Is there anything better than pulling a pizza out of your freezer, popping it straight into the oven, and having dinner on the table in about 20 minutes with zero dishes involved? What if it were a homemade pizza that’s way easier to make than you’d think?
Thanks to baker, blogger and author of the upcoming cookbook The Beginner’s Guide to Sourdough, Amy Coyne (@amybakesbread), there’s now a genius way to stock your freezer with pizza that tastes homemade (cuz it is!) but is as convenient as the store-bought stuff.
Her fans on Instagram are already calling the method “genius” and raving, “I love the idea of having frozen pizzas on hand for those nights that I don’t want to cook” and “your recipes NEVER fail.” The full recipe can be found on Amy’s website, but we gathered some helpful tips from the expert herself. Read on for the full details.
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What is Homemade Frozen Pizza?
This make-ahead dinner is exactly as it sounds: a homemade dough that’s pressed into an aluminum pan, topped with cheese, veggies, meats and whatever else you desire, parbaked, then wrapped and frozen so you can indulge whenever the craving strikes (or whenever you’re feeling lazy).
In her Instagram video, Coyne said that she started making these do-ahead pizzas when her sister had a baby. She stocked her sister’s freezer with the make-ahead pies and now she’s “making a stack for my own freezer too.”
Related:Swap Your Regular Pies for One of These 30 Good-To-The-Last-Slice White Pizzas
Ingredients for Homemade Frozen Pizza
Amy keeps it simple and flexible, starting with dough, sauce and whatever toppings you love. For a solid dough recipe, Amy points people to her homemade pizza dough recipe but says “my favorite is [my] sourdough discard pizza dough recipe.” And stay tuned: “I have a sourdough pizza recipe coming out in my new cookbook releasing in September that’s also incredible for this method.” If you need to opt for a shortcut method, you can also call your local pizzeria and see if they’ll sell you some dough our use your favorite store-bought pizza dough.
Related: What Is Brooklyn-Style Pizza? A Born-and-Bred Brooklynite Explains
How to Make and Bake Homemade Frozen Pizza
First, you’ll make the dough. Amy’s recipes make about three 12-inch frozen pizzas. Once your dough is ready to shape, divide it into equal portions (about 450 grams each). Shape them into balls, let them rest for 10 to 20 minutes, then roll out and press each into a 12-inch disposable pizza pan. Par-bake the crusts by preheating your oven to 425° and baking each one for 5 to 7 minutes, just until the bottom is baked through but still pale on top. Cool the par-baked crusts completely before adding your sauce, cheese, and toppings. Once topped, wrap each pizza in two layers of plastic wrap and freeze for up to 2 to 3 months.
When you’re ready to bake, preheat your oven to 400° and unwrap the frozen pizza. Amy says if you like a crispier crust, take the pizza out of the pan and bake it directly on a pizza stone for 15 to 20 minutes. For a softer crust, bake it in the disposable pan for the same amount of time. Amy’s personal favorite? “Best of both: Bake in the disposable pan on top of a pizza stone at 400°.”
If you have a little extra time, she suggests letting the pizza thaw for about 30 minutes before baking it in the disposable pan on a stone or steel. In that case, crank your oven to 450° and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until it’s browned and baked through.
Related: The Easy Chef-Approved Way to Make Frozen Pizza Taste Like It Came From a Fancy Pizza Shop
Tips for Making Make-Ahead Frozen Pizza
- Add your veggies last. Amy says that not all toppings work well ahead of time. “Cooked meat and cheese freeze well as toppings,” she says, “[but] some vegetables do not—add those on right before baking the pizzas.”
- Use what you have. According to Amy, you don’t have to stick to aluminum pans for this trick, but they do come in handy. “I like the 12-inch aluminum pans because it’s an easy way to meal prep for someone else, making these easy to gift and easy for my teenagers to warm up if I’m not there,” she says. But if you want to skip the pan, she’s got you covered: “You could freeze the pizzas on parchment paper and then wrap well after they’re frozen without the aluminum pan—baking it directly on a baking steel or stone if you prefer.”
- Controversial toppings allowed. As for toppings, Amy’s family has their favorites. “My kids love pepperoni and cheese. I’m a huge fan of pineapple on pizza, and if I’m in the mood for an elevated version, I’ll often add some roasted mushrooms, garlic and a little dollop of mascarpone cheese. So creamy and delicious!” she says.
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