a pan that contains nutrients and calories to help fuel the cooking process, like a bread pan or cookie sheet.
But what if there was no one around to make sure the cooked item does not burn? Or what if you do not have enough time to get someone to run errands for you so you can run some o’l recipes?
Well, we will tell you how to cook a frozen pizza in the oven without a pan! It may sound crazy but it works every single time.
Let the pizza sit for a minute after taking it out of the freezer
Once your pizza is defrosted, you can now cook it! To do this, simply place the pizza in the oven with no pan use. Your new favorite recipe!
After letting your pizza thaw slightly, bake it at 450 degrees F (230 C) for five to eight minutes. The size of your pizza will determine how long it needs to bake, but since we already know how to make our own dough, we have a gauge!
Once it’s baked, let it rest for two minutes before serving so it can set properly and taste better.
Put the pizza in the oven immediately
In fact, you can even cook your frozen pizza completely from start to finish in an oven! All you have to do is put the finished pizza directly into the already heated oven until it thaws and cooks slightly.
This works because the crust will warm up faster than the toppings due to its higher surface area. When baking a plain cheese or pepperoni pizzas this doesn’t matter too much, but thicker slices like chicken marsala and lasagna need to be cooked longer so that they don’t overcook.
Once done, take out the pizza and enjoy! If you want to make sure it’s hot all the way through, bake it for another few minutes. It may take a little more time, but this option is worth giving a try.
Let the pizza bake for the correct time
In fact, you can even use an oven-toast plate or baking sheet as a pan to cook your frozen pizza! This is called “browning” the pizza because of the brown color it gets from the toast element.
To do this, simply place the baking sheet under the broiler or grill side down and let it to to to warm up slightly. Then, carefully pull it off the stove and position the pizza onto the preheated baking sheet.
Now, when putting the pizza into the oven, make sure to leave enough room so that the pizza will fully cook without burning the edge.