So I have my whole life put pizza in the fridge when it’s done, except on the odd occasion where I’ve gotten drunk pizza woke up to it out on the bench still.
However focaccia and other bread treats get left on the bench a day or two and no one sees an issue.
How about garlic bread? Fridge? I think so but then again I think of those bacon cheese roles that just live on the bench all the time.
I just don’t know anymore
Pizza goes in the fridge. It’s not just bread; lots of high moisture goodies for bacteria to eat.
My other examples often contain similar ingredients though, should I be putting them in the fridge too?
Focaccia is just bread and oil. Pizza has mozzarella cheese and tomato sauce on it, definitely refrigerate. Some aged cheeses might be fine out of the fridge, but not fresh cheeses like mozzarella. I think that after baking (if you get it hot enough and the mozzarella is very crispy), pizza MIGHT be able to survive on the counter for a day or so. But I’d say it’s kinda risky, and your pizza gets stale! That’s not pleasant.
What are the bacon cheese rolls that you’re talking about? Sounds to me like something that should be refrigerated.
This is them,
They’re bacon and cheese on a roll, buy in a 6 pack from woolies.
Slice them in half put another piece of ham and cheese inside and bang in the microwave for a minute and they’re awesome
Oil doesn’t count as moisture.
Depending on the pizza, it might be up to 90% oil.
Could be, if it’s not very saucy and depending on the toppings, but I meant the focaccia and garlic bread.
Leave it out and it’ll be 90% oil, 10% pure poison.
Plain bread doesn’t have sufficient water activity to support bacterial growth.
Focaccia is generally bread with oils/fats (oils aren’t water so they don’t contribute to water activity).
Sweetened pastries have more water in them, but have most of the water bound to sugar molecules so that there’s not enough water activity to support bacterial growth.
But pizza has a water-based sauce on the crust, and often has moist toppings. That’s why some pizzas become soggy over time. That’s enough water activity to support microbial growth, including some microbes that cause illness. So pizza should be refrigerated.
Thank you for this, it’s a great explanation
I’m not sure why anyone would leave pizza out instead of in the fridge.
Cold pizza is one of my favorite foods. Apparently, cold temperatures can cause certain flavors to intensify. Whatever the reason, it always tastes better the next morning.
I’m not sure why you would bother with putting it in the fridge. Room temperature is already cold for pizza.
Cause I’m a drunk and fall asleep before putting it away.
Otherwise yeah it always goes in the fridge
Yes, in a sealed plastic container so it doesn’t dry out (never in the original box). Then I reheat it using the stovetop method:
When done correctly, it tastes better than the night before when it was fresh.
BTW, most breads left in the fridge will warm back up just fine in the toaster oven/air fryer, or microwave if you don’t want it crispy. (Or just leave it out to get back to room temp.) Again, the secret is to store it in a well-sealed container to retain moisture.
Step 0: Butter the bottom of the slice. 🤤
If you do this, make sure you’re monitoring the temperature of the pan carefully, cause it’ll burn a lot easier (use an induction cooktop if you have one to better control temps). Through my own experiments I’ve found that the pizza heats more evenly if you pour melted butter on the top of the crust instead and leave the bottom unbuttered.
I find that also helps to let the pizza get up to room temperature first, either by defrosting in the microwave for a minute or letting it sit out for about ten.
True, I use a hob for it on pretty low heat. But butter on the bottom makes an absolutely dreamy, crispy crust. I’ve ordered pizza and not eaten it, just for tomorrow pizza. You’re spreading great information here.
When done correctly, it tastes better than the night before when it was fresh.
I’m sorry but any pizza that tastes better reheated, no matter how good the reheat technique, was not very good pizza to begin with. I think you’ve had some very sad pizzas in your life mate.
Edited to add, wow I did not realize this would be a hot take. Y’all seriously had some sad pizzas.
If you’re dining out getting it hot and fresh from the oven, I’d tend to agree with you
But if you’re getting delivery or takeout, which at least in the US, probably accounts for most pizza consumption, odds are that when you eat your pizza it’s probably been sitting in a box for at least a few minutes, maybe up to an hour or so, soaking up its own steam and juices, and maybe going cold
Which, of course, would change the texture and probably not for the better.
No matter the quality of the pizza, it almost always tastes better the next day after the ingredients have had time to settle in and get to know each other a bit. Same goes for a lot of different foods, which is part of why I love leftovers so much. Like I said, you just have to know how to store and reheat them properly.
For example, do you know about the microwaving technique of using twice the time at half the power? Results in more even heating, practically eliminating hot spots. (If you’re patient, you can get better results with a third of the power and 3x the time.) And don’t even get me started on the wonders of pressure coolers and electric smokers…
Yeah i love that method, I’ve followed it a few fi es
If we are talking about after the initial round of consumption, then yes. Leftover food goes in the refrigerator. That’s what refrigerators are for. You don’t leave perishable food sitting out, especially not in a lukewarm oven in the danger zone.
Yes, pizza goes in the fridge if I didn’t eat all of it in time. I have a food manager safety certificate somewhere so I probably should know exactly what foods need to go in there, but look. My brain is mush. A lot goes in there to protect us.
Don’t buy food from me??
However focaccia and other bread treats get left on the bench a day or two and no one sees an issue.
I’d put something in the fridge regardless, just because whatever fridge life it has, that’ll extend it.
Longer life is good an all, but cold bread isn’t so nice and heating a focaccia messes it up in my opinion
I like meat on my pizza so yes, it goes in the fridge.
Plain or veggie pizza can be left out without too much danger.
Leaving meat pizza out (except maybe pepperoni) is just asking for a bad time.
Yes. Then eat cold. Mmmm
Stop I’m gonna cum
Overnight, no. If I don’t eat it for breakfast the next morning, then I’ll toss it in the fridge at that point.
I have almost never put leftover pizza in the fridge. Generally store it in the oven. That’s how my folks did it. Never had any problems. Was not expecting to come into this thread and see universal adoption of fridge pizza. I find the crust gets wet and gooey. You all do you, but after fifty years of doing it my way without any issues, I can’t see any reason to change.
Whenever you put any hot, bread-based food into the fridge it’ll get soggy. Gotta wait for it to cool down completely before putting it in the fridge.
This extends even to the trip home from a takeout pizza place. Putting the box in one of those thermal bags is one of the worst things you can do, since it traps all the steam inside. Much better to leave the pizza on the passenger seat with the box ajar (some pizza boxes even have steam vents).
I hear smokers with similar opinions. Some get really old. It’s luck, not wisdom
Well yes ofc. If the bread has anything more than flour oil water salt sugar preservatives leaveners it goes in the fridge.
Any flavouring means fridge. Although its so hot and humid here we even refrigerate our bread in the summer months
Yeah our bread lives in the fridge because it goes moldy otherwise, especially since a loaf will last 3 weeks in my house, not really bread eaters
Forget the fridge, why do you keep food on a bench? Don’t you have tables?
7 tables to be precise, but they’re for different things.
The kitchen bench seems a great a place as any
Might be a language thing by “bench” do you mean the counter top?
Nah I mean bench, but it is interchangeable in my native language,
That’s what I meant most places a “bench” is something you sit on. That’s why folks were confused.
my workbench disagrees.
Hell yeah
I’m assuming the US isn’t on the list since we measure our pizza in pounds.
And because there’s a place to make (and usually deliver) fresh pizza on every corner :p
You’re telling me there’s a metric for food eaten by a country (in this case frozen pizza) and USA doesn’t even make the LIST???
BUT ITALY DOES??? GOD DAMMIT ITALY! YOU HAVE FRESH AUTHENTIC ITALIAN PIZZA LITERALLY EVERYWHERE!!! EVERY LOCAL PIZZERIA IS AUTHENTIC ITALIAN PIZZA FOR YOU!!! WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING???
Thank you for leaning into the account name roleplay now and then :P
Honestly thought this reply was going to be about the post where I told the guy to tickle his sales directors balls, to be more like Steve Irwin
