# Do you doctor/augment/adulterate store-bought pizzas before you bake them at home? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 20, 2019, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-doctor-augment-adulterate-store-bought-pizzas-before-you-bake-them-at-home/842047 "2019-10-20T19:01:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Miss\_Mapp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miss_mapp/32/369_2.png) [@Miss\_Mapp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Mapp)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2019, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-doctor-augment-adulterate-store-bought-pizzas-before-you-bake-them-at-home/842047/21 "2019-10-21T12:24:36Z")
I may add olives or slices of tomato if I have any in the house. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2019, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-doctor-augment-adulterate-store-bought-pizzas-before-you-bake-them-at-home/842047/22 "2019-10-21T12:31:11Z")
ground bleu cheese garlic sausage cilantro ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2019, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-doctor-augment-adulterate-store-bought-pizzas-before-you-bake-them-at-home/842047/23 "2019-10-21T12:34:05Z")
I removed the jalapeños from the one I bought last Saturday. For some reason, people in the northern half of Europe are totally in love with them; being from the southern half, I’m not. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2019, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-doctor-augment-adulterate-store-bought-pizzas-before-you-bake-them-at-home/842047/24 "2019-10-21T13:03:19Z")
Depends on the pizza. A lot of times I’m _removing_ rather than adding. “Deluxe” or “Supreme” pizzas tend to come with everything I want on it, except for mushrooms. The mushrooms must be removed. It’s easy when they’re still frozen, I just use a steak knife to pop them off. When I am adding things, it’s usually just a sprinkling of grated parm, onion powder, garlic powder, maybe some red pepper flakes, but generally all post-cooking. If I have it, and the pizza doesn’t already, sometimes I’ll add pepperoni or salami or bacon bits. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2019, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-doctor-augment-adulterate-store-bought-pizzas-before-you-bake-them-at-home/842047/25 "2019-10-21T13:44:15Z")
Of course. They always need onion, garlic, extra pepperoni and extra cheese. ---
**Author:** ![CelticKnot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/celticknot/32/3392_2.png) [@CelticKnot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CelticKnot)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2019, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-doctor-augment-adulterate-store-bought-pizzas-before-you-bake-them-at-home/842047/26 "2019-10-21T15:13:55Z")
We get 4 meat (or 3, depending on the brand) and add mushrooms and black olives. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2019, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-doctor-augment-adulterate-store-bought-pizzas-before-you-bake-them-at-home/842047/27 "2019-10-21T15:48:22Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > Depends on the pizza. A lot of times I’m _removing_ rather than adding. “Deluxe” or “Supreme” pizzas tend to come with everything I want on it, except for mushrooms. The mushrooms must be removed. It’s easy when they’re still frozen, I just use a steak knife to pop them off. I do the same thing with Supreme Pizzas, removing the olives. ---
**Author:** ![MoonMoon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moonmoon/32/2959_2.png) [@MoonMoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MoonMoon)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2019, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-doctor-augment-adulterate-store-bought-pizzas-before-you-bake-them-at-home/842047/28 "2019-10-21T15:54:55Z")
No. My Brick Oven style Freschetta cheese pizza is just as the Universe intended it. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2019, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-doctor-augment-adulterate-store-bought-pizzas-before-you-bake-them-at-home/842047/29 "2019-10-21T16:03:43Z")
Most pizzas have way too much cheese for me so I’ll knock a bunch of that off. I finally found a perfect pie for me: Red Baron Thin & Crispy Bacon Lovers. Nice thin crust, perfect amount of cheese (as in, minimal)topped with bacon, both traditional and Canadian varieties. I usually take to Canadian bacon off, though. Then I sprinkle garlic powder (or fresh garlic, if I have it),more bacon and oregano. It’s so yummy that it’s almost as enjoyable as having restaurant pizza. Or at least that what I’ve convinced myself since my economic situation changed. ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2019, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-doctor-augment-adulterate-store-bought-pizzas-before-you-bake-them-at-home/842047/30 "2019-10-21T16:21:30Z")
Add a can of drained mushroom pieces, then cover with more mozzarella. It gives thin, bland pizzas more heft and something to bite into. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2019, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-doctor-augment-adulterate-store-bought-pizzas-before-you-bake-them-at-home/842047/31 "2019-10-21T16:29:36Z")
Are grocery store pizzas incredibly cheap or something? I’m pretty sure I’ve never bought one, since “real” pizzas are reasonably priced and delicious. ---
**Author:** ![divemaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/divemaster/32/78_2.png) [@divemaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/divemaster)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2019, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-doctor-augment-adulterate-store-bought-pizzas-before-you-bake-them-at-home/842047/32 "2019-10-21T16:31:51Z")
Jalapenos. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2019, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-doctor-augment-adulterate-store-bought-pizzas-before-you-bake-them-at-home/842047/33 "2019-10-21T16:50:29Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Are grocery store pizzas incredibly cheap or something? I’m pretty sure I’ve never bought one, since “real” pizzas are reasonably priced and delicious. The very best pizza here (local, in a restaurant) is $14 for a basic cheese, toppings are $2.25 each. The pizza in Wegmans here, a large cheese, is $12 and toppings are $2 each. (there are small thin pizzas in the cold case, with varied toppings like buffalo chicken or plain cheese and garlic, to take home - about $10?) A bare-bones Tony’s pizza with pepperoni, sausage and pepperoni, or ‘supreme’ with all that and a sprinkle of green pepper, is $2.50 - $3.00 available anywhere there is a freezer case, including drugstores and gas stations. I know it’s not the best frozen pizza, but it lends itself to much souping up with extras and it’s really good when only a basic plain old frozen pizza will do. Can’t go wrong with DiGiornos or Tombstone, those are about $8 here. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2019, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-doctor-augment-adulterate-store-bought-pizzas-before-you-bake-them-at-home/842047/34 "2019-10-21T16:58:35Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Are grocery store pizzas incredibly cheap or something? I’m pretty sure I’ve never bought one, since “real” pizzas are reasonably priced and delicious. A plain 12" cheese pizza at a local pizzeria here costs about $10-$12. At the grocery store, it’s about half that. Hell, if you go to Aldi you can get a 16" Take-and-Bake pizza for something like $6. That would cost … let me look this up … $18.35 at my local pizzeria for a plain cheese pie and $25.85 for a deluxe pie. So, yes. That said, I’ll pay the pizzeria prices most of the time. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2019, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-doctor-augment-adulterate-store-bought-pizzas-before-you-bake-them-at-home/842047/35 "2019-10-21T17:00:38Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Are grocery store pizzas incredibly cheap or something? I’m pretty sure I’ve never bought one, since “real” pizzas are reasonably priced and delicious. The one I mentioned is $3.50(at Walmart, unfortunately) and I guess it’s comparable in size to a large. The pizza at my favorite restaurant is about $15.00. California Pizza Kitchen pizzas are $7.99 (IIRC). I guess you can get pretty good deals at Dominos or whatever but I’d rather go without than eat from the chains that are available in my area. Now if Round Table or Shakey’s were here, I’d be in trouble :o ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2019, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-doctor-augment-adulterate-store-bought-pizzas-before-you-bake-them-at-home/842047/36 "2019-10-21T17:24:02Z")
Not being a big pizza guy in general, grocery pies darken my doorstep perhaps 2-3 times a year so it’s hard to come up with hard rules. They’ll always get some extra onion but anything additional depends on my mood and the current pantry & fridge population. I may add sliced olives (black or green but always cheap), diced bell pepper, jalapeno (fresh or pickled 'nacho-style), giardiniera, anchovies, maybe some canned mushrooms. I can’t recall ever putting more cheese or sausage/pepperoni on a frozen pizza. If I had that stuff onhand, I probably wouldn’t have bought a pizza to begin with. Same for dry spices, never. I like it spicy but could never figure out the appeal of red pepper flakes of pizza, pasta or anything else. At best, they’re flavorless with a little heat but they often taste …old? Dusty? Hot sauce, giardiniera or fresh hot pepper, pre- or postbake fills that role. ---
**Author:** ![pmwgreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@pmwgreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pmwgreen)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2019, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-doctor-augment-adulterate-store-bought-pizzas-before-you-bake-them-at-home/842047/37 "2019-10-21T17:35:58Z")
Everytime. It is so easy to add green pepper, onion, mushroom. Especially mushroom, the canned stuff is revolting. Ham and pineapple. Extra cheese, but I don’t really find I need it. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2019, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-doctor-augment-adulterate-store-bought-pizzas-before-you-bake-them-at-home/842047/38 "2019-10-21T20:15:56Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Are grocery store pizzas incredibly cheap or something? I’m pretty sure I’ve never bought one, since “real” pizzas are reasonably priced and delicious. It doesn’t have anything to do with cost-- at least not for me. It’s more a matter of convenience and having the option. Sometimes you just want to have a pizza in the freezer for those times when you don’t feel like going out or ordering takeout (or maybe there’s no delivery in your area-- that was true of me for 20 years when I lived in the country). ---
**Author:** ![kitap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@kitap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitap)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2019, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-doctor-augment-adulterate-store-bought-pizzas-before-you-bake-them-at-home/842047/39 "2019-10-21T20:24:13Z")
Onions. If there aren’t onions, it’s not pizza. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2019, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-doctor-augment-adulterate-store-bought-pizzas-before-you-bake-them-at-home/842047/40 "2019-10-21T20:30:22Z")
More cheese. Madame P. must have more cheese. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-doctor-augment-adulterate-store-bought-pizzas-before-you-bake-them-at-home/842047.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-doctor-augment-adulterate-store-bought-pizzas-before-you-bake-them-at-home/842047.md?page=3)