The Simple Hack To Upgrade Your Frozen Pizza Crust

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A frozen pizza can be a lot of things: a time-crunch dinner that pleases picky eaters, an excuse to use that pizza stone that's been sitting in your oven since your wedding shower, and even a possible indicator of an upcoming recession. The very best frozen pizzas are a worthy substitute for the delivery version, piling on toppings that taste fresh and an ample amount of flavorful sauce and cheese. On the other hand, a lousy frozen pizza can taste like stale bread and disappointment. All too often, the crust is the culprit on a bad freezer pie. While a hot, fresh pizza has both a pillowy interior and a crunchy bite, the texture of a bargain-bin frozen pizza is often either mushy or crumbly with no in-between.

Luckily, there's a cheap and easy hack to rejuvenate even the saddest frozen pizza crust. When it's deployed on a great frozen pizza, this can elevate the crust from outstanding to transcendent. The key is either olive oil or melted butter, which you will brush on the crust shortly before taking the pizza out of the oven. This puts a glossy, flavorful coat on the carb that crisps it up beautifully and, depending on what fat you use, can impart delicious flavor. With a little experimenting, we bet your future frozen pizzas will end up comparing very favorably to pies from the bougiest Italian takeout joint in your city!

All you need to execute this frozen 'za upgrade is good olive oil or melted butter, along with a pastry brush. Don't apply the fat before baking, as this can cause unpleasant charring on the crust. Instead, brush on the oil or butter about five minutes before the end of the baking time. Or, if you really want the flavor to come through, you can layer on an extra coat as soon as the pizza has come out of the oven, while it is still piping hot (we've seen this cleverly referred to as "the garlic bread method"). The first coat helps the crust to crisp up, while the second application delivers shine and flavor.

For maximum transformation of your pizza, don't go with just ordinary oil or butter. This is a great time to bust out the infused oils you made with your sous vide machine, or to get crafty with custom compound butter. For flavors that compliment pizza, you can't go wrong with a great garlic butter, but don't stop there! Mix in some parmesan, red pepper flakes, fresh or dried herbs, or everything bagel seasoning into your butter for an umami boost that transforms both the taste and flavor of your crust. The sky's the limit: how about some Tony Chachere's Creole seasoning, curry powder, or even za'atar seasoning for pizzas with less traditional toppings? There's nothing limiting you but your imagination.