someone I’m visiting likes pizza they can’t get locally. I want to pick some up and bring it to them next time I visit.
problem is the pizza is cold after an hour.
I’ve tried putting it in one of those $2 thermal grocery bags. problem is if I do that the pizza is soggy when I get it to the location. I’ve even tried leaving the top of the bag open and the pizza is still soggy. soggy pizza is worse than cold pizza.
So how can I transport pizza so that it retains its heat but also wicks away moisture?
looking online there are some pizza bags that will supposedly vent moisture. but I’m not sure.
moisture is honestly a bigger issue than heat. I’d rather have a dry cold pizza than a soggy warm one.
There are moisture absorbing packets you can buy for household humidity. but I don’t know if putting them in a thermal bag with a pizza is a good idea or not, or if it’ll absorb enough.
Seriously, keeping a pizza warm and in the same condition for one hour isn’t going to happen, it will get soggy or dried out or cold. You might get close using a hot pizza stone in a properly insulated and ventilated container, and probably starting with an undercooked pizza.
Frying pan is my favorite way to reheat pizza. I use a nonstick skillet, heat the bottom of the slice, flip it and melt the cheese. Tastes more like fresh pizza than other methods I’ve tried.
This is getting close to my Secret Pizza Rewarming Technique, though I would never flip it over like that. What I do – typically with refrigerated leftover pizza – is heat a Teflon-coated crepe pan on medium-high heat on the stovetop – a crepe pan is basically a skillet with very low sides and a large flat surface area. While it’s pre-heating, I slice the cold pizza as desired, and arrange the slices on a paper plate or a dish with paper towel on it, then microwave to melt the cheese and toppings – roughly about 60 seconds for a single serving of 3 or 4 slices, more or less, but don’t overcook! The result will be a great topping but a soggy crust. Slide the pieces onto the hot pan with a Teflon-safe spatula. Check it very frequently by lifting with the spatula, as it will crisp up very quickly. As soon as it’s as crisp as you like (I like it with a bit of flop to it, like a fresh pizzeria pizza) remove from pan and serve.
I’ve actually found pizza reheated this way to often taste better than it did the day before, possibly because flavors have had a chance to blend, and I can crisp it exactly to my preference.
For the OP’s purposes, though, who might want the entire pizza reheated for a group, placing it on a pizza pan into a preheated hot oven for a short time might be best, since the pizza won’t be refrigerator-cold and will just need a touch of heat and crisping.
OP: You’ve asked how to do the impossible. What you want to ask is how to best reheat the pizza when it gets there, and how to best handle it beforehand so the reheating goes as best as possible.
Perhaps tell the pizzeria that you’re going to transport the pizza an hour away and ask them to undercook it a bit (so you can finish it in the oven at home)? At the very least, ask their advice.
That’s exactly the method I use (flip and all) when I feel like rewarming pizza. I grease up the pan a little bit for extra crispness (and, yes, some pizzas do taste better reheated like this than fresh, I have to say, as they crisp up better.)
You could go bigger, like with some Damp Rid or similar to remove the moisture.
As for keeping it hot, you might try microwave gel packs. We have a Pyrex 9x13 that has a carrying bag with handle and it came with the hot/cold pack so you can maintain the temp in transit. Pyrex conducts the hot/cold better than a cardboard pizza box but you can use multiple gel packs.
Air frying would probably dry it out nicely once you get there, if that’s an option.